'Three Score Years and Ten': Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and Other; Parts of the WestVan Cleve, Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark
History
'Three Score Years and Ten': Life-Long Memories of Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and Other; Parts of the West
Van Cleve, Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark
Fort Snelling (Minn.); Frontier and pioneer life -- Minnesota
A wearisome stage journey of many days brought them to Buffalo, where,
after resting a short time, they embarked in schooners for Detroit on
the 1st of May, which city they reached in time to move forward with
the regiment by water to Green Bay; thence in batteaux they ascended
the Fox river to Lake Winnebago. Col. Leavenworth, then in command of
the regiment, having received instructions to conciliate the Indians,
and avoid everything which might arouse the opposition of these owners
of the soil, determined to stop at this point to hold a council with
them, and crave permission to proceed on their journey. This being
announced to the chiefs of the tribe, they assembled to hear what the
"white brother" had to say. The day was beautiful; the troops, all in
full uniform, "with bayonets glancing in the sun," made an imposing
display, and everything was done to render it a memorable and
impressive occasion. The ladies of the party--Mrs. Leavenworth, Mrs.
Gooding, with their young daughters, and Mrs. Clark, with her baby boy
were seated on the turf enjoying the novelty and beauty of the scene,
when some Indian women, attracted by the unusual sight, drew timidly
near and gazed in wonder at what they saw. One of the officers, Major
Marston, the wag of the party, learning that one of them was the head
chief's wife, desired to show her some distinguishing mark of respect,
and, leading her into the group of ladies, said, with due ceremony,
"This is the Queen, ladies; make room for the Queen;" but as this
specimen of royalty was almost too highly perfumed with a mingled odor
of fish and musk-rat to suit the cultivated taste of her entertainers,
they did not hail her advent with any marked enthusiasm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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