| | 97 | Author: | Kelly
Fanny
1845-1904 | Add | | | Title: | Narrative of My Captivity Among the Sioux Indians  | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Westward Exploration collection | UVA-LIB-WestwardExplor | | | | Description: | I Was born in Orillia, Canada, in 1845. Our home
was on the lake shore, and there amid pleasant surroundings
I passed the happy days of early childhood. "This Indian, after taking part in the present out-break
of the Indians against the white settlers and
missionaries, being sick, and not able to keep up with
his friends in their flight, we give you the offerings of
friendship, food and clothing. You are in our power,
but we won't harm you. Go to your people and gladden
their hearts. Lay down your weapons, and fight the
white men no more. We will do you good, and not
evil. Take this letter; in it we have spoken. Depart
in peace, and ever more be a friend to the white people,
and you will be more happy. "Whoever you may be, if you will only buy us from
the Indians with ponies or any thing, and let me come
and stay with you until I can get word to my friends,
they will pay you well; and I will work for you also,
and do all I can for you. "Makatunke says he will not fight wagons, for they
have been fighting two days. They had many killed
by the goods they brought into camp. They tell me
what to write. I do not understand them. I was
taken by them July 12. They say for the soldiers to
give forty head of cattle. "If you are really a white woman captive in the
hands of these Indians, I shall be glad to buy you and
restore you to your friends, and if a few unarmed Indians
will deliver you at the place where your letter
was received, I will send there for them three good
American horses, and take you to our camp. "I am truly a white woman, and now in sight of
your camp, but they will not let me go. They say
they will not fight, but don't trust them. They say,
'How d'ye do.' They say they want you to give them
sugar, coffee, flour, gunpowder, but give them nothing
till you can see me for yourself, but induce them, taking
me first. They want four wagons, and they will stop
fighting. They want forty cattle to eat; I have to write
what they tell me. They want you to come here—you
know better than that. His name Chatvanco and the
other's name Porcupine. Read to yourself, some of
them can talk English. They say this is their ground.
They, say, 'Go home and come back no more.' The
Fort Laramie soldiers have been after me, but they
(the Indians) run so; and they say they want knives
and axes and arrow-iron to shoot buffalo. Tell them
to wait and go to town, and they can get them. I
would give them any thing for liberty. Induce them
to show me before you give anything. They are very
anxious for you to move now. Do not, I implore you
for your life's sake. "Your second communication convinces me that you
are what you profess to be, a captive white woman,
and you may be assured that myself and my party
are eager for release, but for the present I can not
accede to the demands, or gratify the wants of your
captors. We are sent on an important trust and mission,
by order of the great War Chief at Washington,
westward to the mountain region, with a small party
of well-armed and determined men, feeling entirely
capable of defending ourselves; but we are not a war
party, and our train is not intended for war purposes.
Powder and shot we have, but no presents for the
hostile Indians. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
| 100 | Author: | Lewis
Meriwether
1774-1809 | Add | | | Title: | History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean | | | | Published: | 2003 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Modern English collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Lewis and Clark collection | UVA-LIB-LewisClark | University of Virginia Library, Westward Exploration collection | UVA-LIB-WestwardExplor | | | | Description: | "Your situation as secretary of the president of the United
States, has made you acquainted with the objects of my
confidential message of January 18, 1803, to the legislature;
you have seen the act they passed, which, though expressed
in general terms, was meant to sanction those objects, and
you are appointed to carry them into execution. ON the acquisition of Louisiana, in the year 1803, the
attention of the government of the United States, was early
directed towards exploring and improving the new territory.
Accordingly in the summer of the same year, an expedition
was planned by the president for the purpose of
discovering the courses and sources of the Missouri, and the
most convenient water communication thence to the Pacific
ocean. His private secretary captain Meriwether Lewis,
and captain William Clarke, both officers of the army of
the United States, were associated in the command of this
enterprize. After receiving the requisite instructions, captain
Lewis left the seat of government, and being joined by
captain Clarke at Louisville, in Kentucky, proceeded to St.
Louis, where they arrived in the month of December. Their
orriginal intention was to pass the winter at La Charrette,
the highest settlement on the Missouri. But the Spanish
commandant of the province, not having received an official
account of its transfer to the United States, was obliged by
the general policy of his government, to prevent strangers
from passing through the Spanish territory. They therefore
encamped at the mouth of Wood river, on the eastern
side of the Mississippi, out of his jurisdiction, where they
passed the winter in disciplining the men, and making the
necessary preparations for setting out early in the Spring
before which the cession was officially announced. The
party consisted of nine young men from Kentucky, fourteen
soldiers of the United States army who volunteered their
services, two French watermen—an interpreter and hunter
—and a black servant belonging to captain Clarke—All
these, except the last, were enlisted to serve as privates during
the expedition, and three sergeants appointed from
amongst them by the captains. In addition to these were
engaged a corporal and six soldiers, and nine watermen to
accompany the expedition as far as the Mandan nation, in order
to assist in carrying the stores, or repelling an attack
which was most to be apprehended between Wood river and
that tribe. The necessary stores were subdivided into seven
bales, and one box, containing a small portion of each article
in case of accident. They consisted of a great variety of
clothing, working utensils, locks, flints, powder, ball, and
articles of the greatest use. To these were added fourteen
bales and one box of Indian presents, distributed in the same
manner, and composed of richly laced coats and other articles
of dress, medals, flags, knives, and tomahawks for the
chiefs—ornaments of different kinds, particularly beads,
lookingglasses, handkerchiefs, paints, and generally such
articles as were deemed best calculated for the taste of the
Indians. The party was to embark on board of three boats;
the first was a keel boat fifty-five feet long, drawing three
feet water, carrying one large squaresail and twenty-two
oars, a deck of ten feet in the bow, and stern formed a forecastle
and cabin, while the middle was covered by lockers,
which might be raised so as to form a breast-work in case
of attack. This was accompanied by two perioques or open
boats, one of six and the other of seven oars. Two horses
were at the same time to be led along the banks of the river
for the purpose of bringing home game, or hunting in case
of scarcity. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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