THE UPPER MISSOURI: The Location of Fort Pierre; Army and Navy Intelligence; Editorial-The South and Disunion (8/3/1860)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 8/3/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Correspondence of the New-York Times. CAMP CHOUTEAU, NEAR FORT BENTON, WEDNESDAY, July 4, 1869. At the time of closing my last letter we were just making the landing at Fort Pierre, one of the American Fur Company's forts on the Upper Missouri, and about 1,400 miles above St. Louis. The location of the fort is not an attractive one, either from its site or the character of the surrounding country, which is barren in the extreme; but being a point of meeting of the various lords of Dakotah and Sioux Indians, it is highly valuable to the Company as a place of trade -- and the number of robes made at this point is only exceeded by their fort in the Black-foot country, (Fort Benton.) At Pierre we landed the trading goods and the annuities of the Dakotahs, who, as the gift is a free one from their "Great Father," the President -- are very prompt in attendance upon the distributions. The number assembled on this occasion was not large -- only about 800 souls, but it contained representatives from nearly all the principal bands of the Missouri Dakotahs. As a specimen of the names that some bear, I give Bear's-Rib, principal Chief of the whole nation, under the "Harney Treaty;" "The-man-who-carries-the-stone," "Little Thunder," and others equally lengthy. I forbear giving their Indian cognomen, which are almost unpronounceable; besides I might run the risk of mis-spelling, an error they might not forgive, should it ever be brought to their notice. As this nation is the most powerful and warlike of any now confined within our territory, we viewed them with more interest than if looking upon a tame and more subdued people. The nature of their reception was rather peculiar, and very interesting.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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2

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4

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Upper Missouri: The Location of Fort Pierre – 2
Army and Navy Intelligence – 2
Editorial: The South and Disunion – 2-3
Meeting of the State Teachers’ Association-Third Day’s Proceedings – 3
How Disunion Will Affect the South – 3-4
The Ocean Yacht Race – 4
Fires – 4
Base Ball: Union vs. Eckford – 4

[IAGeezer912]

The location of the fort is not an attractive one, either from its site or the character of the surrounding country, which is barren in the extreme.

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I lived in Pierre from 1949-1963. It was an interesting place to live. From 1860 to 1950 it was still barren to the extreme.