History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 70

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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loomed the mass of ruined state governments that needed to be rebuilt and re- stored ; the disposition of three or four million black people from whose limbs the chains of life-long slavery had just been severed, and all the problems a little later met with in the momentous work of reconstruction.

On the same night another would-be assassin named Payne, entered the chamber of William HI. Seward, secretary of state, who was confined to his bed with a serious illness and attempted to assassinate him with a knife. He cuit and slashed the venerable statesman frightfully, inflicting wounds of a very dan- gerous character, and severely injured his son, Frederick Seward, and Mr. Rob- inson, a nurse, who grappled with the desperate villain and prevented the com- plete execution of his murderous purpose. The ruffian escaped from the house and eluded detection for some time, but was finally captured. Mr. Seward though sadly disfigured for life as the result of his wounds, finally recovered and restimed the duties of his office.

When the Assassin Booth leaped upon the stage at Ford's Theatre he broke one of his ankle bones. This gave him such intense pain that he was forced to stop in his flight at the house of a friendly surgeon in Maryland and have it treated. Ile was anxious to reach the rebel lines, where he supposed he would be safe from capture. This halt and delay at the surgeon's proved his undoing. for it furnished an early clue to his pursuers who were following him up, and finally sticceeded in driving him into hiding in a barn on a place called Garrett's farm near Port Royal, on the Rappahannock. Here Booth made a stand, refus- ing to surrender, and being well armed and disposed to resist to the death, his pursuers fired into the barn hoping to wound him and capture him alive; but their fire was too effective and he was killed. One of his accomplices, Harrold, who had accompanied him was not injured and was secured.

As in every part of the United States outside of the rebellious country and in some portions of that section, so the citizens of Dakota sincerely shared in the all prevailing sorrow and nightly gloom that seemed to have wrapped the world in a shroud. Business was practically suspended and nothing else was spoken of buit the hideous crime and the virtues of the great victim.

Governor Edmunds issued a special proclamation naming Thursday, the 27th of the month as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer ; and the people of the territory generally appropriately observed the occasion. The citizens of Yankton assembled at the capitol building on the 24th for the purpose of giving public ex- pression to their sorrow and to pay tribute to the virtues of the great martyr. G. C. Moody called the meeting to order: James M. Stone was elected chairman and Albert P. Hayward, secretary. The proceedings were opened with prayer by Rev. Melancthon Hoyt. Joseph R. Hanson presented the following resolti- tions, which were adopted :

Resolved. That now as under former occasions of national disaster and gloom, we bow with true faith and humility to this last and most mysterious, startling, and profoundly solemn decree of God. Recognizing in this terrible blow which sways our whole nation with woe, as the tempest rocks the giant oak, still firmly believing that he who holds the life of nations as individuals, in the hollow of his hand. "doeth all things well." will, in his own good time, say to the waves of intestine war. "Peace, be still."

Resolved. That we regard the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln as the direct and natural result of a disgraceful northern sympathy with treason against the republic. and while we view the latter as taking rank with the most revolting and heinous crimes known to mankind. the position of the armed traitor is touched with a semblance of noble- ness when compared with that of him who is imbued with the foul spirit of the former.

Resolved. That amid the scenes of woe which tonight veils the whole North in weeds of mourning, that our nation's pilot has been murdered while still holding the helm of the old ship of state as she was safely plowing the waves of internal discord and strife. and just nearing the haven of peace and repose, it is our firm belief that we can safely entrust the helin to the hands of Andrew Johnson, having the most unfaltering faith that his wisdom. his statesmanship and his devotion to our country's cause, are adequate to the great (1.ce) with which the present is pregnant, and that he will bring the rebellion to a speedy and suc- cessful termination, and we do hereby pledge him our unwavering support of his administration.

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Appropriate addresses were made by the Rev. Dr. Hoyt, Colonel Moody, Mr. Brookings, Mr. Stutsman, Doctor Bardsell and Mr. Foster, and the meeting then adjourned.

In accordance with a general order, the military authorities stationed at Yank- ton caused a salute of twenty-one guns to be fired on the 26th of April, in token of respect to the martyred President whose interment at Springfield, Ill., occurred on that day.

President Andrew Johnson issued a proclamation in words following :

Whereas, By my direction, the acting secretary of state, in a notice to the public on the 17th day of April, requested the various religious denominations to assemble on the 19th of April on the occasion of the obsequies of Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States, and to observe the same with appropriate ceremonies; and,

Whereas, Our country has become one great house of mourning, where the head of the family has been taken away, and believing that a special period should be assigned for again humiliating ourselves before Almighty God, in order that the bereavement may be sanctified to the nation.

Now, therefore, in order to mitigate that grief on earth which can only be assuaged by communion with the Father in Heaven, and in compliance with the wishes of senators and representatives in Congress communicated to me by a resolution adopted at the national capitol, 1, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, do hereby appoint Thursday, June 1, 1865, to be observed wherever in the United States the flag of the country may be respected, as a day of humiliation and mourning, and recommend my fellow citizens then to assemble in their respective places of worship, there to unite in solemn service to Almighty God in memory of the good man who is gone, so that all shall be occupied at the same time in contemplation of his virtues and sorrow for his untimely end.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at Washington, April 25th, A. D. 1865, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the 89th. By the President,

W. HUNTER, Acting Secretary of State.

ANDREW JOHNSON.

President Lincoln made a number of federal appointments for Dakota in March, 1865 ; these were Laban H. Litchfield, of Yankton, to be United States marshal in place of Geo. M. Pinney, resigned to take a similar position in Montana; Ara Bartlett, of Vermillion, to be chief justice, vice Philemon Bliss, resigned; W. G. Gleason, of Yankton, to be associate justice vice Joseph L. Williams, term ex- pired : Jefferson P. Kidder to be associate justice vice Ara Bartlett, promoted. Litchfield had been a deputy United States marshal for nearly three years. He lived in Bon Homme County and was originally a Pennsylvanian, coming here for his health. He was a young man; was highly esteemed and the situation was every- where approved ; the fact that he was taken from the territory was a very popu- lar feature. Bartlett had been associate justice for nearly a year in the Ver- million District. Gleason was the United States attorney, and Mr. Kidder was a Minnesotian, originally from Vermont, and one of the party who settled in Sioux Falls from St. Paul in 1857. William Tripp was appointed surveyor gen- cral and John Hutchinson was re-appointed secretary. Patrick H. Congar, of Dubuque, was appointed United States agent of the Yankton Indians to succeed Mr. Burleigh who had been elected delegate to Congress and was at this time acting in that capacity at Washington.

President Johnson, who succeeded Mr. Lincoln, made a number of appoint- ments, to-wit: Dr. Joel A. Potter, of Micksville, was appointed United States agent of the l'onca Indians, and James M. Stone, of Yankton, was appointed agent of the Santee Sioux at Crow Creek. It will be observed that nearly all these appointments were bestowed upon citizens of Dakota Territory, some of them former officials and some new men. This was acceptable to the people of Dakota, and added largely to the popularity of the new delegate, Major Bur- leigh, who was an ardent supporter of this policy.

Capt. Nelson Miner, late of Company A, Dakota Cavalry, was appointed register of the United States land office at Vermillion in June in place of James M. Allen, whose term had expired. The old soldiers were preferred thereafter for federal offices.

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President Johnson also made appointments to federal offices in Dakota as follows :

William B. Tripp, surveyor general, in May. 1866, in place of George D. Hill, whose term had expired. General Tripp was captain of Company B, Dakota Cavalry, during the late Civil war.

George H. Hand was appointed United States attorney for the District of Dakota, in May, 1866. Mr. Hand was a resident of Dakota and a Civil war veteran.

William E. Gleason, associate justice of Dakota, was appointed United States consul at Bordeaux, France, in June, 1866, resigning his judgeship.

John W. Boyle, register of the United States land office at Vermillion, was appointed associate justice to succeed Mr. Gleason.

George Stickney, of Elk Point, was appointed successor to MFr. Boyle.

Joseph R. Hanson, of Yankton, was appointed United States Indian agent of the Upper Missouri Tribes in March, 1866, in place of Samuel N. Latta, whose term had expired. Hanson's headquarters were at Fort Thompson.

Dr. Henry F. Livingston, of Yankton, was appointed physician and surgeon at Crow Creek Indian Agency, May, 1867.

Phil K. Foulk was appointed transcribing clerk in the office of the surveyor general of Dakota, in June, 1866, succeeding James S. Foster.

Two new federal offices were made for Dakota in 1866, assessor and collector of internal revenue, E. C. Collins, of Union county, was appointed assessor, and Win. Shriner, of Clay, collector.

Carl C. C. P. Meyer, of Yankton, was appointed emigration commissioner for Daktota in Germany and other countries in Europe, in March, 1866, and left for his post of duty on the 13th of March.

David M. Mills, of Union County, was appointed assessor of internal rev- enue for Dakota Territory in December, 1867, in place of E. C. Collins, removed for political reasons.

Gideon C. Moody was appointed, under the new national bankruptcy law, register in bankruptcy for the District of Dakota, in July, 1867.

The mustering out of the military service of the United States of Company A, Dakota Cavalry, was an event of importance to the members of the company and of great significance to the people of the territory, for it signified that war had been banished from the land. Peace reigned to the utmost botinds of the nation. It was a happy occasion, and occurred at Vermillion, the home of Capt. Nelson Miner, on Wednesday, May 9, 1865, after three years of honorable and arduous service. The members of the company had been recruited from Clay, Yankton and Bon Homme counties, but nearly all of them were young, single men, who had no particular point in view for a settlement and occupation.

The Dakota Cavalry had made an excellent military record, receiving frequent and earnest commendation of their commanders, both volunteer and regular, and acquitting themselves on all occasions with great credit. Their discipline, valor and efficiency were observed and commented upon by the troops of our neigh- boring states who served in the same campaigns, and their soldiery accomplish- ments were fitly recognized by General Sully in his general orders on the occa- sion of their leaving the service, and more directly when he selected Companies A and B as his body guard for the campaign of 1864.

Company B was mustered out at Sioux City, November 15, 1865. on which occasion General Sully issued the following general order :

Headquarters District of Dakota. Sioux City, Iowa, November 5. 1865.

General Orders, No. 6.

Company B, Dakota Cavalry, being under orders to muster out, will in a few days leave the service of the United States.

They having been under my command for nearly three years. I take the occasion of the mustering out of the last organization of Dakota troops, to thank both officers and men Vol. 1 - 26

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for the good service they have rendered the country and the cordial support they have rendered me.

In this including Captain Miner's Company "A" as well as Captain Tripp's Company "B." Although the service will be the loser by the inuster out of these troops. the Territory of Dakota will be greatly the gainer by the return of such a valuable body of men.

ALFRED SULLY, Brigadier Major General.

There was no earnest attempt to put the machinery of the Government of the counties of the territory in operation until the year 1865. In the early days of Dakota's settlement there was very little attention given to the public affairs devolving upon a county government. No taxes were levied and as a matter of course none were paid. A small amount was occasionally collected from retail- ers of intoxicating liquors in payment of license, but this was all. An occasional case in justice's court was the extent of legal proceeding under the territorial laws; the district courts being held at the expense of the general Government. There were no places set apart for the transaction of public business. As there was no deeded property, except the half-breed serip lands, and the lands awarded to certain persons, all Indians, under the Yankton Treaty, the recorder of deeds, leases, and bonds for deeds, etc., was able to look after his duties and keep his record at his place of business without inconvenience. An occasional meeting of the board of county commissioners was held to make provision for elections, and to enable the other county officers to qualify. There was so little taxable property that it was claimed the expense of assessment and collection of the tax would not pay the expense incident to the work. The first and one of the essen- tial inducements to county government was lacking, to-wit : the means to defray the expense. The sheriff's authority as a peace officer was seldom called for, the law and order sentiment in all the Dakota settlements being sufficiently predom- inant and cheerfully willing to suppress any manifestations of lawlessness, and more apt to visit summary punishment upon an offender than would have been the case under legal formalities. Public opinion held the lawless in restraint, in nearly every community.

With the year 1865, however, there came the demand, induced by increasing population and varied interests, for attention to all departments of public affairs, and provision was made for the convenient and methodical transaction of the public business.

Very high prices for everything in the line of merchandise prevailed during the war not only in Dakota but throughout the United States ; and although the price of everything had been "sky rocketed," as it was termed, labor was also well paid, and the people of the northern states were never so prosperous. Money was plentiful, the disbursements of the Government alone being in the neighbor- hood of two million a day. At the beginning of the war the amount of money in the country was given as $17 per capita. It rose rapidly after the Rebellion broke out and had soon reached the unparalleled amount of $50 per capita. Pop- ulation in the United States at that time, however, was about one-third the pres- ent number. The money used was exclusively Government notes called green- backs. Special payments had been suspended at the beginning of the war in 1861, and were not resumed until 1879, a period of eighteen years. Gold and silver were not in circulation as money, and the old state bank currency that existed prior to the war had been discredited and largely retired. The day of a national currency had dawned, forced upon the country by the exigency of war. The Government notes were issued in denominations of $1 and up to $1,000. There was also a fractional paper currency called (popularly) "shin plasters." These the Government issued in denominations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 50 cents. Gold became a commodity, the same as sugar and flour, and was bought and sokl at prices varying with supply and demand. It was at a premium at the beginning of the war, and rose in value until it sokl as high as $2.65 in greenbacks for $1 in gold. It was principally used in transactions with foreign countries, the Gov- ernment requiring large amounts for the purchase of ships, ammunition for war,

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and stores for the navy and army. The price of all merchandise and labor was based on paper money. Flour went up to $12.50 a barrel during 1863-04. The army consumed enormously of flour and meats, and large quantities of these were imported. Prices in Dakota were in keeping with those which prevailed through- out the country. Flour at one time sold at $7.50 per 100, and all other provisions and groceries in proportion, except fresh meats, which were really cheaper then than now. Such an article as good butter, eggs and poultry, however, while com- paratively plenty for ordinary times, were in such demand at the military camps and forts that very little was offered to civilians who would object to paying 75 cents a pound for the butter and $1.50 per dozen for the eggs. The soldiers on the other hand made no objection to the price. Potatoes at different times sold for $4.50 and $5 a bushel.

The financial lessons taught by the Civil war in the United States were of the greatest value to the people and particularly to the student of the economic science, and brought about an entire change or revolution in the methods of fur- nishing a circulating medium for the needs of the American people. There were a number of wise and patriotic men in control of the Government during the war, and their work and its results were marvels of able and honest statesmanship. The federal currency first. and the national bank with its currency, are among the financial fruits of the great Rebellion. Salmon P. Chase, the eminent Ohio jurist and statesman, was secretary of the treasury during Lincoln's first term, and was called the "father of the greenback."

CHAPTER XXXVII PEACE TREATIES WITH HOSTILE INDIANS 1865

GOVERNMENT WAGON ROADS IN DAKOTA-BIG SIOUX, VERMILLION AND JAMES RIVER BRIDGES-OVERLAND TO MONTANA VIA TIIE MISSOURI RIVER-RIVAL ROUTES CREATE COMPETITION-CIVIL AND MILITARY AUTHORITIES MILDLY CLASII- PEACE TREATIES WITH TITE HOSTILE INDIANS-STEAMBOAT TRAFFIC-FORTS DAKOTA AND JAMES CONSTRUCTED-THIE ANNUAL ELECTION-THE 50TH WISCONSIN INFANTRY TO FORT RICE-AN ALL DAY BATTLE AT FORT RICE- INDIANS KILL LA MOURE ON BRULE CREEK-WATSON'S STORY-SEAL OF TIIE SUPREME COURT-AR BARTLETT AND JEFFERSON P. KIDDER APPOINTED U. S. JUDGES.

Congress at its session in 1864-5 appropriated a sum of money for the con- struction of wagon roads and bridges in Dakota as well as other parts of the West, to accommodate the rapidly growing travel to Montana and Idaho. One of the roads started from Omaha and ran along the west bank of the Missouri to Niobrara, thence out that valley to the mountains. Another started from the Big Sioux River at Paquette's Ferry, and ran by the way of Vermillion, Yankton, Bonhomme, and on up the river to Fort Randall. Still another started from a point on the Minnesota state line south of Big Stone Lake, thence west across Dakota to the mouth of the Big Cheyenne, and thence up the Cheyenne to point of intersection in the mountains with the Omaha road. Col. G. C. Moody, of Yankton, was appointed superintendent of the road from the Big Sioux up the Missouri Valley via Yankton, to Fort Randall. Ile had $25,000 to expend on the work which included bridging the Big Sioux, Ver- million and James rivers, and some small streams above. Hon. W. W. Brook- ings was appointed superintendent of the Minnesota and Cheyenne Road, and was given $30,000 to expend. J. A. Sawyer, of Sioux City, was appointed superintendent of the Omaha highway and was given $50,000.

Colonel Moody began operations the first of June, his initial work being the construction of a bridge across the Big Sioux River near Paquette's Ferry, Mr. B. M. Smith, of Yankton, being the engineer in charge of construction. The bridge was constructed of wood with timber posts on good foundation. It was 500 feet long, 16 feet wide, supported by 7 piers 50 feet high. Each pier was barracked with 20 cords of stone to protect from floating ice.

At the same time, June 1, 1865, Superintendent Brookings started out with his work of laying out a road from the foot of Big Stone Lake to the Big Cheyenne, thence up that stream. The work east of the Missouri was left until the western portions up the Cheyenne had been completed owing to the number of emigrants who were waiting to take this new road to the gold fields. Brookings had a large outfit as he was required to take supplies for all his employes including tents and bedding. Accompanying the Brookings' expedition were George N. Propper, as engineer ; Charles F. Picotte, as interpreter : Charles de Way, as guide: J. B. Greenway, John Rouse. Geo. Buell, Fred Edgar, Aaron Carpenter, James McGort, John Gray, George Falkingberg, S. Minde.

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FIRST CHURCH BUILDING IN YANKTON

Built for the Episcopalians in 1>65 on northwest corner of Third and Walnut Street-

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Amos Shaw, J. M. Maskell, John McClellan, Charles Wright, of Yankton, Larse Bothun, Erick Nelson, of Clay, and Kund Larson and Kund Severson, of Gayville, J. R. Hanson went as clerk. The expedition proceeded without inci- dent to Fort Sully where it was to be joined by General Sully and his military escort of 600 men who were going along with the wagon road expedition, not solely as an escort but incidentally so; the purpose of Sully being to locate and build one or two military posts, one of which would be near the Black Hills. Brookings waited three weeks for his military companion and not meeting him started his expedition up the Cheyenne about July Ist, and was able to lay out a good road and bridge it where necessary as far as the forks of the Big Cheyenne, where he ceased operations in that direction, returned to the Mis- souri River and laid out the road to the Minnesota state line, establishing the eastern terminus on the eastern boundary of the territory near the Red Pipe- stone Quarry at Flandreau, a distance of 250 miles from the mouth of the Cheyenne. He returned on the 15th day of August, having done a good season's work, but not as complete or as extensive as contemplated because of the failure of the military to co-operate which was due to a radical change in the army establishment in every military department of the nation, and not to neglect or indifference. The Minnesota portion of the road starts from opposite the mouth of the Cheyenne River, running southeast along the Valley of the Mis- souri to the Crow Creek Agency, a distance of 100 miles, thence east across the territory to Pipestone, Minnesota. 160 miles. The route was substantially marked, and bridged where fords could not be found, but a larger appropriation would be necessary to put it in good condition for travel. Near the head of the Vermillion River the party encountered a herd of about one hundred buffalo, and enjoyed an exciting day's hunt, capturing three of the animals, and losing one horse or Indian pony, who got away and joined the herd, and defied all efforts at capture. The party had no trouble whatever with Indians. "Brookings Crossing" on the James, was near the modern Town of Forestbury.

A part of Colonel Sawyer's expedition, designed to build the road from Omaha, came from Sioux City by way of Yankton at this same time, and crossed the Missouri at that point. This cavalcade consisted of thirteen wagons, fifty yoke of cattle and twenty men. The main party went up on the Nebraska side to Niobrara where the Yankton party joined them. Sawyer had a military escort numbering twenty-five sokliers of Company B. Dakota Cavalry, and a large number of emigrant teams had joined his train in order to get the ad- vantage of the military protection afforded. Mr. Sawyer passed up the Nio- brara following it for about two hundred miles, passing by the southern base of the Black Hills, thence struck across the plains to Fort Laramie where he halted for a time. The expedition was constantly annoyed by hostile Indians who were aware that one purpose of the expedition was to explore as much of the Black Hills as was practicable. In the party were a number of miners who would overlook no opportunity to prospect. At one point about one thousand Indians coralled the train, severe fighting took place and Nathaniel Hedges, and Newell Sawyer were killed. The former was a brother of Charles and Daniel Hedges, two of the leading merchants of Sioux City, and the latter a brother of the commander of the expedition. There were also other casualties.

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 70

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