The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I, Part 6

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr.
Number of Pages: 658

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In his message to the first Territorial Legislature Governor Ramsey recommended that a memorial to Congress be prepared and adopted praying for the purchase by treaty of a large extent of the Sioux country west of the Mississippi. Accordingly a lengthy petition, very earnest and eloquent in its terms, was, after considerable deliberation, drawn up, finally adopted by both houses and duly presented to Congress. This was in Octo- ber, but already the national authorities had taken action.

In June, 1849, Orlando Brown, commissioner of Indian affairs, addressed an official letter to Thomas Ewing, then secretary of the interior, recommending negotiations with the Sioux, "for the purpose of purchasing their title to a large tract of country west of the Mississippi river." The commissioner said that the object of the purchase was, "in order to make room for the immigrants now going in large numbers to the new territory of Minnesota, as the Indian title has been extinguished to but a com- paratively small extent of the country within its limits." Sec- retary Ewing approved the report and selected Governor Ramsey and John Chambers, the latter a former territorial governor of Iowa, as commissioners to make the proposed treaty.

In his annual report for 1848 Commissioner Brown had recom- mended an appropriation to defray the expenses of a Sioux treaty, but Congress failed to make it. So desirous was he for the treaty in 1849 that he was willing to pay the attendant expense out of the "small current appropriations" for his office, and so he warned Ramsey and Chambers that "the strictest econ- omy in all your expenditures will be necessary." He said if they waited for a special appropriation from the next Congress the treaty in its complete form would be postponed for two years, and in the meanwhile there would be increasing trouble between the Indian owners of the land and trespassing settlers.

In August, 1849, Commissioner Brown addressed a lengthy letter to Governors Ramsey and Chambers informing them of their appointment as commissioners to make the treaty and instructing them particularly as to their duties in the premises.

HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

The instructions were not only clear, but very elaborate and comprehensive, and so far as they could be given the commis- sioners were told just what to do and just how to do it. The fact that some of the directions were unwise and unwarranted was due to the misinformation on the subject which the commissioner had received, and his consequent lack of knowledge as to the situation. For example, in describing the territory which the commissioners were to acquire, Commissioner Brown expressed the opinion that it contained "some 20,000,000 of acres," and that "some of it," no doubt, contained "lands of excellent qual- ity." With respect to the probable worth of the country to the United States the commissioner expressed the opinion that, "from its nature, a great part of it can never be more than very trifling, if of any, value to the government." The country was more valuable for the purpose of a location for homeseekers than for any other purpose, and Commissioner Brown realized that "only a small part of it is now actually necessary for that object."

The contemplated and directed treaty with the Sioux in the fall of 1849 was not held as contemplated. On repairing to Traverse des Sioux in October, Commissioners Ramsey and Cham- bers found that a large majority of the Upper Indians were absent on their fall hunts. Coming down to Mendota, they found the greater part of the Lower bands were absent gathering wild rice, hunting in the Big Woods and elsewhere, and those still in the villages were, under the circumstances, unwilling to engage in any important negotiations.

At Mendota, however, a treaty was made with some of the chiefs of the Medawakanton and Wapakooto bands providing for the purchase, on reasonable terms, of what was known as the "Half-Breed Tract," lying west of Lake Pepin, and which had been set apart for the Sioux mixed bloods by the treaty of July 15, 1830. The tract comprised about 384,000 acres of now well known and valuable country. The purchase was to be completed as soon as possible, and the money given to the mixed blood bene- ficiaries in lieu of the lands. The treaty was duly forwarded to Washington, but never ratified by the Senate. In 1850 the agita- tion for a more comprehensive treaty resulted in the important negotiations of the summer of 1851, and the subject of the Lake Pepin Half Breed Tract was put aside and soon forgotten.

At last, in the spring of 1851, President Fillmore directed that a treaty with the Sioux be made, and appointed commissioners to that end. The pressure upon him could no longer be resisted. The Territorial Legislature had repeatedly memorialized Con- gress, Ramsey had written, Sibley and Rice had reasoned and pleaded, and Goodhue and the other Minnesota editors had well nigh heated their types in their fervid exhortations to the na-

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HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

tional authorities to tear down the barriers and allow the eager and restless whites to grasp the wealth of the great inland empire now furnishing home and sustenance to its rightful own- ers. Already many settlers, as reckless of their own lives as they were regardless of the laws of their country, were squatting with- in the forbidden area.

The traders were especially desirous that a treaty be made. It was the practice in such negotiations to insert a provision in the treaty that the "just debts" of the Indians should be paid out of the amounts allowed them. The American Fur Company -- then Pierre Chouteau, Jr., & Company-represented by Sibley and the various sub-traders claimed that the Sioux of Minnesota owed them in the aggregate nearly $500,000 for goods they had received in past times; the accounts, in some instances, were dated twenty years previously. If a treaty were made, all of the accounts, both real and fictitious, and augmented to suit the traders' fancy, would probably be declared as "just debts" and paid out of such funds as might be allotted the Indians. That the traders, including the firm of Choteau, Jr., & Company, did all they could to have a treaty made may readily be believed.

Under a paragraph in the Indian appropriation bill of 1851, approved February 27, all Indian treaties thereafter were to be negotiated by "officers and agents" connected with the Indian department and selected by the president. The appointees were not to receive for their service in such cases any compensation in addition to their regular salaries. Previously treaties had been negotiated on the part of the government by special agents, who were generally not connected with the public service and who were paid particularly and liberally for these services.

In consideration of the great extent of country to be possibly acquired, and the importance of the treaty generally, President Fillmore appointed to conduct it, on the part of the government, two prominent officials of the Indian department. These were Governor Alexander Ramsey, ex-officio Indian commissioner for Minnesota, and Luke Lea, the national commissioner of Indian affairs. The instructions given them were in the main those of Commissioner Brown, two years before, to Ramsey and Chambers when it was designed that the treaty should then be made.

Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. Commissioner Lea arrived at St. Paul, on the steamboat Excelsior, June 27. On the twenty- ninth he and Governor Ramsey left Fort Snelling on the boat for Traverse des Sioux, the site of the council ground selected for the treaty with the two upper bands of Sioux, the Wahpetons and Sissetons, who occupied the country of the upper Minnesota valley. On board of the Excelsior were some beef cattle and other supplies, to be furnished the Indians during the negotia- tions. There were also on board about twenty-five white persons

HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

who went up as excursionists and as sightseers and witnesses of the proceedings.

The Excelsior landed at Traverse des Sioux early on the morn- ing of Monday, June 30. This was a well known locality. Here the Sioux, in early days, were wont to cross the Minnesota, on their way between the Cannon river country and Swan lake, and the ford hore the French equivalent for the "crossing of the Sioux." From the earliest days there had been a trading post here and in 1843 Reverend Riggs and his associates had estab- lished a mission at the site. In the summer of 1849 this station was in charge of Reverend Messrs. Robert Hopkins and Alex- ander G. Huggins. The missionaries had comfortable residences, and there was a frame mission house neatly painted and well furnished.

There was also at "The Traverse," as it was often called, the trading houses of Alexander Graham and Oliver Faribault, with residence cabins and other log outbuildings; there was also the old log warehouse in which the Doty treaty of 1841 had been made and signed, while scattered along the ridge to the rear were thirty or more buffalo skin tepees, occupied by Indian families belonging to Chief Red Iron's band of Sissetons. Ten miles to the northwest was the village of Chief Sleepy Eye's Little Rock band of Sissetons, numbering two hundred and fifty. The site of the Traverse, where the town was afterwards laid out, is two miles east of St. Peter, or seventy miles southwest of St. Paul.

Word had been sent to all of the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands-the Upper bands, as they were often called-that a treaty was to be held at the Traverse early in July. They were notified to be present; not only the chiefs, but the head men-the war leaders and principal orators of the band-were to participate in the deliberations. A large brush arbor was erected, under the supervision of Alexis Failly, and beneath this comfortable shade the treaty negotiations were to be held. A number of beeves were slaughtered and boxes of hard-tack opened to feed the expected visitors, while baskets of champagne and other refresh- ments were offered for the entertainment of the white visitors. But the arrival of the reluctant Indians was long delayed, and it was not until July 18 that the representatives of the last bands came in, very tired, very hungry and not favorable to the purpose for which the council was called. They were heartily welcomed by the designing whites and bountifully fed on fresh beef, pork and hard-tack, but were refused whisky or other spirits, the whites desiring all that for themselves.

There were present on the part of the Indians the two head chiefs and the principal sub-chiefs of the bands, as well as their head soldiers, chief speakers and prominent men of all classes. On the part of the whites were Commissioners Lea and Ramsey ;

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HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

Dr. Thomas Foster, the secretary; and Alexander Faribault and Reverend S. R. Riggs, interpreters. Other prominent white spec- tators, some of whom acted as witnesses to the treaty, were: James M. Goodhue, editor of the Minnesota Pioneer, who made and published a daily report of the proceedings; Frank B. Mayer, a noted artist from Baltimore; Major Nathaniel McLean, Sioux Indian agent at Fort Snelling; Doctor Thomas S. Williamson, the missionary at Kaposia; Judge James H. Lockwood, of Prairie du Chien, who had ascended the Minnesota far above Patterson's Rapids in 1816; Richard Chute and wife, then a newly married couple from Indiana; H. H. Sibley, Colonel C. Henderson, Joseph R. Brown, W. H. Forbes, Hugh Tyler, Reverend Alexander G. Huggins, Martin McLeod, Henry Jackson, A. S. H. White, Wal- lace B. White, Alexis Bailly, Kenneth Mckenzie, Hercules L. Dousman, Franklin Steele, F. Brown, William Hartshorn, William G. Le Duc, Joseph La Frambois, Sr., James McC. Boal, and sundry French voyageurs, traders' employes and retainers, all of whom were entertained sumptuously with delicious viands, and many with fiery spirits and rare wines at the government's expense.

While waiting for the Indians the whites diverted themselves in various ways, but chiefly in observing the Indian dances and their other customs. It was intended to formally observe the Fourth of July. Reverend Robert Hopkins, one of the local missionaries, was drowned while bathing in the Minnesota, and the intention was abandoned.

July 11 occurred the marriage of two mixed blood people, David Faribault and Nancy Winona McClure. They were a fine looking couple, attracted general admiration, and the whites gave them a pretentious wedding reception. The groom was a son of John B. Faribault, the pioneer trader, and the bride was the natural daughter of Lieutenant James McClure of the regular army, who was at one time stationed at Fort Snelling and died in Florida during the Seminole War of 1837; she had been reared by her Indian grandmother and educated and Christianized by Reverend Messrs. Riggs and Williamson.

The ceremony was performed by Alexis Bailly, the trader, who had been commissioned a justice of the peace. The wedding reception was followed by an elaborate banquet prepared by the whites, and at which there were a number of toasts presented and responses made. Referring to her marriage reception years afterwards Mrs. Faribault wrote: "I have often wondered how so much champagne got so far out on the frontier." After the wedding festivities the Sioux girls, to the number of twenty or more, had a "virgin feast," in which none but vestals of un- doubted purity were allowed to participate.

The Indians, as noted, came in from time to time in no haste and evidently much opposed to parting with their lands. Nearly

HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

all of the women and children were brought along. Chief Sha- kopee, of the Lower bands of the Sioux, was in attendance a great part of the time. On the tenth a band of twenty Chippewas attacked a party of six Sisseton Sioux forty miles above Lac Qui Parle and killed and scalped five of them; the sixth, a boy, escaped by running. The Sioux went out and found their tribes- men blackening in the sun; the bodies had been beheaded and loathsomely mangled. The father of two of the murdered chil- dren came into the Traverse July 15, bringing the tragic news. He took part in the treaty, but sat with his face blackened, be- cause of his bereavement.

July 18 the council opened under the brush arbor. Governor Ramsey opened the proceedings with a short speech and was fol- lowed by Commissioner Lea, who in explanation of the desires of the white authorities made a lengthy address, with much in it about the ineffable goodness and gigantic greatness of the "Great Father" of the Indians (the President) and his unselfish desire that they sell to him all of their lands as far west at least as Lake Traverse and the Big Sioux river down to the western border of Iowa, retaining only enough land for their actual resi- dence. The Sissetons and Wahpatons claimed the country from Traverse des Sioux westward to the line indicated and the com- missioners wanted all of it. After the speeches of the commis- sioners, in order that their words might "sink deep into the hearts" of the Indians, the council adjourned.

The following day, Saturday, the nineteenth, the council was opened with a speech from Star Face (or "The Orphan," as the whites called him) after a long silence and apparently much reluctance to speak, and when he spoke he said simply that all his young men had not arrived, and he was very sorry that the council had opened without their presence, or that, as he ex- pressed himself, the commissioners were "not willing to shake hands with those that are behind." He said he understood that some one had been sent to meet them on the road and turn them back, and this made him feel very bad.

Then Sleepy Eye, the old Sisseton chief, who had been one of the signers of the Prairie du Chien treaty of 1825, had visited Washington, and had his portrait painted, in 1824, rose and said :

"Fathers: Your coming and asking me for my country makes me sad; your saying that I am not able to do anything with my country makes me still more sad. The young men who are com- ing (of whom Star Face had spoken) are my near relatives, and I expect certainly to see them here. That is all I have to say. I am going to leave and that is the reason I spoke."

Then, turning to the other Sissetons he said: "Come; let us go away from here." Instantly there was great confusion. The Indians left the arbor and were greeted with shouts by their

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HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

brethren. There were indications that the council was at an end, and there was much excitement.

Governor Ramsey, however, knew the circumstances and necessities of the Indians who had assembled. Calmly he said to the interpreter: "Tell them that as our stock of provisions is short, and they seem indisposed to talk, there will be no further issue of provisions to them." Commissioner Lea added: "Tell them they must let us know by this evening if they really wish to treat. If we do not hear from them by that time we will go below early tomorrow morning." The council then adjourned and orders were given to get boats ready and to prepare to move in the morning.

The word that they were to be given nothing more to eat pro- duced great consternation among the Indians. Coming, as they had, far from their homes, and solely for the benefit of the whites, they had supposed that at least they were to be furnished pro- visions while attending the conference, especially in view of the riotous good times that the whites were enjoying out of the expense fund. Hunger faced the Indians and their families on their long journey back to their villages. The white men were clearly saying: "Give us your land at our own terms or we will get it anyhow without a pretense of terms. We are in a hurry, do not delay us, do not wait until all your men get here; enter into this treaty as we have arranged for you to do, or take your wives and children and go hungry until you can get back home and get something to eat. It matters not to us that at our request you have come here and given up gathering food for weeks, do as we want you to or starve." Foreseeing the inevita- ble the Indians agreed to again go into council on the following Monday, and the officials knowing that the cause of the white man was already won ordered that food should be distributed.

On Monday, the twenty-first, the council opened at noon. The first speaker was Sleepy Eye, who sought to explain his view- point of the events which had transpired. He said: "On the day before yesterday, when we convened together, you were offended, I hear, at what was said. No offense or disrespect was intended. We only wanted more time to consider. The young men who made a noise were waiting to have a ball play, and not under- standing English thought the council was over, and as they did so made the disturbance, for which we are very sorry."

Chief Extends-His-Head-Dress-or Big Curly Head, as the whites called him-a Sisseton sub-chief, said: "I am not speak- ing for myself, but for all that are here. We wish to understand what we are about before we act-to know exactly the proposi- tion made to us by the commissioners. The other chiefs and all our people desire that you will make out for us in writing the particulars of your offer for our lands, and when we have this

HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

paper fully made out we will sit down on the hill back there (indicating), consult among ourselves, come to a conclusion, and let you know what it is."

Commissioner Lea then quickly prepared on paper the terms desired by the United States, which had been declared verbally at a previous meeting, and which were as follows :

"The Indians will cede to the United States all their lands in the State of Iowa, as well as their lands east of a line from the Red river to Lake Traverse, and thence to the northwestern cor- ner of Iowa. The United States will (1) set apart a suitable country for the Indians on the upper waters of the Minnesota river for their future support; will (2) pay, say, $125,000 or $130,000 to them to enable them to arrange their affairs prepara- tory to removal, to pay the expense of removal, and to subsist themselves for a year after removal-part of the above sum to be paid in money and the other part to be paid in goods and pro- visions ; will (3) pay the Indians an annuity of $25,000 or $30,000 for many years-say thirty or forty years-part in money, part in goods and provisions, and part to be applied to such other beneficial objects as may be agreed upon."

The Indians deliberated over the words of these provisions and let them "sink into their hearts" for two days and nights. There was great divergence of opinion among them, the inter- preters said. The majority seemed to realize that their lands were of great value to the United States. But they had no proper conception of the actual value in dollars and cents of the great domain which they were about to sell. Their idea of num- bers was limited, and they seemed to think that one hundred and forty-five thousand dollars and seventy-five cents was far more money than a million dollars, because the latter was the shorter phrase and did not sound so imposing and formidable. When, therefore, the commissioners made an offer, the poor unlettered Indians did not know whether it was a fair one or not. Of course they appealed to their traders and missionaries, who understood the Dakota language, but the explanations offered hardly ex- plained. Missionaries, traders and officials alike were deter- mined that the land should be opened to white settlement. The work of these traders and missionaries in finally effecting the treaty was constant and very valuable to the whites. The serv-

ices rendered by Reverend Riggs, one of the official interpreters, were most important. While the Indians were considering the white men's proposition, Riggs, Sibley, McLeod, Brown and Fari- bault were sent for at all hours of the day and night to explain to the various bands the provisions of the treaty and their application. The Indians, justly suspicious, would not be satisfied with the meaning of any provision until at least three white men, acting singly, had read it and interpreted it fully.

HISTORY OF REDWOOD COUNTY

July 22, the Indians, after much deliberation, proposed cer- tain amendments, which they said they would insist upon as a part of their treaty. These amendments were practically unim- portant and the commissioners readily accepted. The treaty was then prepared and on the following day was signed by the contracting parties by Commissioners Lea and Ramsey and the chiefs and the head men of the Sisseton and Wahpaton bands of the Sioux. The ceremony of signing was somewhat impressive. After the white commissioners had affixed their names the In- dians selected the one of their number who should sign first. This was Chief Eeen-yang Man-nie, or Running Walker (some- times called "Big Gun"), chief of the Lake Traverse band of Sissetons. Boldly he stepped upon the platform and touched the goose quill pen in the hands of Dr. Foster. Next came Chief Star Face, or "The Orphan." The commissioners tried to hasten matters and to conclude the signing as soon as possible, but at one time there was a hitch in the proceedings.

Old Sleepy Eye, who had said at the outset that he was sad at heart because he had to sell his country, now arose, to the great apprehension of the whites, and begged to say a few words. He said that many of the Indians, young men and soldiers, had without consulting their chiefs, concluded that the country which they were asked to sell was worth $3,500,000, but that the com- missioners were trying to get it for a less sum. The young men had a right to be made satisfied. He also demanded other con- ditions :

"You will take this treaty paper home and show it to the Great Father," said Sleepy Eye, "but we want to keep a copy here so that we may look at it and see whether you tell us the truth or not-see whether you have changed it. As to paying our debts to our traders I want to pay them what is right, but I would like to know how much I owe them. If they have charged me ten dollars for a gun I want them to tell me, and if they have charged me ten dollars for a shirt I want them to tell me that. I am a poor man and have difficulty in maintaining myself, but these traders have good coats on. The prairie country in which I live has not much wood; I live along with the traders, and they are also poor, but I do not want to have to provide for them. I think it will be very hard upon us when the year becomes white, and I would like to have some provisions given me for the winter. I would like to have what is mine laid on one side; then when we have finished this business I will know how many of my rela- tives I can have mercy upon."

Colonel Lea assured Sleepy Eye that the money which the United States would pay for the Indian land would amount to more than the young men desired-to more than $3,500,000. He sharply reproved Sleepy Eye and said: "We think it fortunate

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The history of Redwood County, Minnesota, Volume I, Part 6

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr. Number of Pages: 658

Author: Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. 4n
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, H. C. Cooper, jr.
Number of Pages: 658