USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 40
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As the steamboat was short of men, they took on here Lieuten- ant Fields and fifteen men to assist them in going up the stream. On the Ist of September they were near the mouth of Wolf river. Here they were overtaken by the party under Say, which had been driven back by the Pawnees as before related. On Sep- tember 15 they reached the mouth of the famous Platte river of Nebraska. At this time traders were in almost every Indian village near the Missouri river and on many of its branches. Sev- eral were at the mouth of the Papilion, where they were estab- lished to trade with the Otoes, Missouris, etc .. Two days later the steamboat reached the trading post of the Missouri Fur Com- pany, called Fort Lisa and named for the Spanish trapper and hunter, Manuel Lisa. While here they selected the spot for their winter's encampment about half a mile above Fort Lisa on the west side of the Missouri, and about five miles below Council Bluffs. There they stopped on the 19th, and began to cut tim- ber for the houses and to quarry stone for the foundations.
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Inasmuch as the Pawnees had recently been guilty of several grave offenses, orders were at once issued to stop all traders from going to their villages until they had come in and given an account of themselves. This prohibition was a severe blow to the Indians, as they must have supplies of ammunition or their guns were useless, and the only way to get the ammunition was from the traders. The Pawnees had recently captured a father and son (whites) and made slaves of them, had robbed and severely whipped two white hunters, and had robbed and sent back the party under Thomas Say. The Republican Paw- nees were the particular band guilty of these offenses. The win- ter's encampment was called Engineer Cantonment, and was soon ready for occupancy. Peace was soon patched up between the Otoes and the Kansas, mainly through the influences of John Dougherty, the trapper who accompanied the expedition. On October 3 a council was held with the Otoes and the Iowas, all of whom promised submission to the government and were given valuable presents. Then in succession came councils with the Osages, Kansas, Pawnee Loups, Republican Pawnees, Grand Pawnces, Puncas, Omahas, Sioux, Padoucas, Bald Heads, Ietans or Comanches, Sauks, Foxes and Iowas. The ceremony was usually introduced by the "beggar's dance," where all the Indians gathered around a post and in turn advanced and struck it, at the same time recounting their most notable achievements as warriors. Many historic incidents thus came to light. The Republican Pawnees made proper restitution for their past mis- deeds. Among the leading chiefs present at the various councils were letu of Shameon-classe, Little Soldier or Mi-a-ke-ta, Big Elk or Shon-ga-ton-ga, Crenier, Long Hair or Tar-ra-re-ca-wa-o, White Cow or Ta-so-ne, Hard Heart or Wang-e-wa-ha, Broken Arm or Ha-she-ah, and others.
The steamboat was a wonderful sight to the Indians, all of whom desired to go on board and were permitted to do so. They feared the cannon and inquired what was meant when the reports rang out. Major Long had returned to Washington in October, 1819, but the proceedings were conducted by Major O'Fallen. All the chiefs complained of being poor and begged for assist- ance. The traders took advantage of the peace established by this expedition to promptly invade the Indian country with goods of all sorts. They were forbidden to introduce whisky, but always managed to have some on hand when it was needed to gain the furs or good will of the Indians. The fur companies were likewise forbidden to employ it in their trades, but they
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also managed always to have some on hand for emergencies. The Missouri Fur Company openly gave the Indians all the goods they wanted on credit, taking their furs when they were ready. Some of the tribes, particularly the Iowas, sometimes evaded their creditors and sold the furs elsewhere. During the winter Mr. Pilcher of the Missouri Company, accompanied by Lieutenant Swift of the expedition, went to the Omaha village one hin- dred and twenty miles up the Elk Horn river, and in a few days returned with one hundred and thirty beaver skins, besides many others of mink, coon, deer, bear, etc. Messrs. Woods, Zenoni, Immel, and Fontanelle were in the employ of the com- pany at this time. There was intense rivalry between the trading companies and between the companies and the indepen- dent trappers. All endeavored to incite the Indians against the others and against tribes favorable to the others. Unques- tionably, many of the massacres and murders on the plains resulted from these conditions. Sometimes the traders of. one company forcibly took the furs belonging to another, usually under some plausible pretext which they themselves had created.
At Camp Missouri during the winter, nearly one hundred sol- diers died of scurvy, out of about three hundred there assembled. This fort stood near Engineer cantonment. On January 2, 1820, a party of hunters returned with twelve buffaloes which they had killed. This was quite an achievement, because these animals had become scarce in that vicinity. Some of the Indians had never seen a negro until they saw the cook of the cantonment, and accordingly regarded him with great curiosity. An Omaha called him Black White Man, and another Little Black Bear or Was-a-pa-gin-ga. Feasts and barbeenes of buffalo, deer, or bear meat occurred often throughout the winter, amid scenes of much interest. At this time the permanent villages of the Omahas were situated about one hundred miles up the Missouri river a short distance up Omaha creek, and consisted of dirt lodges and comfortable places for stock. On April 24, Major Long, accom- panied by Capt. John R. Bell and others, reached St. Louis oni his return trip. Instead of passing by boat up the river. they secured horses and struck across the country for Council Bluffs. They passed south of Field's trace through Iowa and Missouri and reached the Missouri at the mouth of the Platte. They reached Engineer cantonment about the ist of June. As the deal- ings with the Grand Pawnces had not been satisfactory, it was finally resolved to send a special expedition to their villages on the Loup branch of the Platte. Accordingly, thirty-four men
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with seventeen well filled packs passed up the streams to their vil- lages, and were well received by Long Hair, the principal chief, doubtless because the wily chief knew they brought valuable gifts with them. Their good will was completely won, of course. Among them at this time were Messrs. Papan and Semino, two traders, who served as interpreters.
It had been determined by the government that the steamboat should go no farther up the Missouri that season and that expe- ditions should go west to the mountains to explore the valleys of the Platte, Arkansas and Red rivers. Lieutenant Graham was left in charge of the boat, with instructions to leisurely return down the rivers to St. Louis. Major Long was to command the expedition to the West. Under him were Capt. J. R. Bell, Lieut. W. H. Swift, Thomas Say, zoologist, Edwin James, bot- anist, geologist and surgeon, John Dougherty, hunter, interpreter and guide. The start was made June 6, and on the 11th the Pawnee villages on the loup were reached. They did not receive a cordial welcome, because, doubtless, they did not make many valuable presents. Four miles farther up that river they met the Republican Pawnees, who formerly dwelt on the Republican fork of the Kansas river, and lience their name. The principal chief of the Loup Pawnees was Knife Chief or La-til-e-sha, and his son was Pe-tal-e-shia-roo, a magnificent specimen of the race. At this time they had from six thousand to eight thousand horses. . The principal guides and interpreters of the expedition were Bijeau and Ledoux, both of whom had been several times to the headwaters of the Platte and the Arkansas. . The former attempted to desert at this place, 'but when told that if he did all the traders would be warned to leave the Indian country, he gave up and resumed his engagement.
ITaving reached the month of the North fork of the Platte on the 22d of June, they- crossed the main stream to the south side and continued their march. Here for the first time, immense herds of buffalo were encountered. Thus far the expedition had advanced without important event. Prowling bands of savages had visited them no doubt with the hope of receiving presents, and were usually sent away happy with a supply of tobacco. No ammunition was given them, because it was not known how soon it might be used in an attack on the whites. The treeless plains stretched to the horizon in every direction, and the sun beat down with pitiless fury on the parched grass. But the buffaloes thrived, the gaunt wolves feasted on the worn-out stragglers of the herds, the wild flowers sprang in profusion, and the prairie
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birds made music while they raised their little broods. The buf- faloes were so tame that they, as well as the wolves, simply opened their ranks to let the intruders pass and then closed up again, without having moved to right or left more than two or three hundred yards. The tameness of the wild animals proved that this section had not been visited by the Indians. Neither did the expedition meet Indians here. But after June 29th, the herds again began to grow thinner and the Indians began to be seen. Clumps of trees began to appear after this as the mountains were approached. The Fourth of July was celebrated by the expedi- tion with an extra allowance of corn meal and with a swig of whisky to each man. By this time every man was tired of the plains, and eagerly watched for the first sight of the mountains. The botanist, the zoologist, the geologist and the mineralogist had observed everything and had classified many new varieties. To them the great plains were a rich treasure house stored with nature's choicest gifts.
Soon the rich verdure of the mountain valleys, the deep shade. of the heavy woods, the sparkling, rushing streams, the snow- capped mountains and the refreshing springs of pure water from endless snows, greeted the tired men and put fresh vigor in their worn spirits. Bell's Springs were named for Captain Bell of this expedition, who first discovered them on a short side expe- dition. James' Peak was named by Major Long for Edwin James of this expedition, who had the hardihood to ascend to its wintry summit for scientific discoveries. He was no doubt the first white man to stand upon its bare crest and see the won- derful panorama spread around-lofty peaks with their crowns of rock and snow ; deep valleys enveloped in almost impenetrable forests ; ranges of lofty mountains far to the north and the south ; the valley to the west shining like emerald in the summer sun ; and the endless plains to the east threaded with silver streams and intersected with belts of scrubby timber. It was a sight well worth the labor of making the ascent, but which only a stu- dent of nature would care to undertake, and for which he alone would feel amply repaid.
Having pursued his discoveries here as far as his instructions warranted, Major Long divided his command of about twenty- five men into two divisions, one of fifteen men under Captain Bell to descend the Arkansas, and the other of about ten men under Long himself to go south to Red river and descend that stream. These were small parties to undertake such hazardous trips, but nearly all were trained hunters, familiar with the habits of the
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Indians and not afraid to meet them in their own way and upon their own ground. Both parties started July 24, 1820, from near Wharf creek, one of the upper branches of the Arkansas. That under Major Long struck nearly due south, expecting to reach he upper branches of the Red before turning to the east, and reached the Canadian Fork of the Arkansas on the 28th, but mistook it for a branch of the Red and therefore turned down the same. They had followed the directions of the Indians, but, in the absence of the guide, Joseph Bijeau (or Bessonet, his real name), who had remained in the mountain country according to arrangement, had been deceived. On August 10th they met a large war party of Kecchies, who became insolent and endeav- ored to take unfriendly liberties with them; but stern resistance and a hostile and steady front checked the savages. From this band they learned that a large war party of Ietans or Comanches was near at hand, but they did not meet it. At first the party found very little game, but as they went on the herds of buffalo became numerous, and finally the animals could not be counted. They were even tamer than they had been on the Platte, and as before simply moved a little to one side until the expedition had passed and then closed up again. Once again the hunters' camp was savory with the tempting odor of roast buffalo rump, steak or tongue. On the 21st of August, they killed a black bear, the first they had seen since leaving the Missouri river.
On the roth of September, Long's party reached the mouth of the Arkansas, and there for the first time learned that they had descended the Canadian Fork of the Arkansas instead of the Red as they had thought. This caused them great mortification, because they had been directed particularly to descend the Red. But it was now too late to rectify the mistake, so they continued on down to Fort Smith and there found that Captain Bell's party had arrived on the oth, while Long arrived the 13th of Septem- ber. Two days after starting, Bell's party had reached a large camp of Kiawas, Keechies, Chevennes or Padoucas, and Ara- pahoes. On August Ist, they encountered a war party of four times their number of Cheyennes, who tried to get the advantage of them, but the resolute course of the whites put a stop to their hostile proceedings. On August 2 and 3 they came upon vast herds of buffalo and remarkably large herds of antelopes. On August 12 they encountered a band of about thirty-five Coman- ches, who endeavored by appearances of friendliness to take their arms, but this course was soon stopped. The whites had a horse which seemed to have an interesting history on the plains. He
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was known to all the Indians, and each band had some member who claimed him. More than once such an Indian would go to the animal and prepare to take him away, claiming ownership; but they were not permitted to take possession. On the 31st of August, three men-Nolan, Myers and Bernard-deserted from the expedition, taking the three best horses, and many valuable articles, including manuscripts, drawings, Indian presents, etc. They left in the middle of the night, and were pursued, but suc- ceeded in escaping.
After various other stirring experiences from Indians and after suffering severely for want of food, the party under Captain Bell arrived in due time at Fort Smith. After they had been joined by that under Major I,ong a few days later, an expedition was projected to the villages of the Osages. At this time that tribe was divided into three branches: The Chancers under Chief Clermont ; the White Hairs under Che-sho-hun-go; and the Little Osages under Ne-zu-mo-me. The first band was on the Verdigris, the second on the Osage, and the third on the Neosho. The expedition left on the 21st of September, and, after visiting these bands, arrived in due season at their predetermined destina- tion-St. Genevieve, Mo. A small party, consisting of Captain Kearney and two other persons, passed by way of Hot Springs, Ark., which they thoroughly examined and reported upon.
In 1820 an expedition under Lewis Cass and Henry Schoolcraft visited the head-waters of the Mississippi and many of the other upper tributaries of that river in search of information of a scien- tific nature. They ascended the Mississippi to Cass lake, but failed to find the ultimate source of the Mississippi. The year before an expedition of a scientific character, in charge of Thomas Nuttall, passed up the Arkansas, examining every object of inter- est, and making an elaborate record of their discoveries. In 1823, Maj. S. H. Long, with a scientific corps, thoroughly explored the Minnesota river and several other branches of the Upper Mississippi in the present Minnesota. He marched far enough north to locate the forty-ninth parallel on the north boundary of Minnesota. W. II. Keating was his historian.
The expedition under Col. Hugh Glenn, consisting of about twenty men, thirty horses and mules and a considerable quantity of goods for the Indian trade, left Fort Smith on the Arkansas on September 6, 1821, and started westward up the valley of the Arkansas. On the second night out they were at Bean's salt- works. These wells had been opened in 1820 near the Illinois river on a small creek, under a grant to Messrs. Bean and San- I-26
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ders. They soon reaclied Fort Gibson, which had just been built. They crossed the Verdigris, on which about four miles from its mouth was an important trading house. This was owned and conducted by Colonel Glenn, the commander of this expedition. Here they remained until September 25, when they again advanced, but were now reduced to fifteen men, five having left. They soon reached the Osage village, but found nearly all the Indians away on their annual buffalo hunt. At this time the prairies were covered with buffaloes and elks, followed stealthily by packs of wolves. On October Ist, they crossed Little Verdi- gris, and by the 4th were in what is now the Osage reservation of Oklahoma. On the 6th they were at a point south of the pres- ent southern boundary of Kansas, not far from Arkansas City, and here they encountered the Osage Indians in great numbers. On October 9, they crossed Walnut creek not far from Arkansas City. Many of the Indians were insolent unless they were well supplied with presents. On the 18th they were near Sterling, Rice county, Kan. On the zoth they crossed Pawnee Fork near Larned, and on the 25th near Dodge City, Ford county. Ilere the plains were literally covered with herds of buffalo, elk, deer, antelope, wild horses and wolves. On November 3, they were at what is now Hartland, Kearney county. Two days later they were at Hollys, just across the line in Colorado, and on the 12th reached Caddoa. The next day Spanish Peaks were passed, and on the 16th they were near Robinson. They had passed Fort Lyon on the 15th, and were near Catlin on the 20th.
Scarcely a day passed that did not witness the visits to the camp of members of the Kiawas, Padoucas, letans ( Coman- ches), Arapahoes, Cheans, Shakes, etc. Many articles were stolen by these pilfering bands, and often collisions were narrowly averted. They were at Boonville on December 25. At this time the party consisted of only thirteen men. A little farther to the westward they passed the winter, being visited often by the Span- iards from New Mexico. 'Taos was but six days' journey to the westward. It is claimed that Major Jacob Fowler of this party built the first house in Pueblo this winter, a rude log structure. They spent part of the winter in trapping and hunting in this vicinity ; but in the meantime Colonel Glenn, with a small party, went across to Santa Fe. Supplies of corn were procured from Spanish traders. With this party was James Beckworth, who afterward became the head chief of the Crow Indians. On the 20th of January, they received word from Colonel Glenn to come on to Santa Fe, and accordingly did so, reaching Taos about Feb-
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ruary 8th. In April, 1822, they started back via what is now Las Animas and Baca counties, Colo., and after reaching the upper branches of Purgatory river struck straight across the country to Coolidge, Kan. By June 20th they had reached the vicinity of Raymond, Rice county, and in due time returned to civilization without serious accident. The objects of trapping and trading had been accomplished.
Commissioners to treat with the Indian tribes beyond the Mis- sissippi ascended the Missouri in 1825, leaving St. Louis about the 20th of March and reaching Council Bluffs, April 19th. The commissioners were Gen. Henry Atkinson and Major Benjamin O'Fallon, who were accompanied by an escort of one hundred and seventy-six soldiers. They had a large supply of Indian presents and an abundance of provisions. In Fort Atkinson, at Council Bluffs, they remained until May 16th, when, with large reinforce- ments, they ascended the Missouri in their boats, arriving at the Ponca villages in what is now South Dakota, June 8th. Here a council was held a few days later. Ascending the river, they reached Fort Lookout of the American Fur Company, about twenty miles below the great bend of the Missouri, on the 17th, where a council was held and a treaty effected with the Tetons, Yanktons, Yanktonies and their allies on the 21st and 22d of June. Bad river. A council was held with a band of Sioux at Hidden creek on the 12th of July ; and a treaty with the Arickarees was concluded a week later. Late in July the Mandan villages were reached, and here on the 30th a council was held and a treaty effected with the Mandans, Minnetarees and Gros Ventres, and four days later with the Crows. About the middle of August, the mouth of the Yellowstone was reached and here a trapping party of twenty-three men under General Ashley was met coming down that river in hide canoes with a cargo of over one hundred packs of beaver skins. Hoping to meet the Assiniboines, the com- missioners sent a detachment up the Missouri over one hundred miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone; but it was obliged to return without effecting its object. On the 27th of August, the expedition, accompanied by the Ashley party, boarded the trans- ports and descended the river, reaching the Mandan villages August 30th, Council Bluffs September 19th, where, on the 26th, a council was held and a treaty concluded with the Otoes, Paw- nees and Omahas. Part of the escort remained at Fort Atkinson, but the other part descended the Missouri to St. Louis. The results of this expedition were to cement friendship with the Indians and secure a large tract of territory by treaty. At this time Major O'Fallon was Indian agent on the Missouri.
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The expedition of H. B. Schoolcraft and Lieut. J. Allen to the Northwestern Indian tribes and to and beyond the sources of the Mississippi in 1832, was one of the most important made in early years. A large amount of valuable information was the result. With Schoolcraft were twenty of his own engages or Canadian voyageurs, besides his assistants; and with Allen were about ten soldiers to serve as an escort; in all about thirty-five persons in the expedition. They found the source of the Mississippi river to be Lake Itasca, which they named. They described a large number of unknown lakes and other physical features, found cop- per ore and agates of wonderful beauty, made valuable additions to the information concerning the origin and habits of the Indian tribes, and made an important contribution to the scientific infor- mation of the territory through which they passed. Their explorations were mainly in the present States of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The real source of the Mississippi was unknown until this expedition discovered it to be in Lake Itasca.
In 1832 Capt. B. E. Bonneville, of the Seventh United States Infantry, at his own expense and independent of the orders of the government, left Fort Osage with one hundred and ten men and twenty wagons on a trading and exploring trip to the mountains. The start was made about the first of May, and for a time the journey was monotonous enough indeed; but when the buffalo and Indian country was reached the scene was changed, and such a change! The wagons were drawn by mules and oxen, and a large supply of provisions and Indian presents was taken along. Many of the Indians along the whole route had never seen a wagon before, and regarded them with ever-increasing wonder. On May 24, when far up in the Indian country, a cry was one day raised, "Indians, Indians!" and sure enough there came a mounted band of about sixty Crows at full speed directly toward the wagons, swinging their arms and yelling like demons, and for a while nothing was to be seen whirling around the camp but prancing ponies, yelling savages, streaming hair and feathers, and brandished knives and rifles. All this was intended by the Indians to show their own prowess and their skill in horseman- ship and to test the nerve of the whites. After receiving a few presents, they departed at full speed as they had come. On June 2 the party reached the Platte river at a point about twenty- five miles below Grand Island and on the HIth were at the forks where the two branches of the river came together. A little below this point, they crossed to the north side on the usual trail traversed by all the expeditions. On June 25 they were at Scott's
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