James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 1

by Edwin James; Stephen H. Long; Thomas Say

A party of Sioux visited us on the 15th of November, to view the steam-boat. As Major Long had left orders to put the steam machinery in action occasionally, in order to preserve it from rust, Lieutenant Graham concluded to exhibit the boat with the engine in action. The Indians[pg264] hesitated to enter the boat, fearing, as they said, that it was, or that it contained some great medicine of the Big-knives that might injure them. But when on board and at their ease, one of them observed doubtingly, {161} "he hardly thought the Big-knives had any medicine to hurt them." They appeared much delighted with the boat; its size seemed to surprise them, several measured the width of the deck by straddling, instead of pacing as we do. We exhibited to them the air-gun, magnet, &c. which considerably excited their attention. Two of the howitzers were discharged, loaded with case-shot; the effect produced, of the shot falling into the water, at unequal distances and times, was new and unexpected, and they covered their mouths with the hand, to express their astonishment. Of these warriors, three are Tetons, one a Yancton, and a Sa-ho-ne; three different tribes of the great Dacota or Sioux nation. They are fine looking men, with very prominent cheekbones. They are more attentive to their dress, and are much neater than the other Indians we have seen; though it is proper to observe that, as visitors, they are clothed in their best attire. They decorate their hair with a profusion of feathers of the war eagle, and of a species of owl which we have not seen. They also suspend in the headdress an entire skin of the paroquet. The hair is in great profusion, and is thrown upon the back in very long rolls; but upon close inspection, the greater portion of it is perceived to be false hair artificially attached to their own, the points of junction being indicated by small masses of clay, with which the attachment is effected. Two of these Tetons are inseparable friends, were raised together from their infancy, and although not allied by blood, there is a strong personal resemblance between them, which is not a[pg265] little enhanced by a studied similarity in dress and ornaments. These two individuals are firm friends to the whites. One of them was a few years since at the Sa-ho-ne village in company with a trader, and being invited to a feast, they had proceeded but a short distance, when a Sa-ho-ne rushed from his concealment and knocked the trader down with his war-club. The Teton immediately {162} attacked the assailant, felled him in his turn to the earth, gashed his body with the spear of his war-club and left him for dead. This is a strong evidence of the determination of the savages, as they are called, to protect those whom they consider under their guardianship. The Teton retaliated the blow given to the trader, not only at the immediate risk of his life in the combat, but of having to expiate the deed to many a kindred exasperated warrior, and also at the hazard of originating a war between the two bands.

In the course of the winter we received frequent supplies of provisions from Camp Missouri; and by means of some exertion and diligence in hunting, we were able to procure plenty of fresh venison and other game. For coffee we substituted the fruit of the gymnocladus canadensis, which afforded a palatable and wholesome beverage. The flesh of the skunk we had sometimes dressed for dinner, and found it a remarkably rich and delicate food.

On the 5th of December, the gentlemen of the party dined by invitation with Mr. M. Lisa.

The principal Ioway chief was once at our camp; he is a very intelligent Indian, with a solemn dignity of deportment, and would not deign to enter our houses or even to approach them until invited. He is said to have a more intimate knowledge of the manners of the whites, than any[pg266] other Indian of the Missouri, and to be acquainted with many of the words of our language, but will not willingly make use of them, fearing to express himself improperly, or not trusting to his pronunciation. He remained near Council Bluff in the autumn, in order to be present at the councils with the different nations, and to observe the conduct of the whites towards them respectively, a considerable time after his nation had departed down the river to their beaver trapping. After this he went with his family to the head waters of the Boyer, and during his stay there trapped sixty {163} beaver; when with us he was about to go in search of his people. He had three wives with him, one of whom appeared to be about nine or ten years of age, and whom we mistook for his daughter, until he undeceived us. We showed him our books of engravings, with which he was highly pleased. The Indians, almost all of them, delight to look over engravings, particularly those which represent animals; they are not soon fatigued when employed in this way.

This Indian is known by several names, as Grand Batture, Hard Heart, Sandbar, and in his own language, Wang-e-waha. During our late contest with Great Britain, he turned his back upon his nation, in consequence of their raising the tomahawk upon our citizens, and crossing the Missouri, united his destiny with the Otoes, who received and treated him with distinguished respect. Last autumn his nation joined him, and submitted to his guidance; so that the Otoes, Missouries, and Ioways were then united.

Some time since in a transaction with a captain, formerly of the United States' army, he thought himself grossly insulted, and demanded on the spot personal satisfaction,[pg267] agreeably to the custom of the whites, challenging his opponent to single combat, with pistols or such other weapons as he might choose.

He is esteemed the bravest and most intelligent of the Ioways, and amongst the Otoes he was associated with many equally brave with himself. But as there are national prejudices amongst the Indians as well as amongst the whites, he has not escaped from many a keen allusion to his nation. In a quarrel, which arose from some expressions of this nature, Ietan knocked him down with a war-club.

He has been in fifty battles, and has commanded in seven.

He says the white people often request the Indians to abstain from war, and yet the white people continue {164} to fight each other, as if they wished to monopolize the occupation of war, and thereby deprive the Indian of his principal avenue to honour and dignity.

Several Omawhaws, who have been trapping in the country opposite to Blackbird-hill, remained with us last night. The principal one, A-ha-ga-nash-he, or the Upright Horn, has a rather handsome Sioux squaw, to whom he appears to be much attached, paying her great attention in conversation, giving her a portion of his whiskey, and handing her the pipe to smoke. She is, however, not exempted from the ordinary employments of the Indian women, and we had an opportunity to-day of seeing her depart from Mr. Lisa's with a heavy load, consisting of the goods which her husband had received in exchange for his beaver, on her back, whilst he carried only a keg of whiskey slung over his shoulders, and his gun and hunting apparatus. Previously to the departure of the Omawhaws from[pg268] our establishment this morning, the brother of one of them, who, report said, had been killed by the Sioux, arrived; he has been with about ten lodges, (about twenty men) of his tribe trapping on the Elk Horn, and they had taken about two hundred beavers. He has taken sixty himself, of which he presented his elder brother twenty, and is on his way to Mr. Lisa, to have a trader with merchandize sent to his party to deal for the skins. It is a singular circumstance, that this is the second instance of these two brothers meeting in this vicinity, after the one had been supposed to have been killed by the Sioux.