Washington County, Minnesota - Chapter 30, 1881

Chapter 30

A PLAIN POST - SITUATION - RECENT IMPROVE¬ MENTS - DEPARTMENT OF DAKOTA - DEPART¬ MENT IIEADQUARTER8 - LIEUTENANT DOUG¬ LAS' REPORT - HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION - MISSIONARY LABORS - 8. W. AND GIDEON n. POND - MISSION OF A. B. C. F. M. - FIR8T CIIURCII - OLD GOVERNMENT MILL.

If a visitor expects to see a stone fortification, bristling with cannon and prepared for defense against intruders by land or water, he will be dis¬ appointed in Fort Snelling. If, on the other hand, he anticipates a pile of ruins overgrown with ivy, the remains of former greatness and strength, he will find himself as much deceived in that direction. No mark of cannon-ball or even musket shot exists. The fort has never sustained an attack. Some old buildings, it is true, are dis¬ used and look sadly forsaken, their places being supplied by new and more modem structures, still it would require some stretch of the imagina¬ tion to construe them into ruins. One of the officers, however, jokingly suggested that ivy be planted around the tower that in old time guarded the main entrance, pierced for two tiers of mus¬ ketry, and a ruin be made of it. This was a valuable suggestion, as in its present condition it performs no useful purpose, and is an eye-sore to the visitor. Thus we see that the fort fails to at¬ tract, either by its military freshness or by a ruin¬ ous condition. It is simply a plain military post without display. It has, however, served a pur¬ pose, and it is now the historical landmark for the state and the north-west. Here was the first settlement, the first birth, first marriage and first death. Here was organized the first church, here was the first farming, first milling and first enter¬ prise of every kind. Around Fort Snelling clus¬ ter all the early associations of the state. What matters it, if it has lieen a means of fraud on the national resources and a continual charge to the government? Had the paltry dollars been kept back, much would have been lost and the country made poorer not richer. As the skilful general in the hour of battle wastes ammunition, pro¬ perty of all kinds and even lives of men that in a less critical hour he would cherish, to accom¬ plish a result superior in importance to money or lives, so the government is often compelled to submit to much waste to achieve great ends. The fort stands on the bluffs of the Mississippi, whose pure white sandstone affords a strong con¬ trast to the dark waters below, as well as to the green banks above. The wide gorge through which the Father of Waters brings down the floods of the north is here greatly increased in width, after receiving the waters of its confluent, the Minnesota. Geologists tell us that once the Minnesota was the larger river, and that the Mis¬ sissippi was its tributary. They tell us, too, that the Mississippi once traversed a different course, leaving its present channel at the mouth of Bas¬ sett's Creek, and, taking a route through the Lakes Harriet and Calhoun, flowed into the Min¬ nesota at some point between Shakopee and the fort. No historian, however, can confirm the testimony of the rocks, and the old fort caunot reach back far enough to aid in the research.

We are indebted to the politeness of Colonel John Gibbon, the officer in command, and to Adjutant Harding for the following history of the fort, prepared by S. R. Douglas, 2nd Lieut., Seventh Infantry. This will give the facts of the fort as it was, and as it is, except the improve¬ ments of the past year. The improvements con¬ sist of a bakery, a commissary store house and a stable, added at a cost of about $9,000. It will lie necessary for us, however, to notice some im¬ provements lately made in the reservation, in consequence of the establishment of the head-

The "Department of Dakota" was created Aug. 11th, 1866, out of the departments of the Missouri and Platte, and Brevet Major General Alfred II. Terry assigned to command. May 18th, 1869, General Terry was succeeded by Major General Winfield S. Hancock. December 3d, 1872, the latter was succeeded by Brevet Major General, now Brigadier General, Alfred II. Terry.

The Department of Dakota now includes the territories of Montana and Dakota and the state of Minnesota. The object of the department is to facilitate the movement of troops, the distribution of supplies, etc., etc. The troops in this depart¬ ment are the Second and Seventh cavalry. Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh, Seventeenth, Eigh¬ teenth and Twenty-fifth infantry. The head¬ quarters have been located at St. Paul since the creation of the department, with the exception of a short time when they were located at Fort Snelling. During the past year, extensive buildbigs have been erected on the Fort Snelling res¬ ervation with a view to the establishment of the headquarters of this department there, near the military post. These improvements are still in progress, and, when complete, will add greatly to the beauty and usefulness of the reservation. Fourteen buildings, built of cream-colored brick, are nearly complete, and present a fine appear¬ ance. They differ in architecture and are large and elaborate. The headquarters building is a handsome structure.

So much has been said, and is still to lie said, in this history in reference to Fort Snelling, that it has been thought best to insert the following report of the fort:

Sin: Pursuant to instructions from the com¬ manding officer, Fort Snelling, Minn., I have the honor to submit the following report, vi/..: In 1805, Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike, U. S. Army, was sent out to explore the upper Missis¬ sippi river, to expel British traders who might be found violating United States laws, and to make treaties with the Indians.

junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota, then St. Peters, rivers. Two days after, he obtained by treaty wit)i the Sioux nation, a tract of land for a military reservation, which was described as follows: "From below the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Peter, up the Mississippi to include the Falls of St. Anthony, extending nine miles on each side of the river." By this treaty, as ratified by the senate, the United States stipu¬ lated to pay two thousand dollars for the lands thus ceded.

The reserve, thus purchased by Lieutenant Pike, was not used for military purposes until February 10th, 1819, at which time, to cause the power of the United States government to l>e fully acknowledged by the Indians and settlers of the northwest, to prevent Lord Selkirk, the Hudson Bay Company and others, from establish¬ ing trading posts on United Stales territory, to better the condition of the Indians, and to de¬ velop the resources of the country, it was thought expedient to establish a military post near the junction of the Mississippi and the St. Peters. Accordingly part of the Fifth United States In¬ fantry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Iveavenworth, was despatched to select a site and erect a post. They arrived at the St. Peters in September 1819, and went into cantoment on the south side of it, near where the town of Mendota now stands.

The first monthly rci>ort was rendered for Sep¬ tember, 1819. During the ensuing winter (1819-20) scurvy raged amongst the troops, referring to which, General II. II. Sibley, in his address before the Minnesota Historical Society, says: "So sud¬ den was the attack, that soldiers apparently in good health when they retired at night, were found dead in the morning. One man M ho was relieved from his tour of sentinel duty, and stretched himself upon a bench, when he M'as called four hours after, to resume his duties, was found lifeless." In May, 1820, the command left their cantonment, crossed the St. Peters, and went into summer camp, at a spring near the old Baker trading house, and about two miles above the present site of Fort Snelling. This was called "Camp Cold Water." During the summer the men were busily engaged in procur¬ ing logs and other necessary materials for the work. All preparations were being made to eom- mence building the new post, which was called "Fort St. Anthony;" the site selected being that of the present military cemetery. Butin August, 1820, Colonel Josiah Snelling, 6th U. S.Jnfantry, having arrived and assumed command, selected the site where Fort Snelling now stands.

Work steadily progressed, the troops perform¬ ing the labor, and on September 10th, 1820, the comer stone of Fort St. Anthony was laid with due ceremony.

During the following winter 1820-'21 , * the buildings of the new post not being habitable, the troops were quartered in the cantonment of the proceeding winter.

The first measured distance between Fort St. Anthony and Fort Crawford, Prairie du Cliien, was taken in February, 1822, and was given as two hundred and four miles.

A saw-mill was built, the first in Minnesota, by troops from the i>ost, in 1822, and the first lumber ever sawed on Ruin river, was for use in the construction of the fort. Minneapolis now includes the mill-site.

The post continued to be called Fort St. An¬ thony until 1824, when, upon the recommendation of General Scott, U. S. A., who inspected the fort, it was named Fort Snelling, in honor of its founder.

In 1830 stone buildings were erected for a four company infantry post, also a stone hospital and a stone wall nine feet high surrounding the post. These buildings were not actually completed, however, until after the Mexican War.

Notwithstanding the treaty made by Lieuten¬ ant Pike, the Indian title to the Fort Snelling reservation, did not cease until the treaty of 1837, which was ratified by the senate in 1838, and by which the Indian claim to all lands east of the Mississippi, including said reservation, ceased.

On October 21st, 1839, the president of the United States issued an order, by virtue of the act of March 3d, 1807, "An act to prevent settle¬ ments being made on lands ceded to the United States, until authorized by law," directing the United States marshal to remove squatters from the Fort Snelling reserve, and if necessary, to call on the commanding officer at Fort Snelling for troops to assist him in executing his order. Ac¬ cordingly, on the 6th of May, 1840, a few of these settlers, having received the necessary notice, were forcibly removed by the marshal, assisted by U. S. troops from the fort.

In 1837, Mr. Faribault presented a claim for Pike Island, part of the reservation purchased by Lieutenant Pike in 1805. This claim was based on a treaty made by him with the Dakotas in 1820.

A military reservation of Beven thousand acres, at Fort Snelling. Minnesota, was Bet aside by the president, on May 25th, 1853. In November fol¬ lowing, the president amended his act of May 25tli, and reduced the reservation to about six thousand acres.

Pursuant to the act of March, 3d, 1857, which extended the provisions of the act of March 19tli, 1819, authorizing the sale of certain military sites, the secretary of war sold the Fort Snelling reserve, excepting two small tracts, to Mr. Frank¬ lin Steele.

The articles of agreement between the board appointed for the purpose on the part of the United States, and Mr. Steele, were dated June 6th, 1857, and were approved on the second day of July, following. The reservation and build¬ ings thereon were sold for ninety thousand dol¬ lars, one-tliird to be paid on July 10th, 1857, and the balance in two* equal yearly installments. The first payment, $30,000, was actually made, July 25th, 1857, on which date Mr. Steele, in pur¬ suance of military authority, took possession of said property. The troops were withdrawn from the post previous to Mr. Steele's occupancy there¬ of. Mr. Steele having made default in the two remaining payments, the United States entered into possession and occupancy of the reservation and post, on April 23d, 1861.

By act of August 26th, 1862, the Fort Snelling reservation was reduced and defined as follows: "Beginning at the middle of the channel of the

Fort Spelling

Mississippi river below Pike's Island; tlienoe ascending along the channel of said river in such direction as to include all the islands of the river to the mouth of Brown's creek, thence up said creek to Rice lake; thence through the mid¬ dle of Rice lake to the outlet of Lake Amelia; thence through said outlet and the middle of Lake Amelia to the outlet of Mother lake; thence through said outlet and the middle of Mother lake to the outlet of Duck lake; thence through said outlet and the middle of Duck lake to the southern extremity of Duck lake; thence in a line due south to the middle of the channel of the St. Peter's river; thence down said river so as to include all the islands to the middle of the channel of the Mississippi river; reserving further, for military purposes, a quarter section on the right bank of the St. Peter's river, at the present ferry, and also a quarter section on the left bank of the Mississippi river, at the present ferry across that stream."

Mr. Steele presented, on February 6th, 1808, a claim against the United States government for the possession and occupancy by United States troops, of said post and reservation; which claim exceeded in amount the original purchase with interest.

By act of May 7th, 1870, the secretary of war was authorized "to select and set apart for a per¬ manent military post, so much of the military reservation of Fort Snelling, not less than one thousand acres, as the public interest may require for that purpose, and to quiet the title to said reservation, and to settle all claims in relation thereto, and for the use and occupation thereof, upon principles of equity." In pursuance of which act, the secretary of war set apart for a permanent military reservation, fifteen hundred and thirty-one and twenty hundredths acres, de¬ fined as follows:

"Beginning at a point where the south line of the north-east quarter of the north-east quarter of section thirty-two, township twenty-eight north, of range twenty-three west of the fourth principal meridian, intersects the middle of the main chan¬ nel of the Minnesota liver, thence west to the south-west corner of the north-west quarter of sec¬ tion thirty-two, town and range aforesaid; thence north to the north-west comer of section twenty, town and range aforesaid; thence east to middle 1 of the main channel of the Mississippi river; thence along the main channel of the Mississippi river and the confidence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers at the head of l'ike Island and the middle of the Minnesota River, to the place of beginning, including the ollicers' quarters, bar¬ racks, &c."

A reserve of ten acres granted by the United States to the Catholic Church at Mendota for a cemetery, was also reserved. Mr. Steele executed full release of all claim whatsoever to this prop¬ erty, and for the use or occupation of all property sold to him per agreement dated June 0th, 1857; in consideration of which, the United States re¬ leased Mr. Steele from all indebtedness on the purchase made by him, and grunted and con¬ veyed to him the remainder of the so-called Fort Snelling reservation excepting one small tract, which is defined as follows:

"All of section nineteen, thirty and thirtyone, and all that part of section eighteen lying south of Minnehaha creek, and all that part of section seventeen lying south of Minnehaha creek and west of the Mississippi river; all that portion of section twenty, lying east of the main channel of the Mississippi river, including the islands east of said main channel, and the south¬ west quarter of the northwest quarter, and all that portion of the southwest quarter and of the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of sec¬ tion twenty-one which lies east or northeast of the main channel of the Mississippi river, and all those portions of sections twenty-one, twentytwo and twenty-eight lying on Pike's Island socalled, being the entire island, and all that other portion of section twenty-eight which lies east and south of the Minnesota river, except twenty acres, being the south half of the southeast quar¬ ter of the northeast quarter of said section, the same being reserved for a Catholic Church and burial ground, where the church and burial ground now axe; all that portion of the south half and of the south half of the north half of section thirty-two which lies west or northwest of the Minnesota river; all the above described lands being in township twenty-eight north, of range twenty-three west of the fourth principal meridian. Also all that poilion of sec¬ tion thirteen, lying south of Minnehaha and Rice Lake and east of the creek running between said llice Lake and Lake Amelia and east of said Lake Amelia, and all land in section twelve that may be included in said boundaries. All of sec¬ tion twenty-four lying east of the western bound¬ ary of said reservation ("reserve selected") and any portion of section twenty-three that lies east of the creek joining Mother Lake and Lake Ame¬ lia, and the east half of section twenty-five and the east half of section thirty-six, all in township twenty-eight north, of range twenty-four west of the fourth meridan. Also all that portion of sec¬ tion five which lies west or northwest of the Min¬ nesota river ; all of section six ; all that portion of section seven which lies north of the Minnesoto river, and all those portions of sections eight and eighteen which lie west and north of the Min¬ nesota river ; all in township twenty-seven north, of range twenty-three west.

Also the east half of section one, and the east half of section twelve, and all that portion of the cast half of section thirteen which lies north and east of the Minnesota river; all in township twen¬ ty-seven north, of range twenty-four west.

The action of the secretary of war in selecting said reservation and buildings and conveying the above specified lands to Mr. Steele, was approved by the president on January 4th, 1871.

Fort Snelling is situated on a high bluff on the right bank of the Mississippi, in latitude 44 deg. 52 min. 46 sec. north, and longitude 93 deg. 4 min. 54 sec. west. It is an irregular shaped bastioned redoubt.

A wagon road runs entirely around the post, and is eight feet below the parade at the gorge, but gradually arives on the same level at the shoulder angle.

A new two-story barracks for six companies of infantry and sixteen sets of officers' quarters was built during 1878. The east tower, stone vail, and old guard house, have been torn down.

The waiter is obtained from a spring about three-quarters of a mile from the post, by means of water wagons. Water is also obtained from the Minnesota river, being forced through pipes by an engine, into a large tank on the west side of the parade ground, but the water thus obtained is unfit for drinking purposes. During extreme cold weather the water pipes freeze up, rendering it impossible to refill the tank except during the open weather.

The nearest supply depots are at St. Paul, four miles distant from the post, by wagon road, and six miles by railroad. A bridge is building across the Mississippi river at the post.

The armament consists of two three-inch rifled cannon, with carriages, model of 1861. The present strength of the garrison is sixteen com¬ missioned officers and three hundred and fourteen eulisted men.

It is impossible to obtain from the records of the i>ost, the various expenditures for barracks and quarters, and repairs of same, forany defiinite period. All that I have been able to obtain is that thirty-five thousand dollars was appropriated for barracks and quarters in 1878. It is presumed, however, that the required in¬ formation can be obtained at the quartermaster general's office. The work, practically, with few exceptions, has been performed by the labor of the troops, and the cost to the government cannot be correctly estimated.

The records of the post are very incomplete. It seems, from all attainable evidence, that the records were removed in 1857, when the troops were withdrawn, and have not been returned. It further appears that these records had not been received by the adjutant general of the army prior to July 18th. 1866. ^he last board of olHcers appointed to investigate claims on the

Fort Snelling

Fort SneUing reservation met pursuant to S. O. No. 278 A. G. O. dated October 17th, 1870. I have been unable to find any general order re¬ ferring to the reservation of 1853 or 18G2, or re¬ ferring to lands sold in 1857 and 1870.

The reservation of 1870 was announced in General Order No. 66, Adjutant General's office of that year, and was lirst surveyed by Captain D. P. Heap, corps of engineers, on April loth, 1871. A new line for the southern boundary was run by First Lieutenant Edward Maguire, corps of engineers, on May 7th, 1877. *#***##*#*

It has already been intimated that Fort Snelling was the point of departure for every enter¬ prise connected with the north-west, and in addi¬ tion to the matter already given with reference to events that there took place, we may with in¬ terest add others. Missionary enterprise for the north-west began among the Ojibwas of the north, in 1831. The region of country about Lake Superior and along the northern borders of the United States, had been longer open by reason of trading-posts, and the safer and more approachable character of the tribes. The fierce, wild traits of the Sioux had repelled the Jesuit missionaries, as well as all other efforts for their good, until 1834, when two determined young men appeared on the scene, destined to prove superior to all obstacles. These were the mission¬ aries now so well known to all acquainted with the history of the north-west, by their clerical names, Rev. S. W. Pond and his brother, Rev. Gideon II. At this time, however, they were young adventurers in the Christian work, without profession or patronage save that of the Master in whose vineyard they set at work, devoting their lives to Ilis service.

They arrived by steamboat at Fort SneUing, May 6th, 1834, self-equipped and commissioned to labor for the Sioux. Major Taliaferro, the In¬ dian agent, was absent on their arrival at the fort, but they obtained a room in one of the agency houses of the post, by feeing the mercenary sub¬ agent in charge. To exhibit some of the trials

" We had not been at the agency house at the fort long, before Major Rliss sent his orderly, re¬ quiring us to api>ear before him and give an ac¬ cent of ourselves. I, of course obeyed the man¬ date, and he told me it was his duty to exclude from the Indian country all who were not author¬ ized to be here. Having no authority to show, I handed him Mr. Kent's letter, which he pronounced unsatisfactory, for he said though Mr. Kent was a reliable man being the Presbyterian cler¬ gyman at Galena, his acquaintance was too short for him to know much about me. I then handed him a private letter from General Brinsmaid, a man well known in New England, and also a let¬ ter from the postmaster of my native place. These letters he said were perfectly satisfactory, so far asour character was concerned. He then asked me what our plans were. I told him we had no plans except to do what seemed most for the benefit of the Indian. He told me then that the Kaposia band wanted plowing done, and had a plow and oxen, but could not use them, so I volunteered to go down and help them, and then hastened back to the agency house to tell Gideon how I had succeeded with the major, for I knew that his mind would be in a state of anxious sus¬ pense. These little things may seem now hardly worth relating, but whether we were to stay here or be driven away, depended on the result of that interview with the major. We were in fact in¬ truders, and had no right to be here. The mis¬ sionaries of the board did not come here without authority from the secretary of war. Major Plympton, who succeeded Major Bliss in com¬ mand, received orders to remove all persons from this region who were not authorized to be here, but we were not molested. From the time of iny first interview with Major Bliss, he and Mrs. Bliss were our true friends and when 1 returned from Kaposia, they invited me to reside in their family, and instruct their son, a boy eight or ten years old, but I had other work to do. When the Indians learned that I would plow for them they took down the plow in a canoe, and I drove down the oxen. At Kaposia, the chief was Big Thunder, the father of Ta-o-ya-te-du-ta, called by the whites erroneously Little Crow, and the chief soldier was Big Iron These two held the plow alternately, while I drove the oxen. I suppose they were the first Dakotas whoever held a plow. The dog8,or Indians, stole my provisions the first night I was there, and I did not 'fare sumptu¬ ously every day,' for food was scarce and not veiy palatable. About the time I returned from Kaposia, Major Taliaferro arrived and seemed glad to find us here. No more was said about rent, and we kept the key to our room till our house was finished at Lake Calhoun. This was a great convenience for us, for before that time, neither provisions nor clothing were safe at the lake. We told the agent that we wished to build a house near some village, and he advised us to build at Lake Calhoun, and after my brother plowed for the Indians a few days, we commenced building where the pavillion now stands. Owing to our inexperience we wasted a great deal of labor. We put up a building of large oak logs that might have stood fifty years, but we could have built a more comfortable house .afterwards with half the labor. Five years after, we used the timber to build a breastwork for the Indians. While building we occupied a temporary shelter in the woods, where we were constantly sur¬ rounded by a cloud of musquitoes, and, as my brother's health was not good that summer, tho laborious days and restless nights almost wore him out, but when our house was finished it seemed like a palace to us after livinga few weeks in that kennel, and we were no longer compelled to walk eight miles and back every week, to the agency-house to get a supply of food, for we now had a safe place to store our clothing and provisions. Major Taliaferro gave us a window-lock and an ax, and Mrs. Bliss sent us a ham, and Major Bliss gave us potatoes to plant the next spring. That was all the pecuni. ary aid wo received or wished to receive, and when the agent offered us a stove we preferred to build a fire-place, for while we felt grateful for the favors we received, we wished to maintain a spirit of independence. We had the use of oxen, but we used them chiefly for the Indians and to take care of them through the winter. But though wo did not receive and should not have accepted much pecuniary aid if it had been offered us, the influence of friends in our favor was of great advantage to us, for it was needed to coun¬ teract the efforts of others to excite the prejudice

Lake Calhoun was within the Fort Snelling reservation and thus was established the first mission, not only for the fort, but for the whole country of the Sioux.

Itev, T. S. Williamson, M. D., and Rev. J. D. Stevens, with their wives and associates, Mr. Huggins and Miss Poage, arrived at Foil Snell¬ ing in May, 1836, under the auspices of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Dr. Williamson came by the Missis¬ sippi from the mouth of the Ohio, and Mr. Stevens came through Lake Michigan to Green Bay, thence by the Fox and Ouisconsin (then so spelled) rivers to Prairie du Chien, thence to Fort Snelling by the Mississippi. Major Bliss in com¬ mand, Major Loomis, Major Taliafero,and all at the fort welcomed their arrival. During their continuance at the fort and before proceeding to the stations selected at Lac qui Parle and Lake Harriet, about a month elapsed.

In June they organized a Christian church, to which eight persons connected with the garrison and who had been hopefully converted during the preceding winter and spring, were admitted on profession, together with six others, who had been members of other churches. The elders of the church were Col. Gustavus Loomis, Hon. II. II. Sibley, then a young man who had lately as¬ sumed charge of the trading post at Mendota, A. G. Huggins and S. W. Pond. "On the second Sabbath in June, these with the members of the mission families, amounting to twenty-tw'o in all, sat down in the wilderness to communicate the dying love of the Savior of sinners, hundreds of miles in advance of where a similar scene had ever before been witnessed or enjoyed." It is in¬ teresting to follow out this feeble beginning. Suffice it to say, the First Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, of which D. M. Stewart, D. D., is pastor, is a continuation or perpetuation of the old church at the fort.

In 1822, to supply the demand of the fort, a mill was erected at the Falls of St. Anthony to saw lumber, and to this was added, in 1823, stones for grinding com for provender. Thus the fort oi>ened enterprise in the direction of manufac¬ tures. This old stone mill, partially hid by shrub- bery, was long a land mark, but its simple struc¬ ture produced small results in the way of sawing or grinding. A small house was built near the mill for the occupany 'of those employed in its operation; and here, when the settlement after¬ wards began, was a small, cultivated tract, which, with the mill, was under the charge of one culled "Old Maloney," who was aided, as required, by soldiers from the fort.

lion, lioliert Smith, member of congress from Alton district, Illinois, wrote, February 15th, 1849, fxora the house of representatives, to the commissioner of Indian affaire, expressing a wish "to lease for live years the old government house and grist and saw-mill, on the west side of the Mississippi river, opposite the Falls of St. An¬ thony." In the letter he adds: "I shall move into the territory of Minnesota after the adjourn¬ ment of congress, and I wish to procure this house for my family to live in, and to fix up the old grist mill to grind corn and other grain, there being no grist-mill now in that region of coun¬ try."

This led to correspondence between Major Woods, in command at the fort, and the secretary of war, and also other letters. A letter descrip¬ tive of the property at that time is here intro¬ duced, but the details must be taken with many grains of allowance, as the writer was in league with the grasping congressman, to descry the property and obtain it for a song.

In September, Mr. Smith had asked the privi¬ lege of purchasing the buildings, and in March, 1853, Captain N. J. T. Dana, quartermaster at Fort Snelling, wrote to the quartermaster-general at Washington: "I returned to this post on the 20th instant, and on the next day visited the old mill and buildings belonging to the quartermas¬ ter's department, and now in possession of lion. Hobert Smith, and I submit the following as my opinion of the value of the buildings to the gov¬ ernment at the time when Mr. Smith received them. The old stone grist-mill, the building somewhat dilapidated, the water-wheel worn out entirely, but the other machinery, including two mill-stones, good, was worth $400. The old frame of a saw-mill, greatly decayed, together with the mill-irons on it and extra posts, mostly worn out, $100. The one-story frame building, much decayed, $200. Fences and races, much de¬ cayed, $50." The result of the negotiation was the purchase by Mr. Smith of the improvement, and a permit granted him from the secretary of war to make a claim including the same, although at this time the land formed a part of the Fort Snelling reserve.

The purpose of the grant was that Mr. Smith should operate the mill for the benefit of the gov¬ ernment, in supplying provender for Fort Snell¬ ing. This purpose was carried out by Mr. Smith by placing Ueuben Bean in charge to operate the mill, soon after substituting Calvin A. Tuttle, who continued several years. The ostensible pur¬ pose of moving to Minnesota, and personally oc¬ cupying the buildings and land, was never car¬ ried out on Mr. Smith's part, for he remained in Illinois until his death, representing Alton dis¬ trict in the house of representatives at Washing¬ ton.

Soon after the erection of Fort Snelling, the fur trade of the northwest, which had previously been carried on by the way of the lakes, took the great river as one imi>ortant avenue, and the fort became the rendezvous of traders and speculators, forming their channel of communication and base of supplies.

Under the sheltering wing of the fort also sprung up, on the reserve, cabins and small farms, some of which were occupied by French Canadians, who here took a rest from their voy¬ aging, living with the squaws, with whom they seem to have mated as easily as birds in the spring. Others were occupied by half-breeds, very similar in character to the former, but the Swiss refugees, from Lord Selkirk's colony, were by far the most interesting and important of these squatters. Induced by the flattering representa¬ tions of Lord Selkirk, a large settlement had been formed on the lied river, in the Hudson Bay ter¬ ritory, from the Swiss and Scotch. After suffer¬ ing untold privations from cold, hunger, floods and the strife between the two great fur companies of the north, this colony was broken up and the individuals that constituted it found homes at various points within our territories. Many located near Dubuque, but a few about Fort Snelling, and to this exodus from the north we must ascribe our first settlement. Some of these became farmers with no small pretensions. Perry, who located on the limits of the reserve,

Removal Of Swiss Settlers

Near him also lived Benjamin Garvais and his brother Pierre, who had farms with considerable improvements. After occupying their comfort¬ able homes for nearly ten years, in obedience to an imperative order from the war department, these inoffensive settlers were forced to abandon their lands and improvements and seek other homes. We cannot forbear tender sympathy for these simple people, whose misfortunes had al¬ ready been so great, when we see them the vic¬ tims of new trouble. The instructions of the war department, reiterated October 31st, 1839, were, however, imperative and inexorable, and it is probable that the unwarranted force exercised was necessary to compel obedience to the military order.

On May 6th, 1840, Edward James, United States marshal for the territory of Wisconsin, called on the commandingoflicer of Fort Snelling for troops, by his deputy Brunson, and the set¬ tlers were forcibly and hastily removed. On the following day their cabins were destroyed. Thus rendered homeless and shelterless, they sought new abodes. Perry, Gervais, Clewette, Hondo and some others made claims and settled at St. Paul, while others removed to Wisconsin.

was included in the reservation, and there, similar events were enacted some years later, when squatters began to encroach on that portion of the reserve. The permits granted to a few to locate on the reserve opposite the Falls of St. Anthony, encouraged settlers to make claims and locate there in anticipation of the reduction which it seemed probable was near at hand. It is un¬ fortunate that it must be recorded of the officers in charge, that their rough treatment in the exe¬ cution of orders were often executed in an arbi¬ trary and tyranical manner, unless we discredit the universal testimony of the well known settlers of respectability thus dispossessed. In addition to pulling down their shelters and threatening the occupants with the guard-house in c:ise they re-built, the officers were guilty of corruption and received bribes from the squatters in the form of notes or agreements to pay when their claims were established.

In these various ways the history of our cities, the settlement of the country at large, and even farming and manufacturing find in Fort Snell¬ ing their origin and first progress. The perusal of the following pages will exhibit much more fully the intimate connection between Fort Snell¬ ing and the development of the north-west, and, although its influence is a thing of the past, its history will always remain a matter of present interest.