Introduction by Peter Matthiessen
Suggestions for Further Reading
Editor's Note
Letter No. 1
Wyoming, birth-place of the Author. His former ProfessionFirst cause of his Travels to the Indian CountryDelegation of Indians in PhiladelphiaFirst start to the Far West, in 1832. Probable extinction of the Indians. Former and present number ofThe proper mode of approaching them, and estimating their character.
Letter No. 2Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri, 1832
Mouth of Yellow Stone. Distance from St. LouisDifficulties of the MissouriPoliteness of Mr. Chouteau and Major SanfordFur Company's FortIndian EpicuresNew and true School for the ArtsBeautiful Models.
Letter No. 3Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Character of Missouri River. Beautiful prairie shores. Picturesque clay bluffs. First appearance of a steamer at the Yellow Stone, and curious conjectures of the Indians about it. Fur Company's Establishment at the mouth of Yellow StoneM'KenzieHis table and politeness. Indian tribes in this vicinity.
Letter No. 4Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Upper Missouri IndiansGeneral character. BuffaloesDescription of. Modes of killing themBuffalo-hunt.
Letter No. 5Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Author's painting-room, and characters in it. Blackfoot chief. Other Blackfoot chiefs, and their costumes. Blackfoot woman and child. Scalps, and objects for which takenBlackfoot bows, shields, arrows and lances. Several distinguished Blackfeet.
Letter No. 6Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Medicines or mysteriesmedicine bagorigin of the word medicine. Mode of forming the medicine-bag. Value of the medicine-bag to the Indian, and materials for their construction. Blackfoot doctor or medicine-manhis mode of curing the sick. Different offices and importance of medicine-men.
Letter No. 7Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Crows and Blackfeetgeneral character and appearance. Crow lodge or wigwam. Striking their tents and encampment moving. Mode of dressing and smoking skins. CrowsBeauty of their dressesHorse-stealing or capturing.
Letter No.8Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Further remarks on the CrowsExtraordinary length of hair. Crow and Blackfeet womenTheir modes of dressing and painting. Differences between the Crow and Blackfoot languages. Different bandsDifferent languages, and numbers of the Blackfeet. KnisteneauxAssinneboins, and Ojibbeways. OjibbewaysChief and wife. Assinneboins, a part of the Sioux. Wi-jun-jon (a chief) and wife. His visit to Washington.
Letter No. 9Mouth of Yellow Stone, Upper Missouri
Contemplations of the Great Far West and its customs. March and effects of civilization.
Letter No. 10Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Voyage from Mouth of Yellow Stone down the river to MandansCommencementLeave M'Kenzie's Fort. Assinneboins encamped on the riverWi-jun-jon lecturing on the customs of white peopleMountain-sheep. War-eaglesGrizzly bears. Clay bluffs. Grizzly bear and cubsCourageous attackCanoe robbed. Voluptuous scene of wild flowers, buffalo bush and berries. Adventure after an elkWar-party discovered. Magnificent scenery in the "Grand Detour." Antelope shooting. "Grand Dome." Prairie dogsVillage.
Letter No. 11Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
LocationVillage. Former locations, fortification of their villageDescription of village and mode of constructing their wigwams. Description of interiorBedsWeaponsFamily groups. Indian garrulityJokesFire-side fun and story-telling. Causes of Indian taciturnity in civilized society.
Letter No. 12Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Bird's-eye view of the village. The "big canoe"Medicine-lodgeA strange medley. Mode of depositing the dead on scaffolds. Respect to the deadVisiting the deadFeeding the deadConverse with the deadBones of the dead.
Letter No. 13Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
The wolf-chiefHead-chief of the tribe. Mandans' personal appearancePeculiaritiesComplexion. "Cheveux gris." Hair of the menHair of the women. Bathing and swimming. Mode of swinningSudatories or vapour baths.
Letter No. 14Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Costumes of the MandansHigh value set upon themMade of war-eagles' quills and ermine. Head-dresses with horns. A Jewish customPortrait of Mah-to-toh-pa.
Letter No. 15Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Astonishment of the Mandans at the operation of the Author's brush. The Author installed medicine or medicine-man. Crowds around the AuthorCuriousity to see and to touch him. Superstitious fears for those who were painted. Objections raised to being painted. The Author's operations opposed by a Mandan doctor, or medicine-man, and how brought over.
Letter No. 16Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
An Indian beau or dandy. A fruitless endeavour to paint one. Mah-to-toh-pa (the four bears), second chief of the tribeThe Author feasted in his wigwam. Viands of the feast. Pemican and marrow-fatMandan poetryRobe presented. Mah-to-toh-pa's exploits in battle.
Letter No. 17Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
PolygamyReasons and excuses for it. Marriages, how contractedWives bought and sold. Paternal and filial affectionVirtue and modesty of womenEarly marriagesSlavish lives and occupations of the Indian women. Pomme blancheDried meatCachesModes of cooking, and times of eatingAttitudes in eating. Separation of males and females in eatingthe Indians moderate eatersSome exceptions. Curing meat in the sun, without smoke or saltThe wild Indians eat no salt.
Letter No. 18Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Indian dancing"Buffalo dance." Discovery of buffaloesPreparations for the chaseStartA decoyA retreatDeath and scalping.
Letter No. 19Mandan Village, Upper Missouri>br> Game of Tchung-kee. FeastingFasting and sacrificingWhite buffalo robeits value. Rain making. "The thunder boat"The big double medicine.
Letter No. 20Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Mandan archery"Game of the arrow." Wild horsesHorse-racing. Foot war-party in council.
Letters No. 21 & No. 22Mandan Village, Upper Missouri
Mandan religious ceremoniesMandan religious creed. Three objects of the ceremony. Place of holding the ceremonyBig canoeSeason of commencingand manner. Opening the medicine lodgeSacrifices to the water. Fasting scene for four days and nights. "Great Medicine." Bel-lohck-nah-pick (the bull dance). Pohk-hong (the cutting or torturing scene). Eh-ke-nah-ka-nah-pick (the last race). Extraordinary instances of cruelty in self-torture. Sacrificing of the water. Tradition of O-kee-hee-de (the Evil Spirit). Mandans can be civilized. Origins of Mandans.
Letter No. 23Minataree Village, Upper Missouri
Location and numbersOrigin. Principal village. Vapour baths. Old chief, Black Moccasin. Two portraits, man and woman. Green corn dance.
Letter No. 24Minataree Village, Upper Missouri
Crows, in the Minataree village. Crossing Knife River in "bull boat"Swimming of Minataree girls. Grand buffalo surround. Cutting up and carrying in meat.
Letter No. 26Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Sioux (or Dah-co-ta). Fort Pierre. Mississippi and Missouri Sioux. Ha-wan-je-tah (chief). Puncahs, Shoo-de-ga-cha (chief) and wife. Four wives taken at once. Early marriagesCauses of.
Letter No. 27Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Custom of exposing the aged. A tedious march on foot. Level prairies"Out of sight of land"MirageLooming of the prairies. Turning the toes inBijou hillsSalt meadows.
Letter No. 28Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Difficulty of painting Indian women. Indian vanityWatching their portraitsArrival of the first steamer amongst the Sioux. Dog-feast.
Letter No. 29Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Voluntary torture, "looking at the sun." Religious ceremony. Smoking "k'nick-k'neck. Tomahawks and scalping knives. ScalpsMode of taking, and object. Modes of carrying and using the scalps.
Letter No. 30Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Smoking the shield. Bear dance. Beggar's danceScalp dance. Story of Little Bear and the Dog.
Letter No. 31Mouth of Teton River, Upper Missouri
Bisons (or buffaloes), description of. Habits of. Bulls' fightingBuffalo wallows. Running the buffaloes, and throwing the arrow. Buffalo chaseUse of the laso. Hunting under masque of white wolf skins. Horses destroyed in buffalo hunting. Buffalo calfMode of catching and bringing in. Immense and wanton destruction of buffaloes1,400 killed. White wolves attacking buffaloes. Contemplations on the probable extinction of buffaloes and Indians.
Letter No. 32Fort Leavenworth, Lower Missouri
Floyd's Grave. Black Bird's Grave. Beautiful grassy bluffs. Mandan remains. Mouth of Platte. Buffaloes crossing.
Letter No. 33Fort Leavenworth, Lower Missouri
Grouse shooting before the burning prairies. Prairie bluffs burning. Prairie meadows burning.
Letter No. 34Fort Leavenworth, Lower Missouri
Ioways. Konzas. Mode of shaving the head. Pawnees. Small-pox amongst Pawnees. Major Dougherty's opinion of the Fur Trade. Ottoes, Omahas.
Letter No. 35St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis. Loss of Indian curiosities, &c.Governor Clark.
Letter No. 36Pensacola, West Florida
Pensacola, Florida. Santa Rosa Island. Start for Camanchee country.
Letter No. 37Fort Gibson, Arkansas Territory
Transit up the Arkansas river. Fort Gibson, 1st regiment United States dragoons reviewed. Equipping and starting of Dragoons for the Camanchee country.
Letter No. 38Fort Gibson, Arkansas
Fort Gibson. Osages. Portraits of Osages. Former and present condition of.
Letter No. 39Mouth of False Washita, Red River
Mouth of the False Washita and Red River. Beautiful prairie country. Arkansas grapesPlumsWild roses, currants, gooseberries, prickly pears, &c. Buffaloe chase. Murder of Judge Martin and family.
Letter No. 40Mouth of False Washita
Sickness at the Mouth of False Washitaone-half of the regiment start for the Camanchees, under command of Col. Dodge. Sickness of General Leavenworth, and cause of.
Letter No. 41Great Camanchee Village
Great Camanchee village, Texas. A stampedo. Meeting a Camanchee war party, and mode of approaching them. They turn about and escort the Dragoons to their village. Immense herds of buffaloes. Buffaloes breaking through the ranks of the Dragoons regiment. Wild horsessagacity of. Taking the wild horse with laso, and "breaking down." Chain of the Rocky Mountain. Approach to the Camanchee village. Camanchee horsesprices of.
Letter No. 42Great Camanchee Village
Description of the Camanchee village, and view of. Wonderful feats of riding. Portraits of Camanchee chiefs. Estimates of the Camanchees. Pawnee Picts, Kiowas, and Wicos.
Letter No. 43Great Camanchee Village
The regiment advance towards the Pawnee villageDescription and view of the Pawnee village. Council in the Pawnee villageRecovery of the son of Judge Martin, and the presentation of the three Pawnee and Kiowa women to their own people. Return of the regiment to the Camanchee village. Pawnee Picts, portraits of.
Letter No. 44Camp Canadian, Texas
Camp CanadianImmense herds of buffaloesGreat slaughter of themExtraordinary sickness of the command. Suffering from impure watersickness of the men. Death of General Leavenworth and Lieutenant M'Clure.
Letter No. 45Fort Gibson, Arkansas
Return to Fort GibsonSevere and fatal sickness at that placeDeath of Lieutenant West. Death of the Prussian Botanist and his servant. Indian Council at Fort Gibson. Outfits of trading-parties to the CamancheesProbable consequences of. Curious minerals and fossil shells collected and thrown away. Mountain ridges of fossil shells, of iron and gypsum. Saltpetre, and salt.
Letter No. 46Alton, Illinois
The Author starting alone for St. Louis, a distance of 500 miles across the prairiesHis outfit. The Author and his horse "Charley" encamped on a level prairie. Riqua's village of Osages. Crossing the Osage. Boonville on the MissouriAuthor reaches Alton, and starts for Florida.
Letter No. 47Saint Louis
Kickapoos, portraits of. Weahs, portraits of. Potowatomies. Kaskasias. Peorias. Piankeshaws. Delawares. Moheconneuhs, or Mohegans. Oneidas. Tuskaroras. Senecas. Iroquois.
Letter No. 48St. Louis
Flatheads, Nez Perce. Flathead mission across the Rocky Mountains to St. LouisMission of the Reverends Messrs. Lee and Spalding beyond the Rocky Mountains. Chinooks, portraits. Process of flattening the head. Similar custom of ChoctawsChoctaw tradition. Character and disposition of the Indians on the Columbia.
Letter No. 49St. Louis
Shawanos. Shawnee prophet and his transactions. Cherokees. Creeks. Choctaws. Ball-play. A distinguished ball-player. ball up. Eagle dance. Tradition of the DelugeOf a future state. Origin of the Crawfish band.
Letter No. 50Fort Snelling, Fall of St. Anthony
Fort Snelling, near the Fall of St. AnthonyDescription of the Upper Mississippi. "Dubuque's Grave." Fall of St. Anthony. Fort Snelling. The Sioux.
Letter No. 51Fort Snelling, Fall of St. Anthony
Fourth of July at the Fall of St. Anthony, and ammusements. Dog dance of the Sioux. Chippeways making the portage around the Fall of St. Anthoy. Chippeway bark canoesMandan canoes of skinsSioux and Chippeway snow-shoes. Snow-shoe dances.
Letter No. 52Camp Des Moines
Prairie du Chien. Winnebagoes. Menomonies. Dubuque. Camp des Moines, and visit to Keokuck's village.
Letters No. 54 & No. 55Red Pipe Stone Quarry, Coteau des Prairies
Coteau des Prairies. Ravages of small-pox. Mackinaw and Sault de St. Marys. Catching white fishCanoe race. Voyage up the Fox river and down the Ouisconsin in bark canoe. Red Pipe Stone Quarry, on the Coteau des Prairies. Indian traditions relative to the Red Pipe Stone. The Author and his companion stopped by the Sioux, on their way, and objections raised by the Sioux.
Letter No. 56Rock Island, Upper Mississippi
The Author and his companion embark in a log canoe at "Traverse de Sioux." Ke-o-kuk. Slave-dance. "Smoking horses." Begging-dance. Sailing in canoesDiscovery-danceDance to the Berdashe. Dance to the medicine of the brave. Treaty with Sacs and FoxesStipulations of.
Letter No. 57Fort Moultrie, South Carolina
Fort MoultrieSeminoles. Florida WarPrisoners of warOsceola. Mickenopah. Death of Osceola.
Letter No. 58North Western Frontier
North Western Frontier. General appearance and habits of the North American Indians. Jewish customs and Jewish resemblances. Probable origin of the Indians. Languages. Government. Cruelties of punishments. Indian queries on white man's modes. Modes of war and peace. Pipe of peace dance. Religion. Picture writing and totems. Policy of removing the Indians. Trade and small-pox, the principal destroyers of the Indian tribes. Murder of the Root-Diggers and Riccarees. Concluding remarks.
Appendix
Index
List of Maps
Outline Map of Indian Localities in 1833
U. States Indian Frontier in 1840
The Moves of the Mandans and the Place of Their Extinction.
