Old Fort Snelling Part 12

[46] _Treaties and Conventions concluded between the United States of America and other powers since July 4, 1776_, p. 377.

[47] Coues's _The Expeditions of Zebulon M. Pike_, Vol. I, p. 279.

[48] _Niles' Register_, Vol. XIV, pp. 387-389.

[49] There is an excellent account of the United States trading house system in Quaife's _Chicago and the Old Northwest, 1673-1835_, pp.

289-309.

[50] Coues's _The Expeditions of Zebulon M. Pike_, Vol. I, p. 228.

[51] _American State Papers, Indian Affairs_, Vol. II, p. 6.

[52] _Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. XX, p. 39.

CHAPTER II

[53] For the erection of these posts see Quaife's _Chicago and the Old Northwest, 1673-1835_, p. 265; Thwaites's _Wisconsin_, pp. 180-182; Gue's _History of Iowa_, Vol. I, pp. 137, 138.

[54] _American State Papers, Military Affairs_, Vol. I, p. 669.

[55] Major Long's journal is printed in the _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, pp. 9-88.

[56] _Niles' Register_, Vol. XIV, p. 192.

[57] _American State Papers, Military Affairs_, Vol. I, p. 779.

[58] Neill's _The History of Minnesota_ (Fourth Edition), p. 319.

[59] _American State Papers, Military Affairs_, Vol. II, p. 32.

[60] The story of the Yellowstone Expedition is narrated in detail in Chittenden's _The History of the American Fur Trade of the Far West_, Vol. II, pp. 562-587. See also the preface to James's _Account of an Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains_ in Thwaites's _Early Western Travels_, Vol. XIV, pp. 9-26. For the site of this fort see Thwaites's _Early Western Travels_, Vol. XXII, p. 275, note 231.

[61] _Executive Doc.u.ments_, 1st Session, 34th Congress, Vol. I, Pt. 2, Doc.u.ment No. 1, p. 21.

[62] Leavenworth's _A Genealogy of the Leavenworth Family in the United States_, p. 152.

[63] Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 7.

[64] In the _Detroit Gazette_, February 18, 1820, Vol. III, No. 135, there is reprinted from the _National Intelligencer_ an "Extract of a letter from a gentleman of the expedition to the Falls of St. Anthony, to his friend in Was.h.i.+ngton, dated Cantonment of the 5th regt. U. S.

Infantry, St. Peter's River, Nov. 10, 1819." It is from this letter that the dates of arriving at and leaving the various places are taken. The Adjutant General in an order praised the garrison at Fort Howard "for the economy and expedition with which the command constructed transport boats for the accommodation of the 5th regiment in its pa.s.sage to the Mississippi."--_Detroit Gazette_, September 10, 1819.

[65] _Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. V, p. 96, note. Mrs. Van Cleve gives another version of this affair: "When all was in order, Colonel Leavenworth stepped forth, and, through an interpreter, formally requested of the Chief permission to pa.s.s peaceably through their country. The Chief, a very handsome young brave, advanced, and, with his right arm uncovered, said, with most expressive gestures: 'My brother, do you see the calm, blue sky above us? Do you see the lake that lies so peacefully at our feet? So calm, so peaceful are our hearts towards you.

Pa.s.s on!'"--Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 11.

That these Indians were not so friendly as this account would indicate is apparent from the statement in Major Forsyth's narrative that Captain Whistler of Fort Howard had been fired at, at different times during the summer of 1819 by these Winnebagoes.--_Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, p. 167.

[66] Major Forsyth's narrative, covering the time from his departure from St. Louis on June 7th until his arrival there again on September 17th, is published in the _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 139-167; also in the _Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. VI, pp. 188-219. It is from this narrative that the facts regarding the progress of the expedition were obtained.

[67] Major Forsyth's narrative in the _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 147, 148, 149.

[68] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, p. 149; Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 15.

[69] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 149-153, 159.

Mrs. Van Cleve says that a few days were spent on the sh.o.r.es of Lake Pepin.--Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 16. Mrs. Ellet in her sketch of Mrs. Clark says a week was spent at this place.--Ellet's _Pioneer Women of the West_, p. 350.

[70] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 153, 154. Neill records that the troops did not reach the Minnesota River "until September".--Neill's _The History of Minnesota_ (Fourth Edition), p.

320. But in Appendix L., p. 891, he gives the same dates as Forsyth. In Folwell's _Minnesota_, p. 55, the statement is made that "the command arrived at Mendota August 23". As the main body of soldiers did not arrive until August 24th, this latter date should be taken as the birthday of Fort Snelling.

[71] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 154-157; _Detroit Gazette_, October 22, 1819, February 18, 1820.

[72] _Detroit Gazette_, February 18, 1820.

[73] Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, pp. 18, 19. The baby was Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark who married General Horatio P. Van Cleve. In 1888 she published a book of reminiscences. It possesses all the merits and defects of a book of reminiscences--vividness of pictures--inaccuracy in regard to specific facts.

[74] Ellet's _Pioneer Women of the West_, p. 351; _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. VI, p. 48.

[75] Mrs. Van Cleve, who received her information from her father, gives the number as forty.--Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten,"

Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 19. James Doty, who kept the official journal of the Ca.s.s Expedition of 1820, and who received his information from the officers at Camp Cold Water, gives the number as forty.--_Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. XIII, p. 214.

Philander Prescott in his reminiscences states that "Some fifty or sixty had died, and some ten men died after I arrived".--_Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. VI, p. 478. L. Grignon wrote on April 3, 1820, that "They tell me that fifty Soldiers of the river St. Pierre have died of Scurvy".--_Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. XX, p. 161.

In writing of the attack of scurvy Mr. H. H. Sibley remarks: "It was doubtless caused by the bad quality of the provisions, especially of the pork, which was spoiled by the villany of the contractors, or their agents, in drawing the brine from the barrels that contained it, after leaving St. Louis, in order to lighten the load, and causing the barrels to be refilled with river water, before their delivery at the post, to avoid detection. The troops were compelled to live on this unwholesome fare for two successive seasons, before the fraud was discovered."--_Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. I, pp. 473, 474.

Nowhere else is this explanation given. Sickness could easily come at a frontier post without such villainy. During the same winter at Camp Missouri over half of the garrison of seven hundred men were sick, and nearly one hundred of them died. At Council Bluff there was also a great deal of sickness.--_Detroit Gazette_, July 21, September 1, 1820.

[76] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. I, p. 473.

[77] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, p. 103.

[78] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. VI, pp. 478, 479.

[79] _Reports of Committees_, 1st Session, 35th Congress, Vol. II, Report No. 351, p. 136.

[80] These facts are from the reminiscences of Philander Prescott in the _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. VI, pp. 478, 479.

[81] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, p. 105.

[82] Snelling to Taliaferro, November 7, 1821.--_Taliaferro Letters_, Vol. I, No. 30.

[83] _Minnesota Historical Collections_, Vol. II, p. 107. Mrs. Van Cleve states that the fort was occupied in the fall of 1821.--Van Cleve's _"Three Score Years and Ten," Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota_, p. 32.

[84] _Indian Office Files_, 1830, No. 153.

[85] Schoolcraft's _Narrative Journal of Travels from Detroit Northwest through the Great Chain of American Lakes to the sources of the Mississippi River_, pp. 292-315. The official journal was kept by James Doty. The time spent with Leavenworth's troops is described in the _Wisconsin Historical Collections_, Vol. XIII, pp. 212-216.

[86] Captain Kearny's journal is printed in the _Missouri Historical Society Collections_, Vol. III, pp. 8-29, 99-131. Pages 104-110 are devoted to the time spent at Camp Cold Water.

[87] These facts regarding the change of the name are taken from Upham's _The Women and Children of Fort St. Anthony, Later named Fort Snelling_ in the _Magazine of History_, Vol. XXI, pp. 38, 39. Dr. Upham received his information from a letter from the Adjutant General of the United States.