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 43
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Fork of the Platte, where winter quarters were secured. Dur- ing the following winter, many side expeditions thoroughly explored the surrounding country over a radius of nearly a hun- dred miles. The winter was passed near the big bend of the North Fork of the Platte. The following spring the party marched in a northwest direction, partly east and partly west of the continental divide, explored the valleys of Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers, and on the 14th of July arrived at Fort Ben- ton. Fort Union was reached August 7, Fort Pierre Septem- ber 7, and Omaha October 4. The expedition accomplished its objects of exploration and Indian pacification.
It was estimated by Capt. Edward F. Beale in 1859, that a rail- road from Fort Smith, Ark., to San Filipe, N. M., would cost over twenty-one million dollars. This report was the outcome of an expedition sent by the government under his command across the plains in 1858-9. It passed up the Canadian fork, from the headwaters of which it marched across to the Gallinas, picking out the most practicable route for a wagon road. It finally crossed the Pecos and a few days later entered the valley of the Rio Grande. The road thus surveyed was afterward trav- eled to a large extent by emigrants and others.
In 1862 Capt. Medorem Crawford conducted a large party of emigrants across the plains from Omaha: he was assisted by Leroy Crawford. The escort consisted of fifty mounted soldiers, with twelve loaded wagons and an ambulance. He started June 16, and by the 28th was opposite Fort Kearney. July 10 he reached Castle Ruins, July 16th Fort Laramie, July 29th Devil's Gate, August 7th Big Sandy creek and August 15th the Smith fork of Bear river near the Idaho line. Wally Wally was reached October 14th. No incident of notable importance occurred on the trip. During the same year, another party of emigrants was conducted across the plains, up the valley of the Platte, by Captain Mackay. He encountered no serious obstacle.
In 1862 Capt. James I. Fisk was sent with a mounted escort of fifty soldiers and the necessary assistants to conduct a large party of emigrants from Fort Abercrombie on Red river of the North to Fort Benton. The country was infested with many hostile bands of Indians : and the government realized that the departure of the emigrants without escort meant their certain annihilation. All being ready, the start was made July 3. Milk river was reached August 19, and Fort Benton September 5. The expedition marched a considerable distance north of the Missouri and then well up Milk river, before passing down
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Maria's river to Fort Benton. By so doing, they escaped the Indians lying in wait along the usual route traveled by emigrants. There was little danger from Indians west of Fort Benton.
The next year Captain Fisk conducted another overland expe- dition from Fort Abercrombie to Fort Benton, his escort rendez- vousing at St. Cloud. The principal object of the expedition was to escort a large emigrant train across the plains through a dangerous section of Indian country. The escort consisted of fifty soldiers, a 12-pound howitzer, and wagons containing the necessary supplies. Antoine Frenier was present as the Sioux interpreter, and R. D. Campbell as the Chippewa interpreter. The expedition reached Fort Ripley June 19, at which point many more emigrants were added to the train. Here the equipment was completed, Colonel Rogers being in charge of the garrison. Otter Tail lake was reached on July 8, and here were seen melan- choly evidences of the slaughter the year before. On July II Dayton was reached, and here again the bloody work of the pre- vious year was visible. At this place a mounted escort from General Sibley's expedition was met. The next day they arrived at the Red River of the North, and on the 13th reached Fort Abercrombie. Squads of hostile Indians surrounded the expedi- tion almost from the start ; also packs of prowling wolves. Near this place General Sibley was encamped. Advancing, they crossed the Cheyenne river on the 26th, and two days later encountered one of the famous Red river hunting parties, con- sisting of over six hundred hunters. Small bands of Sioux hovered about, watching evidently for an opportunity to strike. On the Souris river, immense herds of buffalo were seen : it was estimated that on July 2 one million of those animals were in sight with the aid of a field glass. On the 8th of August, a large war party of Assiniboines was met, the head chief being Is-to- wer-a-han. Though greatly outnumbering the whites, they did not venture to attack. The usual perfunctory peace proceed- ings-speeches and empty promises-were observed. As a mat- ter of fact, this escort was altogether too small to traverse the plains at that time ; because all the Indian tribes were at war with the government, and bands that could easily have overwhelmed the white forces were met every few days. General Sibley should have sent at least one hundred mounted men to the assistance of Captain Fisk. This movement was called "The Northern Over- land Expedition for the Protection of Emigrants." Open con- flict with bands of hostiles was more than once narrowly averted. Milk river was reached on the 25th of August, and on the same
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day a band of thirteen Gros Ventres came into camp. The jour- nal of the expedition reads, "Their language is the most extraor- dinary and uncouth that can be imagined. It is guttural and seems to consist of a cough, a groan, a grunt, a whistle and a tst-tst." The following day, Captain Fisk and Doctor Gibbs together shot a grizzly bear which weighed about nine hundred pounds. On August 31, a party of settlers from Bannock City on their way to Fort St. Charles to procure a quartz mill was met. On September 5, Maria's river was reached. Mr. Dawson of the American Fur Company was in charge of Fort Benton. Septem- ber 6, Teton river was reached, and on the 20th the summit of the Rocky mountains was crossed. Seven days later Bannock City was reached, and here the expedition was dissolved.
A wagon road from Niobrara to Virginia City was explored and surveyed by Col. James A. Sawyer in 1865. He had an escort of one hundred and forty-three men with twenty-five wagons drawn by six mules each. With the expedition went five emigrant wagons, and a private freight train of thirty-six wagons so coupled together as to be drawn by eighteen teams of six yoke. of oxen each. Paul Dorion agreed to guide him, but failed to appear at the last moment; Baptiste Defoud and Benjamin F. Estes took his place. They started on the 13th of June, passing up the Niobrara and reaching Lone Pine creek on the 26th, Snake river on the 30th, Antelope creek July 10, the headwaters of White river on the 13th, on which day they saw the Black Hills for the first time in the far distance. On the roth, they had crossed the trail made by Lieutenant Warren in 1856, and on the 17th crossed that made by Colonel Harney about the same time. A detach- ment under Lieutenant Dana was sent to Fort Laramie the 21st : he rejoined the expedition August Ist. While they were near Hat creek on the 22d, a furious hail storm swept across the plain, pros- trating the tents and stampeding the animals. Horse creek in the present Wyoming was reached on the 25th and the South Cheyenne three days later, near which their first buffalo was killed by the expedition. The North Cheyenne was reached August 5th, and near this stream was seen a valuable outcropping of bituminous coal. The Indians had begun to be troublesome, and on the 13th they killed one of the party-IIedges. Two days later about five hundred Cheyennes and Sioux attacked the camp at sunrise : but finding they could gain nothing they sued for peace and presents. The next day they tried to stampede the cattle of the expedition, but failed and departed. . Had the escort been any considerable degree weaker, the expedition would have
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been annihilated by the allied Indian enemies. July 24th, they arrived at Fort Connor on Powder river, and a week later at Tongue river, near which they were attacked in desultory fashion . by about three hundred Arapahoes, Cheyennes and others, who succeeded in killing several of the men and in running off a few head of stock. Captain Kellogg with twenty-seven men joined him on the 5th of September. General Connor with a large force was in the vicinity, and had whipped the Indians a few days before in a sharp engagement. Two companies under Captain Brown, sent from the command of General Connor, joined the expedition on the 13th; but on the following day they left when on the Big Horn. Immense numbers of buffaloes were seen, followed as usual by packs of ravenous wolves. Pryor's Fork was reached on the 21st, and the Yellowstone the following day. On the 5th of October they arrived at Bozeman City in the Gal- latin valley, and a week later reached Virginia City, their destina- tion. They did not succeed in quieting the Indians, as had been expected, or rather hoped. During this period W. W. Brookings conducted an expedition from the western line of Minnesota to Montana, meeting no serious obstacle on the way.
An important survey of the Arkansas river was made in 1869 by Col. John N. Macomb and Lieut. S. T. Abert. A reconnois -. sance in 1869, under the command of Col. S. B. Holabird, per- formed important duties in the "Department of the Dakotas." The next year an expedition under the command of Gen. H. D. Washburn left Fort Ellis and explored the Yellowstone river, at the same time executing important duties for the War Depart- ment.
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CHAPTER XIII
The Indian Tribes
L ONG before the discovery of America by white men, what is now known as the Louisiana Purchase was inhabited by both fixed and roving Indian tribes. Some of theni had established villages of dirt and wood; others lived in tents which they removed readily and transported to the proximity of buffa- loes and other wild game. De Soto found the Capahas or Paca- has, afterward called Quappas, on the St. Francis river. Lower down he found the Casquins, since known as Kaskaskias. He met the Akansea or Arkansas nation, though they at that time seem to have been known by their local names. They were located on the Arkansas river near its mouth as well as on the Mississippi. In his wanderings he encountered the Cayas or Kansas, the Tensas, the Tonicas, the Natchitoches, the Caddoes, the Adayes and many other tribes whose names, as used by him can be identified with those of a later date. Joliet and Marquette found on the Des Moines river the Peorias, Moingonas, Odon tontas, the Mahas or Omahas, the Panas or Pawnees, the Aioucz or Iowas. They found on the Missouri river the Missouris, the Osages, the Kansas and farther west the Pawnees, the Padoncas or Comanches, and north the Outhouez or Otoes. They found on the Arkansas river the Akanseas, the Kansas and others. La Salle and Tonty encountered the same tribes. Duluth found the Issatis. the Sissetons and the Assiniboines in the present Min- nesota. as did also Accault and Hennepin. Nicholas Perrot found in Minnesota the Nadonessioux, from which term, doubtless, came the French name "Sioux." The Indian name of the Sionx was Dakota. D'Iberville found in Louisiana the Houmas, Tan- gapahoes, Quinipissas, Bayagoulas, Natchez, Chetimachas, Tensas, Coroas, Attakapas and many others. This was about
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the siutation of the tribes when the province became the property of the United States. The only important change was the appearance of the Chippewas in northern Minnesota. They no doubt invaded the lands of the Sioux, and hence the perpetual war between those two powerful and war-like tribes. The far western tribes-Blackfeet, Arapahoes, Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches and others-became known through later explorations.
As early as 1775, a committee of congress was appointed to devise plans to carry on trade with the Indian tribes; but, of course, this act did not then apply to the territory west of the Mississippi. Little was done under the act; but, in 1786, an ordinance was passed, dividing the Indian department into two districts, a northern and a southern one, with a superintendent and a deputy in charge of each. Under this act the granting of licenses was regulated, all proceedings being controlled by the War Department. Important changes were made in 1790 under the constitution adopted in 1789. The license system .was retained, and a suitable bond was required. Nothing was asked for the license, which was issued for two years ; but a trader with- out a license was required to forfeit his goods. "By the treaty of 1794 Great Britain captured the right of trade and intercourse with the Indians residing in our territory; which gave her nearly a monopoly of the trade with the various tribes of the lakes, the Mississippi and the Missonri, and a decided control over all their measures. The effects of this ascendency over them must. be remembered and lamented so long as the history of the late war shall be perused. The most distressing occurrences and the greatest disasters of that period may be distinctly traced to it. This right of intercourse and'trade with the Indians, which has proved to us so pernicious, terminated in the war, and was not reserved by the treaty of Ghent; and in the year 1816 congress passed a law which authorized the president to prohibit foreigners from trading with the Indians residing within our limits, and instructions have been given under the act to prevent such trade." *
But the act of 1816 did not remedy the evil; however, it was thought that the erection of posts and forts in the Indian country would do so. The act of 1802 so far repealed previous acts, that a fine of one hundred dollars and imprisonment not exceeding thirty days, together with a forfeiture of goods, was made the penalty of trading without a license.
*From letter of John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War, to the Congressional Com- mittee on Military Affairs, December, 1819.
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The factory system was inaugurated in 1796, but did not super- sede the license system of individuals. Congress, under this act, appropriated one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to be used as capital in the Indian trade. In addition the necessary build- ings were erected, in which the goods were placed and the factors, agents, clerks, et al., were domiciled. The sum of eight thou- sand dollars was appropriated per annum to pay such supernu- meraries. The factory law was limited to two years; but was re-enacted and continued to :806, when superintendents of Indian affairs were appointed and the capital was increased to $260,000 and the annual salary of the agents to $13,000. This law was continued in force until I811, when the capital was still further increased to $300,000 and the annual salaries to $19,500. This act seems to have remained in force until the abolishment of the system in 1822.
The United States had scarcely acquired the province of Loui- siana before steps looking to the removal of the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi to the west side were taken. The act of March 6, 1804, by which the province was divided into two ter- ritories, provided also for the removal of such Indians as desired to make the change. The plan was to give them acre for acre lands beyond the Mississippi in exchange for their old domains on the east side. As a matter of fact the removal to the west of the Mississippi had begun many years before, while Louisiana was still a province of Spain. In 1793 the Shawaneses and Dela- wares had been given a tract fifteen miles square west of the Mississippi at St. Genevieve, by Baron de Carondelet, Spanish governor of Louisiana, and the grant had been confirmed and recorded. Many small tribes in Louisiana, who had come from the east side, held tenures of a similar character from the same source. Bands of Choctaws were in Opelousas and on the Oua- chita ; the Washa swere on Bayou Lafourche; the Tenisas were on Red river near the Pascagoulas ; the Choctaws were on Bayon Boeuf ; the Pascagoulas were on Red river about sixty miles below Natchitoches; the Tonicas were at Pointe Coupée; the Opelousas were about fifteen miles west of Opelousas church ; the Attakapas were about twenty miles west of the Attakapas church, and with them were a few Tonicas and Humas ; the Pacanas were located about forty miles southwest of Natchitoches ; the Conshat- tas were on the Sabine about eighty miles south of Natchitoches ; the Apalachies were on Bayon Rapide; the Alabamos were on Red river near the 'Apalachies; the Boluscas were at Avoyelles and on Bayou Rapide; the Natchitoches lived near the town of
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that name; the Adayes were on Red river about forty miles above Natchitoches ; the Yattasses lived on Stony creek near Red river, a short distance above the Adayes; the Caddoes or Cadoques lived about one hundred and twenty miles northwest of Natchi- toches; near them were their relatives the Naudakoes, Naba- daches, Ionies or Tackies, Nacogdoches, Keechies, Adayes and others. However, not all of these tribes, or rather small rem- nants of tribes, liad come from east of the Mississippi. Several of them occupied lands which had been theirs from time imme- morial. It was necessary for the United States to recognize duly all such tenures. Owing to the fact that there was still an abun- dance of unsettled land east of the river, the United States was in no hurry, at first, to effect the removal of the tribes to the west sides.
On November 3, 1804, Gen. W. H. Harrison concluded a treaty at St. Louis with the Sacs and Foxes, by which they ceded any claim they might have to a small tract lying along the west side of the Mississippi north of that city. This step was taken more to gain the good will of those tribes than to admit the right- fulness of their claims to such tract. This course was pursued by the United States in the extinguishment of all Indian claims west of the Mississippi, even in case the claims were based upon only a shadow of right.
The expeditions of Lewis and Clark and of Pike revealed in unmistakable characters to the citizens the immense value of the new purchase. It was seen that the friendship of the Indians could be secured with comparative ease, and the settlement of the purchase could be conducted the same as on the east side. Pike secured two tracts in the present Minnesota. In November, 1808, Peter Chouteau, agent for the Osages, and Meriwether Lewis, governor and superintendent of Indian affairs, of Lonisi- ana Territory, concluded a treaty with the Osages at Fort Clark, above the mouth of Osage river, by which the United States acquired all the territory possessed by that tribe between the Arkansas and the Missouri rivers and east of a line running due south to the Arkansas river from Fort Clark. This was the first large cession of lands west of the Mississippi to the United States. The government bound itself to establish and maintain a factory (store of goods) at Fort Clark for the benefit of the tribe,. to keep a blacksmith there to mend their arms, implements, etc., to pay an annuity of $1,000 to the Great Osages and one of $500 to the Little Osages, and to reimburse white settlers who had recently been pillaged by the tribe, but not in excess of $5,000.
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While this treaty was taken somewhat irregularly, it was duly confirmed by both the Osages and the government at St. Louis in August, 1809.
The step of building Fort Clark and of holding a peace treaty with the Osages was rendered necessary to protect the settlers from the depredations of that tribe. Capt. E. B. Clemson and his company of regulars were accordingly sent up the river in June, 1808, for the purpose of building that fort. Previous to the treaty, the Osages had been forced to peace measures by the act of the War Department in refusing them merchandise, ammuni- tion, etc. Peter Chouteau claimed a' tract of thirty thousand arpents on the Missouri at the mouth of Mine river, basing his claim on a grant from the Osages and from the Spanish govern- ment. His request to have this claim recognized in the above mentioned treaty with the Osages was refused.
As early as 1805, trading posts under the factory system of the United States were established at Natchitoches, on the Arkansas near its mouth, and at Belle Fontaine near St. Louis. In 1808 trading posts were established at Fort Clark on the Missouri, as before stated, and at Fort Madison, now in Iowa. The factory buildings at Natchitoches cost $2,012; on the Arkansas, $800; and at Fort Clark, $500. In 1808 only the posts of Natchitoches, Arkansas, Fort Clark, and Fort Madison were in operation. The factors were John B. Treat at Arkansas; Thomas M. Linnard at Natchitoches ; George C. Sibley at Fort Osage (Clark), and John . Johnson at Fort Madison.
Beginning about the year 1807, British agents in the West, doubtless under the direction of the Canadian authorities, com- menced systematically to incite the Indians against the Ameri- cans. Every tribe on the Mississippi and the Missouri was visited by them. The Indians were told that their old father, the king of England, intended to repossess himself of all the western country. It was mainly through the efforts of Manuel Lisa, who was appointed a sub-agent of the United States for that pur- pose, that the tribes of the Missouri did not wage a bloody war against the Americans. Large quantities of guns and ammuni- tion were sent by the Canadians to the western Indians long before war with England was declared in 1812. The battle of Tippecanoe in Indiana in 1811 resulted directly from British agencies. As early as 1800, many of the western tribes began petty acts of hostility, and occasionally killed a settler and his family and plundered and burnt their home. One of the first acts was the killing of several Americans at the lead mines on the
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Mississippi in January, 1812. The Winnebagoes, or Puants, were particularly hostile. They killed a corporal at Fort Madison, and later shot a sentinel there. They also murdered an Ameri- can family on the bank of the Mississippi in February, 1812. Even after the battle of Tippecanoe, such hostilities were con- tinued without cessation during the War of 1812.
As soon as possible after the treaty of Ghent in December, 1814, peace treaties were held with all of the tribes that had been hostile to the United States, as well as with many others. Will- iam Clark, Ninian Edwards and Auguste Chouteau were the commissioners on the part of the United States to hold many of these treaties. The Kickapoos, Pottawatomies, Sioux of the lakes, Piankeshaws, Sioux of the river St. Peter's ( Minnesota), Great and Little Osages, Yanctons, Mahas, Sacs and Foxes, Tetons, Kansas, and others, agreed to maintain peace with the United States. The most of these treaties were held at Portage des Sioux, a short distance above the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Large quantities of goods were distrib- uted to the various tribes. The Sacs and Foxes of Rock river, the Winnebagoes and the Kickapoos were slow to make terms- had been so thoroughly under the influence of the British agents. In fact they were called "the British tribes" long after the war.
Peace had no sooner been concluded, than the British traders, taking advantage of the liberal terms of the treaty, though for- eigners were prohibited from trading with the American tribes, came almost in droves to the West with goods of every description and of British manufacture. They promptly monopolized the Western trade. They went so far as to continue the tactics of inciting the Indians against the Americans with the view of keep- ing out the American traders, and at first were successful. Mes- sengers sent by Governor Clark to Prairie du Chien were not permitted to pass the Sac and Fox villages on Rock river, but were obliged to go by way of Omaha and the St. Peter's river. But a stop was soon put to that state of affairs. At this time (1815) Mr. Boilvin was government agent at Prairie du Chien.
The proposition of removal to the west side of the Mississippi was early broached to the southern Indians, and was revived fre- quently during many years; but was steadfastly rejected by the majorities of those tribes. However, many small bands accepted the proposition from the start, and were guided by the govern- ment to their future home on the west side. Small bands of Cherokees, in particular, took carly advantage of the proposition. It was soon learned that, owing to the exodus from the cast to the
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west side, many conflicting claims to territory had arisen among the tribes. The Quapaws (the tribe probably known to the early explorers as the Capaha, or Pacaha) claimed both sides of the Arkansas river; but their claims were disputed by the Chero- kees on the north and east and by the Osages on the northwest. In fact the limits between no tribes west of the river had been definitely defined. The Arkansas nation had the best right to all this tract of country.
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