Collected & edited by Amorin Mello

Previously we featured 1837 Petitions from La Pointe to the President about $100,000 Payments to Chippewa Mixed-Bloods from the 1837 Treaty of Saint Peters, and 1838 more Petitions from La Pointe to the President about relocating the Payments from St. Croix River to Lake Superior.  Those earlier Petitions were from Chief Buffalo and dozens of Mixed-Bloods from the Lake Superior Chippewa Bands, setting precedence for La Pointe to host the 1842 Treaty and 1854 Treaty in later decades.

Today’s post features 1839 Petitions against Payments at La Pointe.  These petitioners appear to be looking to get a competitive edge against the American Fur Company monopoly at La Pointe, by moving the payments south across the Great Divide into the Mississippi River Basin.  

For more information about the $100,000 Payments at La Pointe in 1839, we strongly recommend Theresa M. Schenck’s excellent book All Our Relations: Chippewa Mixed-Bloods and the Treaty of 1837.

Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs:

La Pointe Agency 1831-1839

National Archives Identifier: 164009310

April 9, 1839
from Joseph Rolette at Prairie du Chien
to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs
Received April 27, 1839

Prairie du Chiene 9th April 1839

T.H. Crawford Esq’r
Commissioner of Ind’n affairs
Washington

You must excuse the liberty I take in addressing you once more – presuming you are not well acquainted yet with this Country, I am requested by the Chippewaw half Breeds that remain in this Country, that it is with regret they have heard that the payment allowed to them in the treaty of the 29th July 1837 is to be made on Lake Superior.  They have to State, that it will be impossible for them to reach that place as the American Fur Co. are the only Co. who have vessels on Lake Superior & Notwithstanding they could procure on Passage Gratis on the Lake.

This distance between Sault Ste Mary, and the Mississippi is great and expensive.  They also represent that the half Breeds born on Lake Superior are not entitled to any Share of the money allowed.

Whereas if the Payment was made at the Falls of St. Croix, there would be Competition amongst traders, whereas in Lake Superior they can be done none.  They humbly beseech that you will have Mercy on them and not allow them to be deprived by intrigue of the Sum due them.  So Justly to go in other hands but the real owners.

Respectfully
your most obd’t Serv’t

Joseph Rolette

on behalf of the Chippewaw
Half Breeds of
Prairie du Chiens

June 21, 1839
from the Indian Agent at Saint Peters
via the Governor of Wisconsin Territory
to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs
Received July 16, 1839
Answered July 24, 1839

Superintendency of Indn Affairs

for the Territory of Wisconsin

Mineral Point June 20, 1839

Sir,

Henry Dodge
Governor of Wisconsin Territory

I have the honor to transmit, enclosed herewith, three letters from Major Taliaferro, Indian Agent at St Peters, dated 10th, 16th, & 17th inst, with two Indian talks of 3rd & 14th, for the information of the Department.

Very respectfully
Yours obedt sevt

Henry Dodge

Supt Ind Agy

T Hartley Crawford Esq

Com. of Indian Affairs

North Western Agency St Peters
Upper Mississippi June 10th 1839

Governor,

Lawrence Taliaferro
Indian Agent at Fort Snelling

I deem it to be most adviseable that the enclosed paper, addressed to the Agent, and Commanding Officer on this Station from the Chippewa Chief “Hole in the Day” should be forwarded to you, the Indians addressing us being within your Excellency’s Superintendency.  It may be well to add that a similar document proceeding from the Chippewa Chiefs of St Croix was on the 4th inst forwarded for the information of the Office of Indian Affairs at Washington.

The consolidation of the two Chippewa Sub Agencies and located at Lapointe, it is feared may lead to rather unpleasant results.  I know the Chippewas well, and may have as much influence with those of the Mississippi particularly as most men, yet were I to say “you are not to have an agent in your Country, and you must go to Lapointe in all time to come for your Annuity, and treaty Stipulations.”  I should not expect to hold their confidence for one day.

With high respect Sir
Your mo obt Serv

Law Taliaferro

Indian Agent
at S. Peters

His Excellency

Governor Henry Dodge

Suprt of Indi Affairs

at Mineral Point
For Wisconsin

North Western Agency S. Peters
Upper Mississippi June 16th, 1839

Governor

I have been earnestly selected by a number of the respectable half breed Chippewas resident, and others of the Mississippi, interested in the $100,000 set apart in the treaty of July 29, 1837 of S. Peters, to ask for such information as to their final disposal of this Sum, as may be in your possession.

The claimants referred to have learned through the medium of an unofficial letter from the Hon Lucius Lyon to H. H. Sibley Esqr. of this Post, that the funds in question as well as the Debts of the Chippewas to the traders was to be distributed by him as the Commissioner of the United States at Lapointe on Lake Superior, and for this purpose should reach that place on or about the 10th of July.  The individuals Seeking this information are those who were were so greatly instrumental in bungling your labours at the treaty aforesaid to a successful issue in opposition to the combinations formed to defeat the objects of the government.

There remains 56,000$ in specie at this post being the one half of the sum appropriated or applicable to the objects in contemplation, and upon which the authorities here have had as yet no official instructions to transfer some special information would relieve the minds of a miserably poor class of people and who fear the entire loss of their just claims.

With high respect, Sir
your mo obt Sevt

Law Taliaferro

Indn Agent

at S. Peters

His Excellency

Gov Henry Dodge

Suprt of Ind. Affairs

for Wisconsin

North Western Agency S. Peters

Upper Mississippi June 17th 1839

Governor

On the 20th of May past I dispatched Peter Quin Express to the Chippewas of the Upper Mississippi with a letter from Maj D. P. Bushnell agent for this tribe at Lapointe notifying the Indians, and half breeds that they would be paid at Lapointe hereafter, and at an earlier period than the last year.  I informed you of the result of his mission on the 10th inst. enclosing at the same time the written sentiments of the principle Chief for his people.  I now forward by Express a second communication from the Same Source received late last night.  I would make a plain copy, but have not time. So the original is Sent.

In four days there will be a large body of Chippwas here, and they cannot be Stopped.  There are now also 880 Sioux from remote Sections of the Country at this Post and of course we may calculate on some difficulty between these old enemies.  Your presence is deemed essential, or such instructions as may soothe the Angry feelings of the Chippewas, on account of the direction given to their annuity, & treaty Stipulations.

With high respect Sir
Your mo ob Sevt

Law Taliaferro

Indn Agent

at S Peters

His Excellency

Governor Henry Dodge

Suprt of Indi Affairs

Mineral Point

(NB)  The Chippewas are to be understood as to the point of payment indicated to be the St.Croix, and not the S.Peters, as deemed by the written Talks.  It never could be admited in the present state of the Tribes to pay the Chippewas at this Post, but they might with safety to all parties be paid at or above the Falls of S.Croix, by an agent who they ought to have or some special person assigned to this duty.

Elk River, June 3rd 1839

Maj Toliver.  Maj Plimpton.

My respects to you both, and my hand: I am to let you know that I intend to pay you a visit, with my chiefs as braves, the principle of my warriors are verry anxious to pay you a visit.

The above mentioned men are verry anxious to see Gov. Dodge with whom we made the treaty, that we may have a talk with him.  It was with him commissioner of the United-States we made the treaty, and we are verry much disappointed to hear the newes, we hear this day (IE that we must go to Lake Sup. for our pay) which we have this day decided we will not do; that we had rather die first: it is on this account we wish to pay you a visit, and have a talk with Gov. Dodge.  You sir, Maj Toliver know verry well our situation, and that the distance is so great for us to go to Lake Sup. for to get our pay &c. or even a gun repaired; that it is inconsistent for such a thing to be required of us; even if we did literally place the matter in the hands of Government.  We are all living yet that was present at the treaty when we ceded the land to the Unitedstates, and remember well what was our understanding in the agreement.

We now wish Maj Toliver; to mention to your children that it is a fals report that we had any intention to have more difficulty with the Sioux, as our Missionaries can attest as far as they understand us.  We will be at the Fort in seventeen days to pay you a friendly visit as soon as we received the news; we sent expressed to our brethren to meet us at the mouth of Rum Riv. and accompany us to the Fort.

It is my desire that Maj Plimpton would keep fast hold of the money appropriated for my children the half breeds, in this section, and not let it go to Lake Sup. as they are like ourselves and it would cost them a great deal to go there for it.

Pah-ko-ne-ge-zeck or Hole in the Day

Maj Toliver
Maj Plimpton

Elk River June 14 1839

Maj L. Toliphero,

My hand, It is twelve dayes since we have the newes and are all qouiet yet.  My father I shall not forget what was promiced us below, I think of what you promiced us when you were buing our lands.

My father this is the thing that you & we me to take care of when you bougt our lands & I remember all that you said to me.  My father I am the cheif of all the Indians that sold there land and this is the time when all of your children are coming down to receive their payment where you promiced to pay us.

My father I am the cheif and hold the paper containing the promices that you made us.  The Gov. D. promised us that in one year from the date of the treaty that we should receive our first payment and so continue anually.

My father; I have done for manny years what the white men have told me and have done well, and now I must look before we are to know what I have to do.

When I buy anything I pay immediately the Great Spirit knows this Now when we get below we are expecting all that you promiced us Ministers and Black Smiths and cattle.

I say my father that we want our payment at St Peters where you promiced us.  I said that I wanted the half breeds to be payed there with us.  I told you that when the half breeds were payed that there was some French that should have something ((ie) of the half breed money) because they had lived with us for many years and allways gave us some thing to eat when we went to their houses.

My father all of your children are displeased because you are to pay us in another place and not at St Peters it is to hard and far for us to be payed at Lapointe.

My father I did not know that the payment was to be made at Lapointe until we heard by Mr Quin.

My father it is so far to Lapointe that we should lose all of our children before we could get their and if we should brake our Gun we may throw it in the water for we cannot go there to get it mended, and if we have a [illegible] holding a coppy of the Treaty in his hand

Black Smith we want him here and not at Lapoint.

My father I want that you should tell me who it was told you that we all wanted our payment at Lapoint.  All of the Cheifs are alive that hear what you said to us below.  You Mr Toliphero hear me ask Gov Do’ for an Agen and to have him located here and he promiced that it should be so.  I want that the Agent should be here because our enemies come here sometimes and if he was here perhaps they would not come.  My father we are all of us very sorry that we did not ask you to come and be our Agent.  I don’t know who made all of the nois about our being payed at Lapoint.  I don’t look above where we should all starve for our payment but below where the Treaty was made.

My father give my compliments to all of the officers at the Fort.

Hole in The Day X

Maj L Toliphereo