USA > Missouri > Missouri the center state, 1821-1915 > Part 12
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The Indian Treaty of 1812.
In May, 1812, General William Clark assembled at St. Louis chiefs of the Great and Little Osages, Sacs, Renards, Delawares and Shawnees and took them to Washington to make a treaty. They made peace with each other before starting. These chiefs were received by President Madison just before the war with Great Britain. They were taken to eastern cities and made much of. The act was wise, for settlers were crowding into St. Louis and scattering in the Missouri country. Long afterwards Elihu H. Shepard, the historian, paid just tribute to William Clark and testified to the lasting results of his Indian policy :
"He was feared and beloved by the Indians. He understood their character almost by intuition, and could foresee their plans and intentions, and was their constant friend and protector from the impositions of white men. When they were all assembled preparatory to leaving on their long journey, their mutual friend advised them to make peace with each other, which they accordingly did for themselves and their respective people, and all buried the hatchet and left their friends at home in peace with all their neighbors. On the follow- ing day, May the 5th, 1812, General Clark departed with all the chiefs of those powerful tribes, each preserving in their features and attire some peculiarity or custom of their particular tribe or nation.
"More than half a century has since transpired, and probably every person engaged in that embassy of six nations is dead, but that act of General Clark alone should make his name immortal. Those six nations still exist and have kept their people on terms of friend- ship with each other to this late day. The object of the embassy was fully accomplished. The Indians arrived at Washington city several days before the declaration of war against Great Britain in 1812, and were presented to President Madison, who held a council and made a satisfactory treaty with them, after which they were shown through many large
MANUEL LISA The fur trader
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HOME OF MANUEL LISA, ST. LOUIS
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cities on their return to St. Louis, and escorted to their homes laden with many tokens of esteem and confidence, which are still preserved and shown to strangers as worthy of veneration and lasting preservation by all lovers of peace and friendship."
"Red Head," the Indians' Friend.
Officially William Clark was "Indian agent." In fact, he was "the friend of the Indian." A part of the life of St. Louis were the pilgrimages of the red men to visit "Red Head," as all of them called him. When rivers ran clear of ice in the spring the canoes began to come. They were beached along the then unoccupied river front above St. Louis. From Morgan street to Bremen avenue there were only five houses. Little camps were formed. At some time of the open season every tribe at peace sent the head men to St. Louis. If the tribe was small a canoe, or two, was sufficient. Delegations from the larger Indian communities required a flotilla. With the chiefs came their squaws and pappooses. When the camp site was chosen, a member of the party went down to notify General Clark. That meant rations. In the morning the chiefs and their retinues, painted and decked out in full ceremonial dress, came down for the formal council. These assemblages were held in a large hall which General Clark had built near his home. "The Council Chamber," it was called. It served the purpose of a museum of Indian dress, manufactures, utensils and curios. These things covered the walls. They added to the impressiveness of the formal receptions. In the council chamber the general met the Indians, exchanged salutations, giving without stint the time which these taciturn people seemed to think the dignity of the occasion demanded. He listened to the speeches. He replied through the interpreters, using the native figures of speech which meant so much to the visitors. He met their aboriginal dignity with the suave courtesy of the Virginian. He was patient and kindly with them. After the talk the Indians looked over the museum, pointing out and commenting on those things best known to the tribe to which they belonged. Week after week General Clark held these receptions as the successive delegations arrived. In the long history of Indian affairs of the United States there is no line of policy which is quite similar to this which General Clark adopted. And it may be added that there has been no course of official action which surpassed this in effective results with the red men.
Having paid the visit of ceremony, the delegation enjoyed for a few days the freedom of the city. Every morning the chiefs and their families painted and put on their feathers and robes. They stopped at house after house, beating upon their drums, singing their chants and doing the dances. Ceremonial from the Indians' point of view, these calls might be, but somewhat disconcerting to the newcomers in St. Louis they often were. Indian etiquette made it proper to raise the latch and walk in without using the knocker or speaking a word. Standing within the Indian looked about him, and, after a few moments' delibera- tion, uttered his "how!" Then followed a handshake with each person in the room. A small gift was expected, and then, as the interest of the involuntary host waned, the proud Indians took the hint and moved up the street. Here and there they came to the house of a hunter or trader who had known them in the wilderness. There the entertainment was elaborated. "Indian coffee"- coffee with just enough of the bean to give color, a very weak imitation-was served. Fat slices of bacon were cooked and handed round. Firewater-hot
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stuff-was the stirrup cup. Two or three days, perhaps a week or ten days, the visits and the hospitality continued. Then at daybreak the canoes were pushed into the water and the prows were turned up stream. St. Louis saw no more of the head men of that tribe until the following year. So long as General Clark lived this coming and going of the chiefs of a hundred tribes was of yearly occurrence. Westward up the rivers and over the prairies pioneers pushed their picket line of settlement. They slept peacefully. Not a war whoop dis- turbed the night. Red Head's Indian policy was mightier for protection than an army of soldiers would have been.
The Osage Indians were strongly attached to their Missouri homes. For years after they were removed to the Indian Territory they made it an annual custom to return to Henry County for a visit. Most of the Delawares moved from Indiana and Illinois in 1819 to Missouri, locating near the present site of Springfield. Ten years later they sold their Missouri lands to the government and were expected to go on a reservation near the present city of Leavenworth. Some of the Delawares objected to this change after viewing the promised land because they said the fork formed by the Kaw and Missouri rivers looked too much like the trousers of a white man. They refused to go to what was called at that time "The Pants Leg Reservation," and were sent into the Indian Territory near Fort Sill. During their residence in Missouri the Delawares gave the white people very little trouble. They became allies of the Tehe band of Cherokees and did some fighting against the Osages.
The Story of Colonel Splitlog's Rise.
A Missouri Indian founded a city, developed a mine and built a railroad. Perhaps there is no parallel in any other State to this performance. The Mis- souri Indian was a member of the Wyandotte tribe. He was Chief Splitlog, but after he became a capitalist and made things boom in the southwestern corner of the State, he was better known as Colonel Splitlog. For many years he lived near Kansas City on the Wyandotte Reservation. When his people dissolved tribal relations and accepted a division of their lands from the United States, Splitlog was one of the chiefs who negotiated the treaty. After the tribe dissolved, the Splitlog family remained near the mouth of the Kaw and the ex-chief began to show his ability by steamboating in a small way. As Kansas City grew, the Splitlogs were able to sell their land at a good price. They moved to the banks of the Cowskin, or as it was sometimes more elegantly termed, the Elkhorn. The ex-chief kept a store and sold goods to the Senecas. He built a house that was the wonder of the whole Seneca nation. It had two full stories, was handsomely painted and, more wonderful than all, it had a big "observatory" on top. The young members of the family developed musical talent and the old chief bought them a full set of band instruments and hired an instructor. A local manager conceived the idea of a concert tour. The Splitlog boys started out with the old man's blessing and some cash in advance. About the third concert pros- perity proved too much for them. The boys took the town and the town marshal took them. The Splitlog cornet band left Missouri and went back to the nearby reservation.
About 1885 Splitlog became associated with some professional promoters. The southwest corner of Missouri was electrified one day with the announcement
Headquarters of American Fur Company at St. Louis, 1835
Ramsey Crookes
Kenneth Mckenzie
OFFICIALS OF THE FUR COMPANY
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that silver had been discovered a short distance south of Neosho. When the news had been well circulated, it was found that Splitlog and his white associates had obtained leases on five thousand acres of land, Splitlog contributing the money and the promoters furnishing the brains. The Splitlog Silver Mining Company was organized with the old chief's favorite son, Joe, as president. Splitlog City was laid out near the mines; a hotel was built and several other business structures were erected. A daily stage line was put on between Neosho and Splitlog City. Assays from ores alleged to have come from the Splitlog mines were shown. These assays were made by reputable firms in St. Louis, Kansas City and elsewhere. They gave from $40 to $298 in silver per ton. Some of them returned gold. Splitlog displayed a watch on the inside of which was inscribed, "The case of this watch was made from gold taken out of the Splitlog Mines in McDonald County, Missouri."
The rush to Splitlog City set in. On the country roads wagons with white tops "Bound for Splitlog" could be seen moving in all directions. There was great activity in sinking shafts. The next step was the organization of a railroad company. Colonel Splitlog took most of the shares. The railroad was capitalized at $3,000,000. A construction company was formed with a capital of $350,000. Colonel Splitlog was the treasurer of the construction company. About thirty miles of roadbed was graded and six miles of track was laid. Colonel Splitlog drove the first spike, which was of silver claimed to have been obtained from the Splitlog mines. The motive for the road was to obtain facilities for shipment of the ore.
After Splitlog had invested about $175,000, the collapse came. Mrs. Splitlog, influenced by other members of the family, refused to sign any more deeds. The colonel became suspicious of his white associates, who departed for other fields of exploitation. The boom collapsed. Assays of ore mined by independent pros- pectors showed only a trace of silver.
CHAPTER VI.
DUELING IN MISSOURI.
Benton and the Code-Bloody Island-The Grewsome Record-Farrar and Graham-A Friend's Responsibility-Fenwick and Crittenden-Aaron Burr's Nephew Killed-Barton and Hempstead-Code Forms Drawn by Benton and Bates-A Fearless Editor-John Scott's Wholesale Challenge -- Lucas and Benton-The Election Controversy-"An Inso- lent Puppy"-What Benton Told Washburne-Lucas on "Origin of Differences"-A Farewell Message-The Terms-Lucas Badly Wounded-Statements of the Seconds- Mediation by Judge Lawless-Benton Repudiates the Agreement-The Second Meeting -. Lucas Killed-A Father's Lament-Benton's Promise to His Wife-Geyer and Kennerly -Army Duels-Rector and Barton-The "Philo" Charges-Public Sentiment Aroused- Rev. Timothy Flint's Letter-The Belleville Tragedy-Benton for the Defense-Legis- lation Against Dueling-Senator Linn's Comments-Leonard and Berry-Benton on the Code-Pettis and Biddle-A Double Fatality-Benton Again the Adviser-Edward Dobyns' Recollections-Rev. Dr. Eliot's Protest-Hudson and Chambers-"Old Busta- mente's" Experience-Blair and Pickering-Newspaper Reorganization-The Blair-Price Feud-Edwards and Foster-Bowman and Glover-Vest on the Duello.
A duel at St. Louis ended fatally, of which Colonel Benton has not heen heard to speak except among intimate friends, and to tell of the pang which went through his heart when he saw the young man fall, and would have given the world to see him restored to life. As proof of the manner in which he looks upon these scenes and his desire to hury all remembrances of them forever, he has had all his papers burned which related to them, that no future curiosity or industry should bring to light what he wished had never happened .- Benton's Autobiography, dictated on his deathbed.
Dueling in Missouri came with American sovereignty. It went out of practice with the Civil war. Many of the duels were influential incidents in Missouri politics. Most of the duelists were lawyers or editors.
More frequently than any other is the name of Thomas H. Benton associated with Missouri duels. Benton was principal in one fatal duel. He was chief adviser in another duel which ended fatally for both principals. He was second in one of the earliest of Missouri duels and drew up the rules and forms which served as precedents in subsequent meetings. As a lawyer he defended duelists in court. He was a historian of duels. He published a defense of duels. And yet on his deathbed, referring to himself as usual in the third person, he told of "the pang which went through his heart" when he saw young Lucas fall; ex- pressed his regret "for all these scenes" and "had all of his papers burned which related to them."
Benton's relations to dueling were strange indeed. After his rough and tumble encounter with Andrew Jackson at Nashville in 1813, he wrote: "I am in the middle of hell; my life is in danger, and nothing but a decisive duel can save me or even give me a chance for my own existence."
But he also expressed himself on paper shortly after the difficulty with Jackson in these words: "Those who know me, know full well that I would give a thousand times more for the reputation of Croghan in defending his post (which
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was Fort Stephenson) than I would for the reputation of all the duelists and gladiators that ever appeared upon the face of the earth."
After his service in the war of 1812 Benton moved to Missouri. He was prompted to make this change because of the disagreeable personal relations in Tennessee growing out of the fight with Jackson.
Bloody Island.
Most of the Missouri duels were fought on the upper part of Bloody Island in the Mississippi river. Usually the seconds selected a spot where willows and other growth screened the party so that the proceedings could not be seen from the St. Louis side. People assembled in numbers on the river bank; they occupied windows and the housetops when it was known a duel was to be fought. They could not see much, but they would hear the shots and they were witnesses to the return of the parties from the meeting. When St. Louis, to save the city's harbor, built a great dyke between Bloody Island and the Illinois mainland, the entire current was turned to the westward. This not only restored the channel along the St. Louis water front, but it wore away the western edge of the island. The river above the Eads bridge became and remains considerably wider than it was in 1810-30, when the current was divided and when duels were frequent.
Three fatalities on the cross marks gave Bloody Island the grewsome name it bore for more than fifty years. The sandbar opposite the northern end of the settlement of St. Louis showed above the river's surface at low water about 1799. It grew steadily, dividing the current. An increasing proportion of the river's volume each succeeding year passed down to the eastward of the sandbar. That part of the channel between the St. Louis water front and the western edge of the bar became narrower and shallower as time went on. The human voice carried across easily. Willows sprouted and grew in clumps and fringes. The new-made strip of ground became known as "the Island." When there was need to distinguish it from others, Missourians of that generation spoke of "the island opposite Roy." On the St. Louis bank of the river near the foot of what afterwards became Ashley street, named in honor of the fur trader and Con- gressman, a man named Roy built a large stone tower in which he operated a windmill. The tower stood on a curve of the shore line, where it caught the breeze blowing up the river. Long after steam power came into use the dis- mantled stone tower was a conspicuous landmark. For twenty years or more "the Island" so divided the current that neither Missouri nor Illinois claimed possession or exercised jurisdiction. This condition of no man's land favored the selection of "the Island" for duels.
And after lives had been sacrified in these affairs public sentiment bestowed the title. Bloody Island vied with Bladensburg in Maryland for the distinction of being the principal "field of honor" in the United States. To Bladensburg, a few miles from the national capital, statesmen and officers of the army and navy and newspaper men of Washington resorted during two generations to settle differences by shooting at each other. Dueling on Bloody Island began as early as 1810. The record closed in 1860.
The Next Friend's Responsibility.
The Farrar-Graham meeting was among the earliest Missouri duels, if it did not inaugurate the practice of morning expeditions to Bloody Island. It illustrated
C.M.LICCETS.
CANION TEA COMPANY.
CO WON TEAOMATY
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VOLUNTEER FIREMEN OF ST. LOUIS ASSEMBLING ON AMERICAN STREET, ST. LOUIS, FOR PARADE
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DUELING IN MISSOURI
one of the strangest phases of the code. James A. Graham and Dr. Farrar were very close personal friends. One day Graham saw an army lieutenant cheat in a game of cards at the hotel. He exposed him. The army officer declared he must have satisfaction. He sent a challenge to Graham by the hand of Farrar, who was a relative. Under the rules a relative could not refuse to perform this duty when asked. Graham refused to accept the challenge on the ground that the army officer, by his act of cheating, had shown himself to be no gentleman. The code required the second in such case to make the principal's quarrel his own. Farrar was compelled by the rules to challenge his most intimate friend. The two went to the island and fired at each other three times. Both were wounded, Graham so badly in the spine that he kept his bed for four months. When he got up, he tried to make a horseback journey to his old home in the East, failed on the way and died.
In 1811 Thomas H. Crittenden and Dr. Walter Fenwick, two of the best citizens of Ste. Genevieve, met on Moreau Island opposite Kaskaskia landing. General Henry Dodge, afterwards United States Senator from Wisconsin, and John Scott, afterwards member of Congress, were the seconds. Crittenden had some trouble with Ezekiel Fenwick, who sent a challenge by his brother, Dr. Fenwick. When Crittenden refused to meet Ezekiel Fenwick, the doctor was compelled, under the code, to make the quarrel his own. He was wounded mortally at the first fire. Crittenden was unhurt. The pistols used in that duel were made by an expert slave gunsmith who belonged to John Smith T. They are preserved in the great collection of curiosities made by the Missouri Historical Society.
Firman A. Rozier, in his History of the Mississippi Valley, told of a duel between John Smith T. and Lionel Browne, a nephew of Aaron Burr. Browne was then a resident of Potosi. The meeting place was on the Illinois side of the Mississippi opposite Herculaneum. Browne was the challenger; he was shot in the center of the forehead and killed instantly.
Benton and the Precedents.
The last of the political duels in which blood was shed was in 1856. It was coincident with the passing of Benton in Missouri politics-fought in the month that Benton went down to final defeat at the polls. Intense feeling between the Benton and anti-Benton factions was the prompting cause of this last duel. Nowhere in the correspondence relating to the duel did the name of Benton appear, but it was understood that Benton was sympathizing and advising with B. Gratz Brown, the editor of the Democrat, in his controversies with Thomas C. Reynolds, the district attorney and anti-Benton candidate for Congress. Forty years previously, in 1816, the year he came to St. Louis to make his home, Benton went out as second to Thomas Hempstead, Edward Bates acting for Joshua Barton, the other principal. This was not the first St. Louis duel, but it was one of the earliest and is notable for the punctilious care with which the rules were drawn. The seconds made a formal report upon the affair. Precedents were established to govern in later meetings. Although Benton destroyed all of his papers relating to dueling, the copies of the Barton-Hempstead documents are in the possession of the Missouri Historical Society. The most interesting of the papers is the following :
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"Rules of the meeting between Mr. J. Barton demanding and Mr. T. Hempstead answering :
"I. The ground will be measured off to six paces.
"2. The gentlemen will stand back to back at the distance of six paces from each other.
"3. At the word 'March!' the gentlemen will instantly step off three paces and turn and fire without further order.
"4. If either party reserves his fire and continues to aim after the other has fired he shall be shot instantly by the adverse second.
"5. The seconds shall decide by lot which gives the word.
"6. The only words shall be, 'Are you ready?' and being answered in the affirmative, the word 'March' shall be the order for stepping off and turning and firing, as above stated.
"7. The meeting at 5 o'clock this evening on the island in the Mississippi, opposite LeRoy, on the upper end of the island.
"8. The weapons smooth-bore pistols.
"9. The pistols to be delivered cocked to the gentlemen after they have taken their places, and to be held hanging down by the side until after the word 'March.'
"Signed in duplicate, August 10th, 1816, at St. Louis.
"T. H. BENTON, for Mr. Hempstead. "EDWARD BATES, for Mr. Barton."
Three days after the meeting the seconds issued a formal report, and thus the incident was closed :
"The undersigned, present at the meeting between Mr. Thomas Hempstead and Mr. Joshua Barton on the evening of Saturday, the 10th instant, state :
"That as soon as the parties met, the ground was measured off by the undersigned and the pistols loaded in each other's presence.
"The choice of positions and the right of giving the word was decided by lot.
"The gentlemen immediately took their station and fired as nearly as could be in the same instant, and exactly conformable to the rules agreed upon. Each conducted himself in a firm, cool and collected manner.
"After the first fire the party demanding satisfaction declared that it had been given, and no explanation, concession or even mention of the cause of difference was made upon the ground, but the gentlemen shook hands as friends, upon mutual declaration that they owed each other no ill will; and upon the unanimous declaration of the friends and surgeons present that the affair ought not to proceed any further.
"The undersigned state it as their opinion that the conduct of both gentlemen was per- fectly honorable and correct.
"Signed in duplicate, August 13th, 1816.
"THOMAS H. BENTON. "EDWARD BATES."
The Press and the Code.
Joseph Charless, who established the first newspaper in St. Louis, was a fearless editor at short range. He did not hesitate to express editorial opinion on duels. When the fatal meeting between Benton and Lucas took place, this comment on the result appeared in the Gazette: "The infernal practice of dueling has taken off this morning one of the first characters in our country, Charless Lucas, Esq., attorney at law. His death has left a blank in society not easily filled up."
At one time Mr. Charless was threatened with incendiarism because of some vigorous editorials in the Gazette. Apparently, as a result of the rumors that the editor was to be burned out, the Gazette published this: "D. Kimball requests the incendiaries of St. Louis to defer burning Mr. Charless' establishment until
THOMAS H. BENTON
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DUELING IN MISSOURI
his removal, which will be on the 20th of April next." While walking in his garden, Mr. Charless was fired upon but was not hit.
The affair with Congressman John Scott was a newspaper sensation which continued some weeks in St. Louis. The Gazette printed several articles on Scott, who denounced them and demanded the name of the author. Threats were made, to which Mr. Charless replied: "I may be threatened, but I will continue an independent course. If I am attacked for exercising the honest duties of my profession, I know how to repel injury." That was in 1816. Mr. Charless at length gave Mr. Scott the names of the writers of the articles. Five highly respectable citizens were involved. Scott challenged each of them. Firman A. Rozier's version of John Scott's wholesale appeal to the code was this: "During the time that he was a candidate for Congress, there were written by some corre- spondents, who were his political enemies, severe strictures upon his character, in the Gazette, published in St. Louis. He demanded of Mr. Charless, the editor, the names of the authors, which were given him. Next morning, whilst in St. Louis, through General Henry Dodge, and that before breakfast, he challenged to mortal combat five of these correspondents, among whom were Hon. Rufus Easton, delegate from Missouri Territory ; Mr. Lucas, afterwards killed in a duel by Benton; Dr. Simpson, and others whose names are not now remembered. They all declined with exception of Lucas. The difficulty with Lucas was after- wards compromised through friends. Hon. Rufus Easton's reply to Scott in declining to fight was, 'I do not want to kill you, and if you were to kill me I would die as the fool dieth.'"
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