of Steamboating on the Missouri River Colonel Chittenden weaves his story around the life of Joseph LaBarge, and makes a hero of him. While Joseph was older and was the head and front of the LaBarge interests, still John was a steamboat pilot and captain whom everyone looked up to. In my opinion he was as good a pilot as any the river ever had. He was a man of undoubted veracity and good character, too.

Joseph was a large, portly man. He used glasses and always wore a beard. He was a man of few words, much more dignified and reserved than John, who for this very reason was the more popular.

Among the first men I met after I came to Sioux City was Dr. John K. Cook. He was a man of splendid physique, an Englishman by birth, educated as a physician. He came here in the early days as a Deputy United States Surveyor. It was said that he came to this country for the purpose of joining the Mormons, but of this I have never seen any definite proof. He was a man of good habits, considering that everyone on the frontier drank whisky and chewed and smoked tobacco; all of which he did, but with moderation.

Cook was the first postmaster of Sioux City, and it was said that he had his office in his hat and handed out letters to the citizens whenever he happened to meet them on the streets. I can't vouch for the truth of this statement, for when I came here Mr. [S. T.] Davis was assistant postmaster, and whenever the mail came in he blew a horn and we all went at once to the postoffice, on Second street, between Pearl and Water, and the mail was distributed.

At this time Cook was about fifty years old and a married man. He was easy-going in his habits and very popular. For a number of years he was the only practicing physician here, and was very successful. I doubt if he ever made out a bill in his life. He was not much of a surveyor, though he did plat the first edition of Sioux City. He was a member of the first company which owned the town. His share was one-eighth. He disposed of his interest too soon, and hence did not make much out of it.

Probably the oldest settler within the present limits of Sioux City was Theophile Bruguier, a French Canadian, who lived

on the river here for several years prior to the founding of Sioux City. From Canada he went to St. Louis, where he entered into the service of Pierre Chouteau [Sr.] and became a fur trader, his field of operations being the Upper Missouri. He became very intimate with the Indians, in fact he practically lived as an Indian until the whites came to this locality in large enough numbers to plant a colony.

Long before the Indians left this vicinity Bruguier settled at the mouth of the Big Sioux. This was about 1849. He had married a daughter of War Eagle, chief of the Yankton Sioux, and when she died he married a second daughter. War Eagle lived with him till he (War Eagle) died, whereupon he was buried upon the bluff along the Big Sioux, this side of Bruguier's place. Bruguier had lots of children, half-breeds of course, but they turned out to be the worst kind of Indians. Sometime after the whites came Bruguier went to St. Louis and married a French woman. He brought her up here and lived with her till he died. She made him a good wife.

Bruguier was a large man, with black hair and beard. He was careless in his dress. His education had been neglected. He was a good-hearted man, but his ideas of right and wrong were peculiar. They were not as well defined as they should have been, but it cannot be said that the frontier was the best place in the world to develop morals. Those pioneers, many of them still living, but rapidly falling off, who came through it all morally sound, were true men, indeed.

Bruguier was a sociable man, rather talkative. I think he was a little inclined to paint his stories to suit the occasion at hand. He especially liked to tell what "I done to the Injuns." One of the most influential men in Sioux City when I came was J. B. S. Todd, early settler, trader, land speculator, politician and soldier. He was elected first mayor of Sioux City, but did not serve. Later he moved across the Big Sioux, his object being to get land in Dakota and become rich by holding it. He had seen land values rise in Iowa and expected the same to occur in Dakota. They sent him to Congress as the first delegate from Dakota Territory, after its organization in 1861. He didn't stay long, but soon came back, appointed a Brigadier General by President Lincoln. Todd was a demo

crat in politics, but supported President Lincoln, who was a relative of his by marriage.

Todd was in partnership with a man of means who lived in St. Louis. The firm name was Frost, Todd & Co. They had stores at Sioux Point, across the Big Sioux, at Vermillion, at Yankton Agency and Fort Randall.

Todd was a tall man, but slender. His health was not good. He had been sickly from birth. He wore while here a full beard, reddish in color, like his hair. Educated at West Point he was a very capable man. He always passed as a gentleman, was sociable and very popular. His one fault was a common one here at that time, he couldn't let whisky alone.

OLD LETTERS.

EDITED BY WILLIAM SALTER.

I.

GEORGE DAVENPORT TO GEORGE W. JONES.

George Davenport was born in England. Came to the United States in 1804; served in the United States army, 180515; came to Rock Island, 1816, where he built a tradinghouse and was an Indian trader for the American Fur Company. In 1835 George W. Jones was delegate to Congress from Michigan Territory, to which what is now Iowa was attached by act of Congress, June 28, 1834. In 1836-'8, he was delegate to Congress from Wisconsin Territory, which then extended from Lake Michigan to the Missouri river.1 The following is a literal transcript of the letters:

Rock Island, Illinois

Dec. 20, 1835

To the Honble

Geo. W. Jones

House of Representatives

Washington City

Dear Sir:

Keokuk the principle chief of the Sac & Foxes has had a letter mail to Govoner Reynolds requesting him to lay it before the presi

1 Annals, First Series, I, 99; Third Series, III, 392. The "Flint Hill Settlement" was what is now Burlington.

dent wishing to sell his reserve on the Ioway River. You cannot confer a greater favour on the settlers of your territory, than by advocating its purchase, it will be nessary for Congress to make an aproperation for the purchase.

Keokuk and the chiefs wish verrey much to visite Washington City and make sale of the reserve to commissioners appointed at that place. They wish to visite the United States at their own expence paying it out of the money they are to receive for their lands, rather than not be permited to come on. You will oblige me

if you will forward the wish of the Indians, it will be the greatest benefit you can confer on your frendes in the Territory and particularly flint hill Settlement, as the country is valuable and verrey much wanted by the Settlers.

Will you please to confer with Gov. Reynold on the subject, who is verrey friendly to the Indians and a well wisher to the prosperity of our western territory

I am Respect'ly your friend

GEO. DAVENPORT.

Washington City

Feb. 6, 1837.

Honbl Geo. W. Jones

Sir.

I understand that two Indians is hear Belongin to a small band of Indians of the Sac Tribe that left the nation some years since and now reside on the Missouri

I am informed that thay want the government to assign part of the annuertys Belongin to the nation to them.

The Chiefs of the Sac & Fox nation have been making application for the last five years for premission from the government to com on to Washington City to Settle the question respecting their treateys and Boundrey lines, but goverment has from time to time refused them premission, and the agent and Others advised them not to go to Washington without premission. that the goverment would not councel or receve them if they did.

This being the impression on the minds of the Sac & Fox Chiefs they would think it unjust for the department to make aney alterations respecting their annuertys without their consent.

be pleased to impress uppon the department the properiety of Referring the complaint of those Indians to Govnor Doge Superintendant of Indian affairs, whear the depitation of the Sac of the Missouri could meet the chiefs of the Sac & Foxes and the settlement made in this maner would be satisfactory to the nation, but I hope the department will do nothing to affect the rights of the Sac

& Fox nation without giving the chiefs an opportunity to be heard, not one of the band thats on the Missouri was a party in making the treaty for which those annuertys is paid to the nation.

Respectfully your Ob. Ser.

GEO. DAVENPORT.

II.

HENRY DODGE TO JEREMIAH SMITH.

Jeremiah Smith was a member of the last legislature of Michigan Territory, which met at Green Bay, and of the first legislature of Wisconsin Territory, which held its first session at Belmont. It was upon his promise to erect at Burlington a suitable building for the next session of the Territorial legislature of Wisconsin, that the legislature voted to meet there. He put up the building in 1837 at his own expense, and the legislature met therein until it was destroyed by fire on a wintry night. Congress voted an appropriation to reimburse him for the loss, but another man of his name got off with the money. He had been an Indian trader, and was present at the treaty made by Governor Dodge with the Sacs and Foxes, Sept. 28, 1836, by which they sold to the United States their reserve on the Iowa river, and they agreed to pay out of their annuities in the course of ten years what they owed to various traders, including Jeremiah Smith. He had a farm immediately west of the original boundary of Burlington, over which the city has since been extended. Black Hawk was a visitor there the year before his death; the cabin in which he was entertained still stands in the rear of the home of Mrs. Amelia Hay, 2700 West Avenue, the eldest daughter of Jeremiah Smith, born in Burlington, April 18, 1835.

Major Jeremiah Smith

Sir

Superintendency of Indian Affairs for the Territory of Wisconsin Mineral Point, June 7, 1837.

Burlington, Des Moines Co., W. T.

The Senate of the United States having confirmed and ratified the Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes of the 28th September, 1836, with an amendment to the Second article thereof providing for the payment of $48,458 87-100 to enable said Indians to pay such debts as may