USA > Minnesota > Dakota County > History of Dakota County and the City of Hastings, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota > Part 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
Cadotte and a half-breed called "Little French- man" killed on the St. Croix by Sioux Indians.
1831. August 17th, an old trader, Rocque, and his son arrived at Fort Snelling from Prairie du Chien, having been twenty-six days on the journey. Under the influence of whiskey or stu- pidity, they ascended the St. Croix by mistake, and were lost for fifteen days.
1832. May 12th, steamboat Versailles arrived at Fort Snelling.
June 16th, William Carr arrives from Missouri at Fort Snelling, with a drove of cattle and horses.
ยท
Digitized by
172
CHRONOLOGY.
Henry R. Schoolcraft explores the sources of the Mississippi.
1833. Rev. W. T. Boutwell establishes a mis- sion among the Ojibways at Leech Lake.
E. F. Ely opens a mission school for Ojibways at Aitkin's trading post, Sandy Lake.
1834. May. Samuel W. and Gideon H. Pond arrive at Lake Calhoun as missionaries among the Sioux.
November. Henry H. Sibley arrives at Men- dota as agent of Fur Company.
1835. May. Rev. T. S. Williamson and J. D. Stevens arrive as Sioux missionaries, with Alex- ander G. Huggins as lay assistant.
June. Presbyterian Church at Fort Snelling organized.
July 31st. A Red River train arrives at Fort Snelling with fifty or sixty head of cattle, and about twenty-five horses.
Major J. L. Bean surveys the Sioux and Chip- peway boundary line under treaty of 1825, as far as Otter Tail lake.
November. Col. S. C. Stambaugh arrives; is sutler at Fort Snelling.
1836. May 6th, "Missouri Fulton," first steam- boat, arrives at Fort Snelling.
May 29th, "Frontier," Captain Harris, arrives. June 1st, "Palmyra" arrives.
July 2d, "Saint Peters" arrives, with J. N. Nicollet as passenger.
July 30th, Sacs and Foxes kill twenty-four Winnebagoes on Root river.
September 7th, first Christian marriage cele- brated at Lac-qui-Parle.
1837. February 25th, Rev. S. F. Denton, mis- sionary from Switzerland, arrives at Red Wing's village.
Rev. Stephen R. Riggs and wife join Lake Harriet Mission.
Rev. A. Brunson and David King establish Ka- posia Mission.
Commissioners Dodge and Smith, at Fort Snelling, make a treaty with the Chippeways to cede lands east of the Mississippi.
Franklin Steele and others make claims at Falls of St. Croix and St. Anthony.
September 29th, Sioux chiefs at Washington sign a treaty.
November 10th, steamboat Rolla arrives at Fort
Snelling with the Sioux on their return from Washington.
December 12th, Jeremiah Russell and L. W. Stratton make the first claim at Marine, in the St. Croix valley.
1838. April, Hole-in-the-day and party kill thirteen of the Lac-qui-Parle Sioux. Martin Mc- Leod from Pembina, after twenty-eight days of exposure to snow, reaches Lake Traverse.
May 25th, steamboat Burlington arrives at Fort Snelling with J. N. Nicollet and J. C. Fremont on a scientific expedition.
June 14th, Maryatt, the British novelist, Frank- lin Steele and others rode from the fort to view Falls of St. Anthony.
July 15th, steamboat Palmyra arrives at Fort Snelling with an official notice of the ratification of treaty. Men arrived to develop the St. Croix valley.
August 2d, Hole-in-the-Day encamped with a party of Chippeways near Fort Snelling, and was attacked by Sioux from Mud Lake, and one killed and another wounded.
August 27th, steamboat Ariel arrives with commissioners Pease and Ewing to examine half- breed claims.
September 30th, steamboat Ariel makes the first trip up the St. Croix river.
October 26th, steamboat Gypsy first to arrive at Falls of St. Croix with annuity goods for the Chippeways. In passing through Lake St. Croix grounded near the town site laid out by S. C. Stambaugh, and called Stambaughville.
1839. April 14th. first steamboat at Fort Snell- ing, the Ariel, Captain Lyons.
Henry M. Rice arrives at Fort Snelling.
May 2d, Rev. E. G. Gear, of the Protestant Episcopal church, recently appointed chaplain, arrived at the fort in the steamboat Gypsy.
May 12th, steamboat Fayette arrives on the St. Croix, having been at Fort Snelling with members of Marine Mill Company.
May 21st, the Glancus, Captain Atchison, ar- rives at Fort Snelling.
June 1st, the Pennsylvania, Captain Stone, ar- rives at Fort Snelling.
June 5th, the Glancus arrives again.
June 6th, the Ariel arrives again.
June 12th, at Lake Harriet mission, Rev. D. Gavin, Swiss missionary among the Sioux at Red
Digitized by Google
1
173
CHRONOLOGY.
Wing, was married to Cordelia Stevens, teacher at Lake Harriet mission.
June 25th, steamboat "Knickerbocker" arrived at Fort Snelling.
June 26th, steamboat "Ariel" on third trip.
June 27th, a train of Red River carts, arrives under Mr. Sinclair with emigrants, who encamped near the fort.
July 2d, Chippeways kill a Sioux of Lake Cal- houn band.
July 3d, Sioux attack Chippeways in ravine above Stillwater.
1840. April, Rev. Lucian Galtier of the Ro- man Catholic church, arrives at Mendota.
May 6th, squatters removed from military reser- vation.
June 15th, Thomas Simpson, Arctic explorer, shoots himself near Turtle river, under arberration of mind.
June 17th, four Chippeways kill and scalp a Sioux man and woman.
1841. March 6th, wild geese appeared at the fort.
March 20th, Mississippi opened.
April 6th, steamboat "Otter," Captain Harris, arrived. Koboka, an old chief of Lake Calhoun band, killed by Chippeways.
May 24th, Sioux attack Chippeways at Lake Pokeguma, of Snake river. Methodist mission moved from Kaposia to Red Rock, Rev. B. F. Kavenaugh, superintendent.
August, Mission church of unburnt bricks built at Lac-qui-Parle and surmounted with the first church bell.
November 1st, Father Galtier completes the log chapel of St. Paul, which gave the name to the capital of Minnesota. Rev. Augustin Ravoux ar- rives.
1842. July, the Chippeways attack the Kapo- sia Sioux.
1843. Stillwater laid out. Ayer, Spencer and Ely establish a Chippeway mission at Red lake. Oak Grove Indian mission established by G. II. Pond.
June 20th, Rev. S. R. Riggs and R. Hopkins establish an Indian mission at Traverse des Sioux.
July 15th, Thomas Longley, brother-in-law of Rev. S. R. Riggs, drowned at Traverse des Sioux mission station.
1844. August, Captain Allen with fifty dra-
goons marches from Fort Des Moines through southwestern Minnesota, and on the 10th of Sep- tember reaches the Big Sioux river. Sisseton war party kill an American named Watson, driv- ing cattle to Fort Snelling.
1845. June 25th, Captain Sumner reaches Traverse des Sioux, and proceeding northward arrested three of the murderers of Watson.
1846. Dr. Williamson, Sioux missionary, moves from Lac-qui-Parle to Kaposia.
March 31st, steamboat Lynx, Captain Atchi- son, arrives at Fort Snelling.
Rev. S. W. Pond establishes an Indian mission at Shakopee.
1847. St. Croix county, Wisconsin, organized, Stillwater the county seat. Harriet E. Bishop establishes a school at St. Paul. Saw mills be- gun at St. Anthony Falls.
First framed house above Fort Snelling in the Minnesota valley erected by Mr. Pond. Lumber brought from Point Douglas.
August, Commissioners Verplanck and Henry M. Rice make treaties with the Chippeways at Fon du Lac and Leech Lake. The town of St. Paul surveyed, platted, and recorded in the St. Croix county register of deeds office.
Hole-in-the-Day, the elder Chippeway chief, killed by falling from a wagon, when drunk.
1848. Henry H. Sibley, delegate to congress from Wisconsin territory.
May 29th, Wisconsin admitted, leaving Minne- sota (with its present boundaries) without a gov- ernment.
August 26th, "Stillwater convention" held to take measures for a separate territorial organiza- tion.
October 30th, H. H. Sibley elected delegate to congress.
1849. March, act of congress creating Minne- sota territory.
April 9th, "Highland Mary" Captain Atchison, arrives at St. Paul.
April 18th, James M. Goodhue arrives at St. Paul with first newspaper press.
May 27th, Governor Alexander Ramsey arrives at Mendota.
June 1st, Governor Ramsey issues proclama- tion declaring the territory duly organized.
July, first brick house in Minnesota, erected at St. Paul, by Rev. E. D. Neill.
Digitized by Google
174
CHRONOLOGY.
August 1st, H. H. Sibley elected delegate to congress for Minnesota.
August, first Protestant house of worship in white settlement, a Presbyterian chapel, com- pleted at St. Paul.
September 3d, first legislature convened.
November, First Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, organized.
December, first literary address at Falls of St. Anthony.
1850. January 1st, first annual Historical So- ciety meeting.
June 11th, Indian council at Fort Snelling.
June 14th, Steamer Governor Ramsey makes first trip above Falls of St. Anthony.
June 26th, the Anthony Wayne reaches the Falls of St. Anthony.
July 18th, Steamboat Anthony Wayne ascends the Minnesota to vicinity of Traverse des Sioux.
July 25th, steamboat Yankee goes beyond Blue Earth river.
September, H. H. Sibley elected delegate to congress.
October, Frederika Bremer, Swedish novelist, visits Minnesota.
November, the Dakotah Friend, a monthly paper, appeared.
December, Colonel D. A. Robertson establishes Minnesota Democrat.
December 26th, first public Thanksgiving day. 1851. May, St. Anthony Express newspaper began its career.
July, treaty concluded with the Sioux at Trav- erse des Sioux.
July, Rev. Robert Hopkins, Sioux missionary, drowned.
August, treaty concluded with the Sioux at Mankato.
September 19th, the Minnesotian, of St. Paul, edited by J. P. Owens, appeared.
November, Jerome Fuller, chief justice in place of Aaron Goodrich arrives.
December 18th, Thanksgiving day.
Smithsonian Institution publish Dakota Gram- mar and Lexicon.
1852. Hennepin county created.
February 14th, Dr. Rae, Arctic explorer, arrives at St. Paul with dog-train.
May 14th, land-slide at Stillwater.
August, Jas. M. Goodhue, Pioneer editor, dies.
November, Yuhazee, an Indian, convicted of murder.
1853. April 27th, Chippeways and Sioux fight in streets of St. Paul. Governor Willis A. Gor- man succeeds Governor Ramsey.
October, Henry M. Rice elected delegate to congress. The capitol building completed.
1854. March 3d, Presbyterian mission-house near Lac-qui-Parle burned.
June 8th, great excursion from Chicago to St. Paul and St. Anthony Falls.
December 27th, Yubazee, the Indian, hung at St. Paul.
1855. January, first bridge over Mississippi completed at Falls of St. Anthony.
Church erected near Yellow Medicine. Indi- ans contribute two-thirds of its cost.
October, H. M. Rice re-elected to congress.
December 12th, James Stewart arrives in St. Paul, direct from Arctic regions, with relics of Sir John Franklin.
1856. Erection of State University building was begun.
1857. Congress passes an act authorizing peo- ple of Minnesota to vote for a constitution.
March, Inkpadootah slaughters settlers in South-west Minnesota.
Governor Samuel Medary succeeds Governor W. A. Gorman.
March 5th, land-grant by congress for rail- ways.
April 27th, special session of the legislature convenes.
July. On second Monday, convention to form a constitution assembles at Capitol.
October 13th, election for state officers, and ratifying of the constitution.
H. H. Sibley first governor under the state con- stitution.
W. W. Kingsbury elected delegate to Congress. December. On first Wednesday, first legisla- ture assembles.
December. Henry M. Rice and James Shields elected United States senators.
1858. April 15th, people approve act of legis- lature loaning the public credit for five millions of dollars to certain railway companies.
May 11th, Minnesota becomes one of the United States of America.
June 2d, adjourned meeting of legislature held.
Digitized by
175
CHRONOLOGY.
W. W. Phelps representative in congress. Jas. M. Kavenaugh representative in congress. November. Supreme court of State orders Governor Sibley to issue railroad bonds.
December. Governor Sibley declares the bonds a failure.
1859. Normal school law passed.
June. Burbank and Company place the first steamboat on Red River of the North.
August. Bishop T. L. Grace arrived at St. Paul.
October 11th, state election, Alexander Ramsey chosen governor.
William W. Windom elected representative to congress.
Cyrus Aldrich elected representative to con- gress.
December, Morton S. Wilkinson elected United States senator.
1860. March 23d, Anna Bilanski hung at St. Paul for the murder of her husband, the first white person executed in Minnesota.
August 9th, telegraph line completed to St. Paul.
August 20th, J. B. Faribault died, aged eighty- seven.
1861. April 14th, Gov. Ramsey calls upon the president in Washington and offers a regiment of volunteers.
June 21st, First Minnesota Regiment, Col. W. A. Gorman leaves for Washington.
June 28th, first railway completed from St. Paul to St. Anthony.
July 21st, First Minnesota in battle of Bull Run.
October 13th, Second Minnesota Infantry; Col. H. P. Van Cleve leaves Fort Snelling.
November 16th. Third Minnesota Infantry, H. C. Lester go to seat of war.
Alexander Ramsey re-elected Governor. William Windom re-elected to congress.
Ignatius Donnelly representative in congress. 1862. January 19th, Second Minnesota in bat- tle at Mill Spring, Kentucky.
April 6th, First Minnesota Battery, Captain Munch, at Pittsburgh Landing.
April 21st, Second Minnesota Battery, goes to seat of war.
April 21st, Fourth Minnesota Infantry Volun- teers, Col. J. B. Sanborn leaves Fort Snelling.
May 13th, Fifth Regiment Volunteers Col. Borgesrode leaves for the seat of war.
May 28th, Second, Fourth and Fifth in battle near Corinth, Mississippi.
May 31st, First Minnesota in battle at Fair Oaks, Virginia.
June 29th, First Minnesota in battle at Savage Station.
June 30th, First Minnesota in battle near Wil- lis' church.
July 1st, First Minnesota in battle at Malvern Hill.
August, Sixth Regiment Col. Crooks organized. August, Seventh Regiment, Col. Miller organ- ized.
August, Eighth Regiment Col. Thomas organ- ized.
August, Ninth Regiment, Col. Wilkin organ- ized.
August 18th, Sioux attack whites at Lower Sioux Agency.
Amos W. Huggins killed by Sioux.
James W. Lynd killed by Sioux.
Philander Prescott killed by Sioux.
September 2d, battle of Birch Coolie.
September 23d, Col. Sibley defeats Sioux at Wood Lake.
December 26th, Thirty-eight Sioux executed on the same scaffold at Mankato.
1863. January, Alexander Ramsey elected United States senator.
Henry A. Swift, governor for an unexpired term. May 14th, Fourth and Fifth Regiment in battle near Jackson, Mississippi.
July 2d, First Minnesota Infantry in battle at Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania.
July 3d, Tah-o-yah-tay-doo-tah or Little Crow killed near Hutchinson.
September 19th, Second Minnesota Infantry en- gaged at (Chickamauga, Tennessee.
November 23d, Second Minnesota Infantry en- gaged at Mission Ridge.
William Windom elected to Congress.
Ignatius Donnelly elected to Congress.
1864. January, Col. Stephen Miller inaugu- rated Governor of Minnesota.
March 30th, Third Minnesota Infantry engaged at Fitzhugh's Woods.
June 6th, Fifth Minnesota Infantry engaged at. Lake Chicot, Arkansas.
Digitized by Google
176
CHRONOLOGY.
July 13th, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth, with portion of Fifth Minnesota Infantry engaged at Tupelo, Mississippi.
July 14th, Colonel Alex. Wilkin, of the Ninth, killed.
October 15th, Fourth Regiment engaged near Altoona, Georgia.
December 7th, Eighth Regiment engaged near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Regiments at Nashville, Tennessee.
Railway reaches Elk River.
1865. January 10th, Daniel S. Norton elected United States senator.
April 9th, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth at the siege of Mobile.
November 10th, Shakpedan, Sioux chief, and Medicine Bottle, executed at Fort Snelling.
William Windom re-elected to congress.
Ignatius Donnelly re-elected to congress.
1866. January 8th, Colonel William R. Mar- shall inaugurated governor of Minnesota.
Railway reaches St. Cloud.
1867. Preparatory department of the State University opened.
Railway reaches Wayzata.
1868. January, Governor Marshall enters upon second term.
January 1st, Minnesota State Reform school opened for inmates.
June 27th, "Hole-in-the-day," the second Chippeway chief of that name, shot by relatives, near Crow Wing.
M. S. Wilkinson elected to congress.
Eugene M. Wilson elected to congress.
1869. Bill passed by legislature, removing seat of government to a spot near Big Kandiyohi Lake vetoed by Governor Marshall.
Alexander Ramsey re-elected United States senator. Railway completed to Willmar.
M. H. Dunnell elected to congress.
J. T. Averill elected to congress.
1870. January 7th, Horace Austin inaugurated as governor. Railway to Benson completed.
August, railway completed from St. Paul to Duluth.
1871. January, Wm. Windom elected United States senator.
In the fall destructive fires, occasioned by high winds, swept over frontier counties.
October, railway reached Red River of the North at Breckenridge.
Hon. George L. Becker, president of the rail- road, gives invitations to the old settlers to an excursion to the Red River.
1872. January, Governor Austin enters upon a second term.
1873. January 7th, 8th and 9th, polar wave sweeps over the state, seventy persons perishing. May 22d, the senate of Minnesota convicts state treasurer of corruption in office.
September, grasshopper raid began and con- tinued five seasons.
Jay Cooke failure occasions a financial panic.
1874. January 9th, Cushman K. Davis in- augurated governor.
William S. King elected to congress.
1875. February 19th, S. J. R. McMillan elected United States senator.
November, amendment to state constitution, allowing any woman twenty-one years of age to vote for school officers, and to be eligible for school offices.
Rocky Mountain locusts destroy crops in south- western Minnesota.
1876. January 7th, John S. Pillsbury inaugur- ated governor.
January 12th, State Forestry association or- ganized.
September 6th, outlaws from Missouri kill the cashier of the Northfield Bank.
1879. November, state constitution amended, forbidding public moneys to be used for the sup- port of schools wherein the distinctive creeds or tracts of any particular Christian or other relig- ous sect are taught.
J. HI. Stewart, M. D., elected to congress.
Biennial sessions of the legislature adopted.
1878. January, Governor Pillsbury enters upon a second term.
May 2d, explosion in the Washburn and other flour mills at Minneapolis.
One hundred and fifty thousand dollars appro- priated to purchase seed grain for destitute set- tlers.
1880. November 15th, a portion of the Insane Asylum at St. Peter was destroyed by fire and twenty-seven inmates lost their lives.
1881. March 1st, Capitol at St. Paul destroyed by fire.
Digitized by Google
-
HISTORY
OF
DAKOTA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXII.
KAPOSIA BAND OF SIOUX-SIOUX LEAVE MILLE LACS-PIKE VISITS KAPOSIA-FORSYTH'S DE- SCRIPTION-JOSEPH RENVILLE-CORN DANCE IN PRESENCE OF GOVERNOR CASS - FIRST PLOWING-METHODIST MISSION-CONFLICTS WITH CHIPPEWAYS-DEATH OF BIG THUNDER -PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONS -- DR. WILLIAM- SON'S LETTER-INDIAN MISSION SCHOOL- INDIAN DOCTOR-MAGIC LANTERN EXHIBI- TION-OLD BETS-TAH-I-YAH-TAY-DOO-TAH, CALLED LITTLE CROW-HIS DEATH-CAPTURE OF HIS SON-NOTICE OF DR. WILLIAMSON.
The village of the Kapoja band of Sioux, at the time of the organization of Minnesota Terri- tory in March, 1849, was about three and a half miles below St. Paul on the other side of the Mis- sissippi, in what is now Dakota county,. nearly opposite the Grand Marais of the French, the "Pig's Eye" of modern days. The word Kapoja, pronounced Kaposia, in the Dakota Lexicon, sig- nifies light, and is supposed to have been given to this band, because of their easy and quick movements, in traveling. This band belonged to M'daywahkantonwan or Mille Lacs division of the Sioux or Dahkotahs. There were no Sioux villages, nor those of any other Indian tribe, be- tween the Wisconsin and the Falls of St. An- thony, on the banks of the Mississippi during the time of the French possession. The Mississippi river was the road of war for the Foxes, Ojib- ways, Illinois, Ottawas, and Dahkotahs, and the 12
shores were therefore not desirable for permanent villages.
The French traders first established a post on Lake Pepin, and then in 1695 opened another trading house about nine miles below Hastings on an island, and to these points both Ojibways and Dahkotahs, brought their furs after the win- ter's hunt. When Le Sueur ascended the Minne- sota in A. D. 1700, the M'daywahkantonwan Sioux were still living east of the Mississippi, in the Mille Lacs district, and they sent a delegation to beg him to build a fort near the mouth of the Minnesota, instead of at the Blue Earth River, as they would be less exposed to their enemies.
When the last fort was erected on Lake Pepin, in the year 1727, there were still no permanent villages of the Sioux on the banks of the Mis- sissippi river, and the French at that fort, saw during the whole winter but few Indians.
As traders multiplied their posts on the Missis- sippi and Minnesota, the Sioux were gradually drawn from the Mille Lacs region. After the British took possession of this country, the M'daywahkantonwan Sioux under Wapashaw, all lived on the Minnesota, at Tetankatane, about seven miles from Mendota, and known as Penneshaw's village. A Frenchman named Penneshon or Pennensha in 1762 was allowed by the English commander at Green Bay to trade among the Sioux, and here he established his post. In 1763 he brought to Green Bay, a letter from the Sioux, asking that there might be no hinderance to traders coming among them. As trading posts multipled, the Sioux began to dis- (177)
Digitized by
178
HISTORY OF DAKOTA COUNTY.
perse, and form other villages both on the Min- nesota and Mississippi.
The cave now in the eastern suburbs of St. Paul had been esteemed a sacred place, and their dead ones buried in the bluffs beyond. As the Fox nation began to weaken, the Kapoja band of Sioux ventured to establish a village at the Grand Marais, the big marsh about two miles below the cave.
Here, they were residing on the east side in elev- en lodges, in September 1805, and visited by Lt. Z. M. Pike. Their chief was the fourth of his family in a direct line, and his superiority was acknowledged by the whole Sioux nation. By the Indians he was called Che-tan-wah-ko-ah-mah-ne, (The Good Sparrow Hunter) a name by which his father and grand-father had been designated. The French called him Petite Corbeau, and the English, Little Crow. He attended the council held on Pike's Island, and signed the treaty for the military reservations of land. Pike, writes two days after the treaty: "I was awakened out of my bed by Le Petite Corbeau, head chief, who came up from his village to see if we were all killed; this was in consequence of their having found my flag floating two or three miles below their village, fifteen miles hence, from which they concluded that some affray had taken place, and that it had been thrown overboard. Although I considered this an unfortunate accident for me, I was exceedingly happy at its effect, for it was the occasion of preventing much blood-shed among savages. A chief called the Outard Blanche, had his lip cut off, and had come to the Petit Corbeau and told him that his face was his looking glass, that it was spoiled, and he was de- termined on revenge.
The parties were charging their guns, and pre- pared for action, when lo, the flag appeared, like a messenger of peace, sent to prevent their bloody purposes. They were all astonished to see it, the staff was broke. When the Petit Corbeau arose and spoke to this effect: 'That a thing so sacred had not been taken from my boat without vio- lence, that it would be proper for them to hush all private animosities, until they had revenged the cause of their eldest brother, that he would immediately go up to st. Peter's to know what dogs had done that thing in order to take steps to get satisfaction of those who had done the mis-
chief.' They all listened to this reasoning and he immediately had the flag put out to dry and embarked for my camp. I was much concerned to hear of the blood likely to have been shed, and gave him five yards of blue stroud, three yards of calico and one handkerchief, one carrot of tobac- co, and one knife, in order to make peace, among his people."
Another chief who signed the treaty made with Pike, was Fils de Pinchon and the tradition is that he was the son of Penneshaw the French trader, by an Indian woman.
After the treaty of peace, the first officer of the United States army who visited the upper Missis- sippi valley, was Major Stephen H. Long. The account of his canoe voyage in 1817 will be found in another chapter of this work.
At that time Little Crow was still residing at the marsh now called Pig's Eye, below St. Paul.
Major Forsyth, who came with Colonel Leaven- worth and the first soldiers of the United States army, in August, 1819, to Mendota, wrote to Gov. William Clark of St. Louis, "Little Crow's village is at a place called the Grand Marais, be- ing twenty-three leagues above the Red Wing's village, and within five leagues of the mouth of St. Peter's [Minnesota] river. Here I found the Little Crow a steady, generous and independent Indian; he acknowledged the sale of the land at the mouth of the St. Peter's river to the United States, and said he had been looking every year, since the sale, for the troops to build a fort, and was now happy to see us all, as the Sioux would now have a father with them."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.