[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 Documents_, 1st Session, 34th Congress, Vol. I, Pt. 2,
Document 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 Washington, 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 passage 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 pass 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.
Pass 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 shores 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 Cass 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.