History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 12

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

There was a purpose in this military expedition beyond the mere punish- ment of the Indians for their attack upon the Ashley party. It will be noted that this difficulty occurred but a few years following the close of our second war with Great Britain, and the cause of it was ascribed to the mischievous and iniquitous counsel and misrepresentations of the British traders of the Hudson's Bay Company, who lost no opportunity to prejudice the savages against the United States and the American traders. Here is the view taken of the situation by General Gaines, then in command of the western department, headquarters at Louisville, Ky., in a letter to secretary of war, John C. Calhoun :

1 am convinced from what you have said and written upon the subject of our western Indian relations that 1 need not point out to you the evils that must result from our being compelled to recede from the position we have taken, and give up our trade and intercourse with those distant nations. The trade itself, however valuable, is relatively little or nothing when compared with the decided advantage of that harmonious influence and control which is acquired and preserved in a great degree, if not wholly, by the constant friendly inter- course which the trade affords, and by which it is principally cherished and preserved. If we quietly give up this trade, we shall at once throw it, and with it the friendship and physical power of 30,000 warriors, into the arms of England, who has taught us in letters of blood ( which we have had the magnanimity to forgive, but which it would be treason to forget ) that this trade forms rein and curb by which the turbulent and towering spirit of these lords of the forest can alone be governed. 1 say alone, because 1 am decidedly of the opinion that, if there existed no such rivalship in the trade as that of the English with which we have always been obliged to contend under the disadvantages of restrictions such as have never been imposed upon our rival adversary, we should with one-tenth of the expense and force to which we have been subjected, preserve the relations of peace with these Indians more effectually than they have been at any former period. But to suffer outrages, such as have been perpetrated by the Ricaras and the Blackfeet to go unpunished, would be to surrender the trade and with it, our stronghold upon the Indian, to England.

Agent O'Fallon is another witness who testifies of the pernicious and mis- chievous influence of the British traders upon the American Indians. He says, reporting a hostile act of the Blackfeet :

Many circumstances have transpired to induce a belief that the British traders ( Hudson Bay Company ) are exciting the Indians against us, to either drive us from that quarter, or reap with the Indian the fruit of our labor. 1 was in hopes the British Indian traders bad some bounds to their rapacity. 1 was in hopes that during the late Indian war, in which they were so instrumental in the indiscriminate massacre of our people, that they were com- pletely satisfied with our blood; but it appears not to have been the case. They ravage our fiells and are unwilling we should glean them. Like the greedy wolf, they devour our flesh, then quarrel over the bones. Although barred by the Treaty of Ghent from participating in our Indian trade, they presume to do so. Alarmed at the individual enterprise of our people, they are exciting the Indians against them. They furnish them with the instruments of death and a passport to our bosoms.

It is not pleasant to refer to the perfidions character of these British traders, who forgetful of the gratitude they owed to the Government of the United States for tacitly permitting them to trade in the country, endeavored to provoke the deadly hostility of these savage nations upon the Americans by insidiously arousing their jealousy and anger somewhat as lago played upon the confiding trust of the honest Othello. These Hudson's Bay emissaries knew what the effect of their teachings would be -- they knew it meant the massacre of American trad- ers, and they were just as guilty of these murders as if they had personally wielded the instruments of destruction or participated in the cruel tortures which the savages resorted to. They were accessories before the fact. They planned the diabolical outrages, then viewed their bloody enactment with gratification, from a safe refuge. To what depths of sordid diabolism had the greed for wealth sunk the governors and subjects of the Hudson's Bay oligarchy. The sum- mary punishment of these Arickaree Indians was designed more to impress them and all the tribes with the power and authority of the United States than as a punishment. The British traders had never missed an opportunity to belittle the authority of this Government with the Indians and to weaken their allegiance

HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

and alienate their friendship until it had become a serious question whether an American trader was safe in the country. The fur trade was one that had then engaged millions of American capital and thousands of American citizens and must be protected, and the Indians taught that the Great Father was in fact the ruler as well as the owner of the soil and could punish as well as protect them. The Ashley difficulty was only one of many that was laid at the door of British intrigue and intermeddling.

FIRST INDIAN PEACE COMMISSION

In 1825 the first Indian pcace commission was formed under Brig. Gen. H. Atkinson, of the United States Army, and the superintendent of Indian affairs on the Upper Missouri, Benjamin O'Fallon, who was resident agent at Fort AAtkinson, a few miles above the present City of Omaha. The commission rendezvoused at Council City, near Council Bluffs, and had, in addition to its commander and O'Fallon, A. L. Langham, secretary ; also Colonel Leavenworth, Maj. S. W. Kearney and Maj. Daniel Ketcham; Capt. Wm. Armstrong, Capt. Benj. Riley, Capt. John Gantt, Capt. G. C. Spencer, Capt. R. B. Mason, R. H. H. Stuaring, James W. Kingsbury, Levi Huncy, Thomas Neel, J. H. Enger, M. W. Batman, Thos. P. Guynne, Geo. C. Huwer and W. Harris; Surgeon John Gale; Adjutants S. Wryz, and R. M. Coleman. Also William Day, A. S. Miller, G. H. Kennerly and P. Wilson, Indian agents; Antoine, Joseph and Pierre Garreau, interpreters ; Edward Rose, Colin Campbell and Touissant Chaencan, guides and interpreters. The escort was composed of 476 men. The expedition had a fleet of eight large boats, rigged with all the appliances for sailing, rowing and towing, and of sufficient capacity to accommodate the entire force and its equipment and provisions. A troop of forty mounted men traveled along the river bank. The expedition left Council City about the middle of May, 1825, and proceeded without unusual event to the village of the Ponca Indians at the mouth of the Niobrara River, where a grand council was held and a treaty of amity concluded.

The next stopping place was at Fort Lookout, near the present Town of Chamberlain, where a treaty of peace was made with representatives of three tribes of the Sioux, the Yanktons, Yanktonnais and Tetons, who had assembled for the purpose, having been gathered together by advance agents of the com- mission.

This treaty acknowledged the sovereignty of the United States and the right and authority of the Government to regulate all trade and intercourse with them. The United States agreed to receive the Indians into its friendship and afford them protection, and to have due regard for their welfare and to extend to them such assistance as might be necessary for their well-being. The Government agreed to designate certain points in the territory of these tribes where all trade and barter with the Indians should be carried on; and the Indians agreed to trade with none but licensed traders who were American citizens, and who were licensed to trade by the United States : the Indians agreeing to protect the prop- erty of such traders, and their persons and those employed by them; and the Indians further promised to arrest any foreigner found trading among them or making an effort to trade, or any unlicensed person, and to deliver such persons to the Indian agents or to the military power. The Indians further agreed to afford safe and a speedy conduct to all persons who may have occasion to pass over their country, having authority from the Government so to do, and to protect all agents of the Government sent to reside among them. The treaty further provided :

That the friendship which is now established between the United States and the Teton, Yankton, and Yanktonnais bands of Indians shall not be annulled by any act of individuals ; and it is agreed that for any injuries done by individuals, no private revenge or retaliation shall take place, but instead thereof complaint shall be made by the party to the superintendent

HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

or agent of Indian affairs or other person appointed by the President ; and it shall be the duty of the chiefs upon complaint being made, to deliver up the person or persons against whom the complaint is made, to the end that he or they may be punished agreeably to the laws of the United States. And if any offense, or robbery, or murder, shall be committed by any white person on any Indian belonging to the bands who are parties hereto, the person so offending shall be punished, when found guilty, the same as if the offense had been com- mitted against a white person. And it is agreed that the chiefs of the tribes here represented shall, to the utmost of their power, exert themselves to recover horses or other property. which shall be stolen or wrongfully taken from any citizen of the United States, by any individual of said tribes ; and the property when recovered shall be turned over to the agent or person authorized to receive it, in order that it may be restored to its owner. The United States further guarantees to indemnify the Indians of said tribes, in full. for all losses of horses or other property that may be stolen from them by persons who are citizens of the United States ; Provided. That said property cannot be recovered, and that proof is furnished of a satisfactory character, showing that the offense was committed by a citizen of the United States. And said Teton, Yankton and Yanktonnais bands of Indians agree to deliver up to the said United States anthorities, when so required, any white man resident among them. And the chiefs and warriors of said tribes engage, on behalf of their respective tribes, that they will never furnish guns, ammunition, or other implements of war. either by trade, exchange, or as presents, to any nation or tribe of Indians not in amity with the United States Government.

Done at Fort Lookout, near the Three Rivers of the Sioux Pass, this 22d day of June. A. D. 1825, and of the independence of the United States the forty-ninth. In testimony whereof, the said commissioners, Henry Atkinson and Benjamin OFallon, and the chiefs. headmen and warriors of the Teton, Yankton, and Yanktonnais bands of Sioux Indians, have hereunto set their hands and affixed their seals.

11. ATKINSON, Brigadier-General U. S. Army. BENJAMIN O'FALLON, U. S. Agent Indian Affairs.

YANKTON REPRESENTATIVES

Maw-too-sa-be-kin. The Black Bear ( Smutty Bear).

Wa-kan-o-hig-man. The Evil Medicine.

Cha-pen-ka, The Mosquito.

Eta-ken-u-ske-an. The Mad Face.

To-ka-oo, The One That Kills.

O-ga-tee. The Fork.

You-i-a-san, The Warrior.

Wah-ta-kan-do, One Who Comes From War.

To-qui-in-too, The Little Soldier.

Ha-an-shah. The loway.

TETON REPRESENTATIVES

To-tan-ga-guen-ish-qui-nau, The Mad Buffalo.

Ma-to-ken-do-ha-cha. The Hollow Bear.

E-gue-mon-wa-con-ta. One That Shoots At The Tiger.

Jai-kan-kan-e, The Child Chief.

YANKTONMIS REPRESENTATIVES

Shawa-non-e-etak-ah. The Brave.

Man-to-dan-za, The Running Bear.

Wa-can-gne-la-sas-sa. The Black Lightning.

Wa-be-lah-wa-kan. The Medicine War Eagle.

Cam-pes-ca-ho ran-co, The Swift Shell.

Na-pee-mus-ka. The Mad Hand.

Ma-pee. The Soldier.

Moo-wah-gah-hak. The Broken Leg.

Cee-eha-ha. The Burned Thigh. O-kaw-see-non-ge-ah. The Spy. Ah-kee-chee-ha cha go la. The Little Soldier. Ta-tun-ga-see-ha-huh-e-ka. The Buffalo With the Long Foot.

Following this, treaties of like tenor were made with other Sioux tribes, namely : the Cheyennes, Ogalallas, Arickarees and Uncpapas; when the expedi- tion proceeded up the river, halting at Bad River, Cheyenne, and the Arickaree villages, as far as the mouth of the Yellowstone, from which point it retraced its journey without incident to Fort Atkinson. It must be added to the great credit of the Indians who were parties to these treaties that they observed their

HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

agreements with almost scrupulous fidelity, better, if anything, particularly in promptness than did the agents of the Government in many cases and gave little occasion for complaint up to the time when in 1854, the unfortunate and avoid- able trouble at Fort Laramie gave occasion for the Harney expedition, the Bat- tle of Ash Hollow in Nebraska, the march to the Missouri, and the establish- ment of Fort Randall.

The Dakotah nation of Indians while they were the most warlike and the most dreaded of all the Missouri Indian tribes, seem to have abstained from any serious quarrel with the whites during the period of time covered by the first half of the nineteenth century. It would seem that their hostility was finally awakened near the beginning of the latter half of that period by the steady en- croachment of the whites upon their domain when they begun to realize that the aggressions of civilization were imperilling their freedom and restricting them of liberties that had been theirs for generations.

In the year 1838, Professor Nicollet, a famous French geologist, with John C. Fremont, celebrated in the annals of this country as the "Pathfinder," after- ward, in 1856, the first candidate of the newly formed republican party for the office of President, visited parts of Minnesota and the famous Red Pipestone Quarry. On this scientific exploring trip an inspection was made of the region east of the St. James River, and Fremont gave names to a member of lakes, including Lake Benton, Lake Preston and Lake Poinsett, in honor of the secre- tary of war. Benton was a senator from Missouri, and Preston a senator from North Carolina. In 1839 a second expedition was undertaken, the purpose being to explore the Dakota country west of the James River, and particularly the James River Valley north. It was headed by Professor Nicollet, with Fremont as topographical engineer and under the direction of the War Department. The party journeyed by the Missouri River, having chartered Choteau's pioneer steamboat, the Antelope, and left St. Louis early in May.

At Fort Pierre the party abandoned their boat, made their necessary prep- arations and struck across the plains, reaching the James River near the Dirt 1.odges ( near Ashton, Spink County ), thence north to the source of the stream near Devil's Lake, returning through Minnesota to St. Paul.

CHAPTER IX FIRST WHITE OCCUPATION OF DAKOTA-CAPTAIN TODD

1856

BEGINNING OF WHITE OCCUPATION OF DAKOTA-SIOUX WAR OF 1855-HARNEY'S MILITARY EXPEDITION AND MARCH TO THE MISSOURI-FORT PIERRE PURCHASED -ITS FIRST GARRISON BY STEAMBOATS-HARNEY'S DISAPPOINTMENT AND IN- DIGNATION-POST NOT SUITED FOR MILITARY PURPOSES-FORT RANDALL LOCATED-FORT CONSTRUCTED FORT PIERRE ABANDONED-CAPTAIN TODD).

It was comparatively a trifling incident that led to the military expedition under General Harney, which marched from the Platte to Fort Pierre in 1855, and built the military post at Fort Randall, in 1856, bringing with it the men under whose auspices and direction the treaty of cession with the Yankton Indians was to be made, the Territory of Dakota as a political organization erected, and the early years of its career directed. The lands would have been ceded and the territory duly organized had not this incident occurred ; but the individuals who composed the pioneers of the Missouri Slope and of Dakota would not have been those who are mentioned in these pages. What a world of difference this would have meant to many who, as they survey the past, and recall the peculiar circumstances and influences that led their steps hither.

In 1853 a hunting village of the Minneconjoux Indians, a tribe of the Sioux, or Dakotah Nation, was established near Fort Laramie on the north fork of the Platte River, on the bank opposite the fort. Two of the young Minne- conjoux braves who had visited the fort were detained at the ferry crossing for some trifling reason, and to show their displeasure discharged their guns into the air. They then returned to their village, but they had committed an offense for which the commandant of the fort deemed it necessary to call them to account, and the commander of a fort on the western plains at that day embodied all authority. He could do unwise things without objection or hindrance, and so Lieutenant Fleming, with a squad of soldiers, was sent over to the Indian village to demand the two young braves. The chief at the village told Fleming that the young men were not there at the time; but Fleming refused to believe him, and became so incensed because they were not imme- diately delivered up, that he ordered his soldiers to fire upon the Indians, which they did, killing three outright. There were a hundred Indians in the camp at the time, but they refrained from retaliating, and Fleming seized a couple of young bucks and took them back to the fort as prisoners. This atrocity laid the foundation for "bad blood." It also incited a desire to emulate Fleming's uncalled for and brutal assault in the breast of Lieutenant Grattan, a young officer who had graduated at West Point during the year, and had been ordered to duty at Laramie. When he heard of Fleming's exploit, he expressed a wish to be sent on a similar errand so that he could win some renown. The time came all too soon for the young lieutenant.

HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

In the following summer ( 1854) the same tribe of Minneconjoux, with another of about equal numbers, were in camp on the Platte, about eight miles below the fort, waiting for the Government to bring them some annuity goods that they were in need of, and anxious to receive, in order that they might get away on their summer hunting expedition. The agent was long delayed and the Indians began to suffer for supplies. Just at this time a Mormon emigrant passed the Indian camp, having in his outfit a lame cow, which he left behind, evidently intending to abandon her. One of the Indians shot the animal, and he and his friends appeased their hunger. In some way this shooting of the cow was reported at the fort, probably by the Mormon, and it was looked upon as a grave offense for the Indians to shoot an animal belonging to an emigrant. The Indian chief "Bear" went up to the fort to explain the cir- cumstances of the shooting. Lieutenant Fleming was in command, and he told Bear that the only way to settle the matter was to surrender the offender. Bear asked for a little time and went back to the camp, which at this time had received large accessions from other bands who were to unite with the Minne- conjoux in their summer hunt, and now numbered all the way from one thousand to fifteen hundred lodges, with women and children. The following morning the offending Indian not being produced, young Lieutenant Grattan, who had ex- pressed his ambition to imitate Fleming's conduet at the Indian village the year before, applied to the commander for the privilege of leading an expedition against the Sioux camp and securing the offending Indian. Fleming gave him an order for seventeen men, and Grattan managed to increase the number by volunteers to thirty-one, well armed and supported by two howitzers. Arriving at the Indian camp Grattan should have realized the danger of any hostile act when he found himself and his small party confronted by over one thousand Sioux warriors who were in the camp. Grattan demanded the immediate sur . render of the offending Indian who had shot the lame cow, and when he did not appear Grattan ordered his men to fire. At the same time old Bear, the chief, urged the Indians not to fire on the whites.

The next minute Bear fell mortally wounded by Grattan's soldiers. This maddened the Indians, who rushed upon Grattan's little force and in five minutes, he, with every man of his command, lay dead upon the ground. This event started a conflagration of great proportions. It was reported to the war depart- ment that the Indians had treacherously turned murderers and without provoca- tion had massacred a company of United States troops while in the performance of duty. Dispatches were sent to the secretary of war, and that official called upon Congress for authority to raise four regiments of cavalry. Exaggerated and grossly incorrect accounts of the terrible occurrence were printed in the newspapers, and suddenly and without warning a war against the Sioux of Western Nebraska was inaugurated.

The Indians realized that they would be punished as soon as troops coukl be sent against them, and a portion of the reckless ones abandoned the Platte and fled to the headwaters of the White River and the south fork of the Cheyenne, donned their war paint and committed some depredations upon ex- posed emigrants. Red Leaf, a brother of Bear, had succeeded to the leader- ship, and was in command of the war parties. The Government regarded the whole Sioux Nation as having voluntarily and wilfully declared hostilities and the war department made preparations accordingly. The following summer (1855) General Harney, the ablest and most successful of our generals in Indian warfare, was ordered to lead an expedition against the hostiles. Ile assembled a strong force and met the Sioux on the north fork of the Platte and completely defeated them so that they were glad to sue for peace on any terms. He killed eighty-six of the Indians and wounded seventy others, his own loss being five soldiers. Harney's victory was followed by a treaty of amity which promised to the Indians liberal annuities so long as they observed its provisions faithfully. This battle of Harney's was known as the Battle of "Ash Hollow."

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HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

With this accomplished. General Harney, in obedience to instructions. set out for the Missouri River, blazing the first trail from the head of the North Platte by way of the White and the south fork of the Big Cheyenne to Bad River, striking the Missouri River at Fort Pierre late in the fall of 1855.

Corroborating the opinion held by many of the commissioned military men of the Harney expedition, and to some extent entertained by the general him- self, that this Ash Hollow conflict might have been avoided had the general fol- lowed the dictates of his own judgment instead of the influences of a council of war composed largely of young men, an excerpt from a letter, written in 1885 by Colonel Carlin, of the Fourteenth Infantry, is here copied, giving an account of his adventurers while a young lieutenant, during a march with his company in the spring of 1855 from Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, to Fort Laramie. After relating many interesting incidents of the long trip by river and overland, during a portion of the journey in the company of Captain Todd, the troops reached Fort Laramie. Colonel Carlin then relates the Ash Hollow incident, in which he participated :

BATTLE OF ASHI HOLLOW

The troops at Forts Kearney and Laramie were subject to the orders of General Harney, and constituted part of the Sioux expedition. "Ash Hollow" is a wide and deep canyon near the Platte River on the old emigrant road passing up the Platte via Fort Laramie. It was across the Platte from Ash Hollow that Little Thunder's band of Sioux Indians were encamped in August. 1855. when General Harney was moving his command to Fort Laramie. The Indians did not seem to expect an attack, or to fear one, and made no demonstration against the troops. It was notorious, however, that the Sioux had been on the warpath since the previous year, when they had killed Lieutenant Grattan, of the Sixth Infantry, and about thirty men who had constituted his command.

Harney was sent out with his troops to punish the Sioux for this massacre. But when he arrived at Ash Hollow and saw Little Thunder's camp before him, he did not at first feel called on to attack the Indians. Such, at least, was the current report of that day. It was his idea that he ought to parley with Little Thunder and have an understanding of his status towards the Government and the white people. There were, however, two officers under his command, one of whom was on his staff, who combatted this idea with all their force and energy. Major Winship, paymaster, was one of them. Capt. Henry Heth, Tenth Infantry, was the other. The report of that day was that Harney was persuaded by Win-hip and fleth, against his own inclinations and judgment, to attack the camp. It was done. Many women and children were killed and wounded. Doubtless some warriors were killed also. Spotted Tail, since so famous, was in the fight. He was the son of Little Thunder. There was very little said about this affair outside of military circles. and there were many officers of the expedition that did not approve of the attack.

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 12

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198