The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-09-11
Correspondence of the Toledo Blade
"reminiscences Of a "Trip to the NOrth-
West In 1920.
LAKE SUPERIOR, OFF ONroNAGoS, /
August 20, 1855. {


August 90 1855 )
DEAR BLADE:-We have on board the Planet,
G. G. Trowbrdge, ESQ.,, of Detroit, gentleman who
az boy accompanied the expedition OF Gen. Cass,
then Governor Of the Territory of Michigan, to the
North West in 1920. but under what different cir
cuustances He then traversed the chain Of lakes
with armed expedition, in bark canoes, these SOL
itudes eniivened by the songs Of the voyageurs He
now looks around on his grown up children dancing
to the music of the band which accompanied us, and
is hoated in palace whose saloon is 200 feet in
length. Mr.. L. has visited Lake Superior
since, and now he brings his children and grand
child along with him. -+
The memory of the expedition to which l aiude,
has almost passed from recollection. 1t was sent out
under Gov. Cass, during Mr. Calhoun's adminis1ra-
ton of the War Department, explore the country
north and west Of Lake Superior, to ascertain the
practicable communications between the Lake and
the Mississippi and establish friendly relations with
the Indians, who were generally, during the of
1872, subsidized by Grea, Britain, and who long
manned embitered towards our people and govern
ment. 3r
The expedition comprised, first, the Governor and
suite. His suite were Maj. Douglass, OF the U. s.
cago, Henry R. Schoolcra, Mineralogist, Mr.. C. c.
Trowbridge, the late Maj. r. A. Forsyth, James D.
Doty, and A. r. Chase. 1t. Mckay, and eleven U.
s. soldiers, twelve old French voyageurs, nine Indi-
ans, and two interpreters made up the expedition-n
all forty-three souls. - Us IT.
Gov. Cass and three of his suite still survive, viz:
Messrs. Schoolcraft, Trowbridge, and Doty. One
OF the voyageurs, Antoine De Nord, yet survives at
Detroit, at a venerable age.
The voyage was full of incident and adventure. 1t
was performed in bark canoes, which were hauled on
shore night and transported across the portages.
They first started with three of these frah barks,
which, however, carried fourteen or fifteen men and
tons of provisions and luggage each. They were
but in weather propitious, they sometimes hurl
ed along at the rate of sixty miles q day.
At Mackinac the expedition was greeted by Ram
say Crooks yet living in New York in the enjoyment
of hale old age, and the late Robert Stuart of De.
trot father Of the present NJ. c. Capt John Pierce
and It, Benz PIERCE brothers of the present Presi-
dent, both since dead, stationed there with the
U. s. garrison. 1t. Pierce, with detachment of
Is troops, accompanied the expedition far the
Sault, lest the Indians might show hostile demonstra-
tons. At this point the Indians made cession Of
l6 square miles of territory their Great Father,
they called Gov. Cass. He met with great difficult
ty, however, the Indians being very inmica to the
Americans, and under English influence. It was
here they hosted the British flag, which Gov Cass
bravely tore down with his own hand. At night,
both parties fortified their camp, each expecting an
attack from the other, but in the morning better
counses prevailed, and the treaty concluded.
I he party here found Col. johnson and family
Mrs. J. was the daughter Of an Indian Chief, and
Of her daughters, educated in Europe, married
Mr.. Schoolcraft when he afterwards became Indian
Agent at the Sault. MIR. Geo. johnson, son, whom
saw at the Sault, is yet living, vigorous man.
After his return, Mr. Schoolcrat published narra-
tive Of the journey, one of those works which have
connected his name indissolubly with the North
West. Re is now in the employ Of the Government
at Washington, quite aged and nfirm from paralysis
of the nerves Of motion Mrs. johnson often INFORM
ed her children that during the night, while the In
dams were SO exasperated against Governor Cass
for tearing down the British flag, she visited the In
dian camp to pacify them, and that their plan was
matured for the determination Of the whole party
The fate Of the expedition and the lives OF men who
have since done honor to the literature of their
its progress and history, probably depended on the
fidelity of the Indian woman. They were gallant
band, and dearly their lives would have been sold,
but they would have been instantly surrounded with
thousands of the savage foe.
Starting from the Sault, the expedition coasted
along the shores of the great Lake Superior. They
selected pleasant weather, and often as the frail
bark
sat on the waters like a thing oil hfe,"
the quiet shores reverberated to Of merrimeut,
and the song of the voyageur. They coasted along
under the very crags Of the Pictured Rocks, and
brought home marvellous accounts OF their sublmity
ard beauty.
At one time when encamped they came near losing
their airy tents and canoes by tornado. They
crossed Pt. Keweenaw at Portage Lake, where that
headland is nearly severed by water, compelled to
make portage OF only mile and half, to reach
At the mouth of the Ontonagon, the Governor and
portion Of the party visited the famous Copper
Rock, since transported to Washington, 80 miles up
the river. They expected to find mass Of five or
six tons oil pure copper, whereas they reported &c
mass Of serpentne ineraid with veins of copper
They found chisels and other implements. however
But they declared the marvellous stories Of the mex
haustibility Of copper somewhat fictitious and I'M
worthy Of credence. ...., a..
Arriving at the Fond du Lac or ST. Louis River,
the end of Lake Superior, they navigated it to the
portage across the tributaries Of the Mississippi
crossed to that river, and assembled the Father Of
Waters $50 miles to the Upper Red Cedar Lake,
nearly 1000 miles by its sinuostes above the Falls
Of ST. Anthony. Returning, they foated down the
Mississippi to the Wisconsin, thence up that river
several hundred miles to the portage across to the
aea Rvsg of lake Michigan TO Chicago
and back to Detroit on horseback. Others returned
by the way Of Mackinac. The voyage accomplish
ed, according to the notes of Mr.. Trowbridge, was
ASS miles, and consumed nearly four months. In
these days Of exsravagant expenditure, it seems IN
credible that the whole enterprise was concluded at