UNITED STATES. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. INDIAN DIVISION:

An Inventory of Selected Files Relating to Minnesota and Northern Plains Indian Affairs at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	United States. Department of the Interior. Indian Division.
	Title:	[Selected files relating to Minnesota and northern plains Indian affairs].
	Dates:	1848-1901.
	Abstract:	Photocopied files relating to Indian affairs in Minnesota and neighboring states, and to the Dakota Indians of the northern plains.
	Quantity:	0.75 cubic feet (2 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description section for shelf location.

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 U.S.-Dakota War of 1862; 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.

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ARRANGEMENT

These files were selected from three series within the records of the Indian Division in the office of the Secretary of the Interior:


		Entry 662: Miscellaneous Records.
		Entry 663: Special Files Relating to Negotiations with Indians, Land Matters, Investigations, and Other Subjects.
		Entry 667: Special Files Relating to Claims.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or file here]. U.S. Department of the Interior. Indian Division. Selected Files Relating to Minnesota and Northern Plains Indian Affairs. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 13,737

Provenance: The originals are in the National Archives, Washington, D.C., Record Group 48.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Lydia Lucas, September 1986.

Catalog ID No.: 09-00320438

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

ENTRY 662: MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS

Location

Box

P1548

File no. 1. Public Notice Relating to Chippewa Indian Reservation Lands in the State of Minnesota, March 5, 1890. 3 pages.

File no. 15. Assessor's Return of Taxable Real Property in West Newton Township [Nicollet County], August 3, 1863. 7 pages.

File no. 16. Account of John Richard for Supplies Furnished the Red Cloud Agency, December 21, 1872. 3 pages.

Printed narrative discussing the propriety of purchases made by the Red Cloud Indian agent.

File no. 19. Letter Introducing Benjamin Caswill, Representative of Certain Bands of Chippewa in Minnesota, January 21, 1901. 1 page.

To the Secretary of the Interior, from Senator Knute Nelson.

File no. 44. Information Concerning the Condition and Status of Claim of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, 1898. 42 pages.

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.

File no. 58. Concerning Payments to Friendly Sioux for Depredations Committed by Hostile Sioux, 1892, [1901]. 23 pages.

Lengthy discussion by George Chandler[?] of the Interior Department of problems connected with these payments (October 3, 1892), and two Interior Department circulars (1901) setting forth guidelines for arresting Indians who commit offenses on Indian lands.

Location

Box

P1548

File no. 65. Removal of Winnebago and Sioux from Minnesota, March 28, 1863. 4 pages.

Letter from George H. Spencer, St. Paul, to George C. Whiting expressing his views on a relocation site and arrangements.

File no. 74. Concerning the Alleged Sale of Arms and Ammunition to the Sioux Indians in the Northwest by the British, 1863. 5 pages.

Letter of A. G. Dallas, Fort Gary, to Viscount Monck, Governor General of Canada (March 7, 1863), with cover letter.

File no. 77. Concerning a Treaty of 1852 with Certain Sioux Indians in Minnesota, October 2, 1852. 6 pages.

From Alex H. H. Stuart, Secretary of the Interior, to the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands, explaining the treaty.

File no. 79. Synopsis of Commissioner's Report on Issuance of Chippewa Half Breed Script [sic] Under the Treaty of 1854, [undated]. 16 pages.

Accompanied by a newspaper account of the fraud uncovered by the report (October 5, 1871).

File no. 81. Claim Against the Sioux for Depredations Committed in 1862, February 6, 1875. 3 pages.

Auditor's letter regarding the status of a claim by C. H. Peterson.

Location

Box

P1548

File no. 91. Claim of Josiah M. Stewart Against the Sioux for Destruction of Property in 1857, [undated]. 3 pages.

File no. 95. Concerning an Estimate of Timber on the Leech Lake and White Earth Reservations in Minnesota, February 2, 1901. 2 pages.

From William M. Crouse[?], timber estimator, protesting against being included among those suspected of timber fraud.

File no. 96. Draft Opinion of the Attorney General Concerning the Jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court of Minnesota in Prosecuting Cases Against Individuals Selling Liquor to the Indians, June 4, 1861. 3 pages.

File no. 104. Fort Ridgley [sic] and South Pass Wagon Road, circa 1861. 20 pages.

Handwritten report by Caleb B. Smith of his examination of the accounts of the superintendent of the road.

110. Proceedings of Meeting of White Cloud with the Secretary of the Interior (Chippewa), [undated]. 3 pages.

Transcript; apparently the final 3 pages only.

File no. 116. Decision of the General Land Office Concerning the Townsites of East and Middle Sioux City, Iowa, and Henne[p]in, Minnesota, 1858. 9 pages.

Letters from local land commissioners regarding rejected applications to enter land by claimants to these townsites (1856), with 1858 letter of transmittal.

File no. 129. Regarding Letter of Introduction for William R. Faribault [of St. Louis, Missouri], 1897. 4 pages.

File no. 138. Concerning the Right-of-Way of the Dakota Central Railway Company Through Sioux Lands, [circa 1890]. 12 pages.

Report by George Chandler regarding the railroad's compliance with its agreement with the Indians.

File no. 148. Copy of a Contract Between Certain Indians at the Pine Ridge Agency and Attorneys, 1894. 4 pages.

File no. 159. Regarding Delivery of a [Land] Patent to Charles Thayer Under the Chippewa Treaty of 1854, March 3, 1888. 2 pages.

Letter of William Vilas.

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ENTRY 663: SPECIAL FILES RELATING TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH INDIANS, LAND MATTERS, INVESTIGATIONS, AND OTHER SUBJECTS

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 1. Records of the Sioux Claims Commission, 1863. 6 folders.

Following the U.S.-Dakota War 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.

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 17. Documents Concerning the Investigation of Charges Against E[dward] P. Smith, While Agent for Chippewa Indians in Minnesota, 1872-1874. 2 folders.

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.

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 18. Incoming Correspondence and Memoranda Concerning Special Cases Brought to the Attention of the Secretary.

Selected documents from this file, consisting of:

Opinion of Attorney General Cushing Relative to Half Breed Indians, [undated]. 3 pages.

States that they are to be treated as Indians as long as they retain their tribal relations.

Mille Lacs Entries: Report by Inspector Chapman, 1879-1882. 7 pages.

Correspondence regarding cancellation and reinstatement of homestead entries on the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation.

Leech Lake Indians, 1885. 2 pages.

Printed appeal by Bishop Henry B. Whipple for justice to them (August 12).

Trespassers on Red Pipe Stone Quarry, November 1883. 3 pages.

Recommendation for their removal.

Right-of-Way for Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad Across Sioux Reservation in Dakota, 1883. 7 pages.

Letter and receipts for payment.

Timber Trespass on Fund du Lac Reservation, [1888-]1889. 13 pages.

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).

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 21. Correspondence, Report and Related Documents from Inspector J. M. Haworth Concerning Conditions at White Earth Consolidated Agency and Charges Against Charles A. Ruffee, Agent, 1866-1882. 3 folders.

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.

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 33. Report of the Sioux Commission, [1888]. 2 folders.

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:

Instructions to the commission, July 9, 1888. 10 pages.

Commission's report, [undated]. 8 pages.

A synopsis of or commentary on the report, noting the lack of uniform success and the many remaining problems.

"Suggestions regarding the work to be performed by the Sioux Commission," [undated]. First page only.

"Sioux Commission." 16 pages.

A calendar of commission and related documents, May-September 1888.

Correspondence, May-August 1888. 1 folder.

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.

File No. 34. "Report of Councils held with 'Red Clouds' band of Ogallalla Sioux by the President of the United States and Secretary of the Interior, May 27.th 28.th and 29th 1872." 37 pages.

Handwritten transcript of speeches and statements.

File No. 35. Copy of Proceedings Between the Sioux Delegation and the House Committee on Indian Affairs, with Recapitulation of Goods Issued to Sioux, 1891. 17 pages.

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.

File No. 43. Copy of a Contract for Chippewa Timber, 1873. 12 pages.

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.

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ENTRY 667: SPECIAL FILES RELATING TO CLAIMS

Location

Box

P1548

File No. 10. Papers Concerning Claim of John Richard for Supplies Furnished the Sioux Indians at the Red Cloud Agency, 1872. 5 items.

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.

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CATALOG HEADINGS

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 search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Chippewa half-breed scrip.; Dakota Indians -- Claims against.; Dakota Indians -- Government relations.; Dakota Indians -- Land tenure.; Dakota Indians -- Relocation.; Dakota Indians -- Treaties.; Dakota Indians -- Wars, 1962-1865.; Indian land transfers -- Minnesota.; Ojibwa Indians -- Government relations.; Ojibwa Indians -- Land tenure.; Ojibwa Indians -- Treaties, -- 1854.; Public lands -- Minnesota.; Roads -- Minnesota.; Timber lands -- Minnesota.

Places:: Fond du Lac Indian Reservation (Minn.); Leech Lake Indian Reservation (Minn.); Red Lake Indian Reservation (Minn.); West Newton (Minn. : Township); White Earth Indian Reservation (Minn.)

Persons:: American Horse, Dakota chief, 1840-1908.; Beaulieu, Paul H., 1820-1897.; Bottineau, Jno. B. (John B.); Chandler, George.; Cooke, Wells W. (Wells Woodbridge), 1858-1916.; Enmegahbowh, J. J. (John Johnson) 1812?-1902.; Ewing, George Washington, 1803-1866.; Ewing, William G., -1854.; Haworth, J. M.; Pillsbury, J. S. (John Sargent), 1827-1901.; Ruffee, Charles A.; Sibley, Henry Hastings, 1811-1891.; Smith, Caleb B. (Caleb Blood), 1808-1864.; Smith, Edward Parmalee, 1827-1876.; Spencer, George H.; Vilas, William F. (William Freeman, 1840-1908.; Whipple, Henry Benjamin, 1822-1901.; Wilder, Amherst H.

Organizations:: Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company.; Dakota Central Railway Company.; Sioux Claims Commission, 1863.; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota.; United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Red Cloud Agency.

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