Manuscripts Collection
Photocopied files relating to Indian affairs in Minnesota and neighboring states, and to the Dakota Indians of the northern plains. They concern such matters as Indian removals and land cessions, claims for damages incurred during hostilities, management of Indian agencies, sale of timber on Ojibwe reservation land, meetings of tribal and U.S. government representatives, furnishing of supplies to the Dakota Indians, and general government relations with the Dakota and Ojibwe.
There are especially substantive files on the 1863 Sioux Claims Commission, which compiled information on losses suffered by Minnesota settlers during the 1862 Dakota Conflict; on an investigation of charges that Ojibwe agent Edward P. Smith had sold pine timber fraudulently to Amherst H. Wilder; on an 1881 investigation of conditions at Minnesota Ojibwe agencies and of their management by agent Charles A. Ruffee; and on the work of the 1888 Sioux Commission, which attempted to secure tribal approval of land cessions.
These files were selected from three series within the records of the Indian Division in the office of the Secretary of the Interior:
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 13,737
Provenance: The originals are in the National Archives, Washington, D.C., Record Group 48.
Processed by: Lydia Lucas, September 1986.
Catalog ID No.: 09-00320438
Printed narrative discussing the propriety of purchases made by the Red Cloud Indian agent.
To the Secretary of the Interior, from Senator Knute Nelson.
Letter of tribal lawyer J. B. Bottineau, Congressional bills, and Senate Document No. 154, relating to this North Dakota band's claim under the Bowman Act for just compensation for relinquished lands.
Lengthy discussion by George Chandler[?] of the Interior Dept. of problems connected with these payments (October 3, 1892), and two Interior Dept. circulars (1901) setting forth guidelines for arresting Indians who commit offenses on Indian lands.
Letter from George H. Spencer, St. Paul, to George C. Whiting expressing his views on a relocation site and arrangements.
Letter of A. G. Dallas, Fort Gary, to Viscount Monck, Governor General of Canada (March 7, 1863), with cover letter.
From Alex H. H. Stuart, Secretary of the Interior, to the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands, explaining the treaty.
Accompanied by a newspaper account of the fraud uncovered by the report (October 5, 1871).
Auditor's letter regarding the status of a claim by C. H. Peterson.
From William M. Crouse[?], timber estimator, protesting against being included among those suspected of timber fraud.
Handwritten report by Caleb B. Smith of his examination of the accounts of the superintendent of the road.
Transcript; apparently the final 3 pages only.
Letters from local land commissioners regarding rejected applications to enter land by claimants to these townsites (1856), with 1858 letter of transmittal.
Report by George Chandler regarding the railroad's compliance with its agreement with the Indians.
Letter of William Vilas.
Following the Dakota Conflict of 1862, Congress appropriated $200,000 for immediate relief of the affected settlers and appointed a Sioux Claims Commission to ascertain and report to the Secretary of the Interior on property losses suffered by each claimant, as a prerequisite for an appropriation by Congress for the full amount of claimed damages. The commission consisted of Albert S. White, Cyrus Aldrich, and Eli R. Chase.
The commission records that comprise this file consist of letters received, March-November 1863 (4 folders)); a handwritten narrative, "The Sioux War," by George H. Spencer, Jr. (17 pages); and miscellaneous documents (5 items). The letters received are from members of the public and primarily present claims against the Sioux or inquire about procedures for requesting indemnification. Some request jobs taking testimony for the commission. The miscellaneous documents consist of a petition for a hearing on losses, by residents of Meeker County, Minnesota; additional evidence in claim no. 78, Adolph Kapitz[?]; a letter of introduction for Norman Campbell; and a voucher transmittal.
The printed report (February 2, 1874, 146 pages) and related documents of a commission appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to investigate charges that Smith had made a fraudulent contract with Amherst H. Wilder to sell pine timber on the Leech Lake reservation for an excessively low price. The commission determined that Smith and Wilder had not committed fraud.
The report includes text of the commission's proceedings and testimony, and is accompanied by 57 exhibits and other documents presented to the commission. For control purposes, the documents have been numbered in pencil in the order in which they were received at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Selected documents from this file, consisting of:
States that they are to be treated as Indians as long as they retain their tribal relations.
Correspondence regarding cancellation and reinstatement of homestead entries on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.
Printed appeal by Bishop Henry B. Whipple for justice to them (August 12).
Recommendation for their removal.
Letter and receipts for payment.
Letters concerning illegal timber cutting by lumbermen on the Fond du Lac Reservation (1889), with appended letters regarding timber policies as applied to the Bad River and La Pointe reservations in Wisconsin (1888).
The first folder contains a handwritten report (May 23, 1881, 70 numbered pages) by Haworth, an Interior Department inspector. He describes the buildings and grounds of the White Earth, Leech Lake, and Red Lake agencies; goes into detail on the agent's financial and record-keeping practices and general management at each agency, finding numerous improprieties and deficiencies therein; describes intratribal and religious tensions and the influence of the Beaulieu family; discusses agency employees, agricultural activities, the schools and irregularities in their construction, and the tribal police; and concludes that, although there was no evidence of actual dishonesty, a change in agents would be desirable.
Folders 2 and 3 contain related reports, depositions, letters supporting or opposing Ruffee's appointment as agent and commenting on his subsequent performance, and financial records. There are several or substantive letters from W. W. Cooke, P. H. Beaulieu, commissioner H. Price, Henry H. Sibley, Henry B. Whipple, J. S. Pillsbury, and Enmegahbowh, as well as letters from many other prominent Minnesota figures.
This commission was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior following passage by Congress (April 30, 1888) of an act to divide the Sioux reservation in Dakota into separate reservations and to secure Indian relinquishment of the remainder. The commission was charged with presenting this act to the various affected Dakota bands and with procuring their acceptance and consent. It was composed of Captain R. H. Pratt, chief commissioner, Reverend William J. Cleveland, and John V. Wright. Its efforts met with only modest success. The report file consists of:
A synopsis of or commentary on the report, noting the lack of uniform success and the many remaining problems.
A calendar of commission and related documents, May-September 1888.
Correspondence of Secretary of the Interior William F. Vilas, discussing purposes and provisions of the act of Congress, selection of commission members, attitudes of the Indians toward the bill, and arrangements for commission meetings with the Indians.
Handwritten transcript of speeches and statements.
Transcript of a presentation by American Horse as delegation spokesman, complaining that the government has not fulfilled its treaty obligations adequately, punctuated by questions and comments from government officials; and lists of delegation members and comments on their attitudes toward whites.
Handwritten contract between S. N. Clark, Indian agent for the Sac Court d' Orielles band of Ojibwe, and William A. Rust of the Bank of Eau Claire to harvest merchantable pine timber on the Sac Court d' Orielles Indian Reservation in Wisconsin.
Two detailed reports, with related correspondence, reviewing the supplies furnished by Richard to this Wyoming agency, the circumstances of their delivery and of his claim, and Interior Department accounting procedures, and recommending payment of the claim.