Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-10-31
FRONTIER LIFE So YEARS AGO.

Il J4DE55sStIlAluSS 4uClu6ukS O4 Uo10eE ulsGoL4S
in which it will be seen that the present
venerable Senator from Michigan, bore 9
responsible and hazardous part:
From the Cleveland Herald.
+ Upon the ''Planet" Lake Superior Ex-
cursion We met G. G. Towbrid ge, of De-
Itroit, who, among many facts connected
with the Indians of the upper country, re-
lated one which does such honor to the
courage Of General Cass, that we take
the liberty of restatingsit.g
In 1890, an expidition under General
Cass, then Territorial Governor of Mich.
igan, was made along the shores of Lake
Superior and the head waters of the Mis-.
sissippi. for the purpose of curbing the
dian tribes, and the cultivation of amity
between the Indians aud the whites. 1t
was an expidition of over four thousand
miles in extent, and performed in bark
canoes, setting out from Detroit. Gener.
al Cass' suit consisted of Captain David
B.. Douglass, Of the Engineers Henry G.
Schoolcraft, Minerologist Alex. Wolcot,
Physician Lieut.. Mackay, of the Artil
Iery G. A. Forsyth, Secretary; James
Duane Doty, Journalist {: A. r. Chase
and Q. c. Towbridge, assistant to Capt.
D.
At the Sault Ste. Marie the party entered
into negotiations with the Indians for the
purchase Of a piece of land upon which
the garrison now stands. The lavish
expenditures of British money in the an
nual presentation of gifts to the natives,
and the niggardIy policy of our country
! f.y tl,oryO lal iOe0irol fEn I1HioOa
with respect for the one nation and with
contempt Tor the other. The war, then
lately closed. had increased British inAu.
ence to our injury, and the presence of n
| British garrison on the Canadian side of
the river was fountain Of bad counsel
TO the red men, and place of safety in
case Of need. The feeling, therefore, of
the Indians was not friendly towards this
eXpiditon, and the enterprise was one of
great danger.
General Cass invited the chiefs to his
tents, in tho centre of which was pile Of
tobacco, part Of which was TO be smok
ed on the occasion, and the residue pre-
sen!od to the Indians at the close of the
council. The chiefs appeared en- costums,
sdas culcttes, sans everything, save the
hreech cloth"
The leader, tall, muscular fellow of
thirty years Of age, with the devil in his
face, was an exception. He wore, beside
the" breech cloth, - single eagles feath
er gracefully attached to the top of his
head, red coat with narro1U skirts, and TWO
golden epauIcts of British Major Gener>
al. "UncEe Sam dispcnses no such ia
yors to his red children. Governor Cass
explained the object Of his mission TO be
the cultivation otfriendship between them
and their deadly Sioux enemies, and also
between all the red children aud their
father, the President. TO this eud our
Government had planted military posts
among the Sioux on the Mississippi, and
wished TO do the same at that point. The
Governor also explained that, although
BY tho treaty at Grcenvile, the territory
! belonged to us-it having previously been
purch ised OF their father, once by the
great King of tho WamHcgoohe. or French
met, aud subsequently by the tSogeWosh,
or ngiIshmen-yct lie was willing to-
pay them also for what he wished, name
/ iy, parcel four miles square.
The chiefs were surly and taciturn, and
argument and coaxing were Of no avail,
and Governor Cnss was compelled TO tell
them that 0s sure as the sun should rise
on the morrow SO surely should their great
father tho President establish tho propos-
cd military post. The Governor advised
them to listen to friendly counsel and
avail themselves of the last opporLu-
nifty for obtaining compensation. Here
the Governor paused for reply. and or
dered his interpreter, William Riley, to
light the pipe. Having smoked thereof,
it was offered to the chief, who refused it,
and committed the grossest political in
ult known to the savage code. by kick
ng over the pile OF tobacco and rushing
out with his train Of chieftians.
The Indians walked rapidly up the riv-
er about half mile to a rising ground
where their lodges were erected, and i'm
mcdiate4y hoisted in front Of their camp
a large British flag. This act was reporI.
ed to Governor Cass, who upon the in
stant, commanding none TO accompany
him save the interpreter, walked rapidly
into the camp Of these excited and now
deadly savage red men, seized the British
dag, threw it upon hegrOund, broke the
staff, and ordered the interpreter to roll
up the flag and cHrry it to the Governor S
camp, told the Indians that il they dared
; repeat the insult he would FIRE among
them. The Indians stood amazed at the
Governor thus alone to enter their camp
and thus threaten them, as the entire
force of his expiditiOn consisted of but
eleven men, twelve Canadian Voyaguers,
nine friendly Indians, two interpreters. a
suite Of eight, and small escort TO that
point of twenty-five soldiers under Lieut..
John Pierce, (brother of the President. }
In ten minutes from the time Governor
Cass, with such fearlessness. carried from
the camp Of these warriors the flag, eve>
] ry woman and child, and their tent equip
: age we're on their way in bark carnas