A Mission to the Menominee: Alfred Cope's Green Bay Diary (Part III) Author(S): Alfred Cope Source: the Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol
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A Mission to the Menominee: Alfred Cope's Green Bay Diary (Part III) Author(s): Alfred Cope Source: The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 50, No. 2 (Winter, 1967), pp. 120-144 Published by: Wisconsin Historical Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4634223 Accessed: 24/03/2009 12:15 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=whs. 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Wisconsin Historical Society is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Wisconsin Magazine of History. http://www.jstor.org A MISSIONTO THE MENOMINEE: Alfred Cope's Green Bay Diary (Part III) Synopsis In the last issue of the Magazine (Autumn, 1966), Cope described his and Wistar's in- tense relief at discovering, in their dealings ON October 18, 1848, at a council held at with the twenty-six chiefs summoned to Fort their Lake Poygan headquarters, the Howard to a list of those who were to Menominee reduced in im- compile Indians, numbers, share in the $40,000, that the white stereo- and in the face of increas- poverished, helpless types of the Indian character, with which they ing white encroachment, were intimidated in- had been bombarded since their arrival in to to the federal the last ceding government Green Bay, did not hold true. Instead of find- tribal lands owned them or other In- by any ing the Indians childlike, indolent, unreliable, dians in the formed state of Wisconsin. newly and to chronic drunkenness, the two In subject return they were allotted a tract of 600,000 were struck the chiefs' and less desirable acres in Minnesota-to which Quakers by dignity intelligence, and above all, their to themselves- by sobriety. they reluctantly agreed deport Even Chief Oshkosh, whose alcoholic exploits and $350,000. Of this sum, and at their own were legendary, behaved in an exemplary man- $40,000 was to be distributed request, among ner throughout the negotiations. persons of mixed Menominee blood as a token This portion of Cope's diary opens as of the tribe's gratitude for favors. past Thomas Wistar is preparing to leave via stage- President Zachary Taylor, himself a veteran coach and steamer for New York, there to of the Black Hawk War and well aware of the pick up the $40,000 in gold and to bring it trickeries practiced on the Indians, appoint- back to Fort Howard. Left alone, unencum- ed Thomas Wistar, a wealthy, philanthropic bered by his official duties, Cope was free to Quaker to oversee the payment. Fortunately record at leisure his perceptive, and frequent- for history, Wistar chose Alfred Cope, like- ly witty, observations concerning the Wiscon- wise wealthy, humanitarian, and a devout sin countryside, Green Bay's raucous bull- Quaker of considerable literary ability, to frogs and formidable mosquitoes, the dress accompany him as his assistant. It is from and daily habits of the Menominee, and his Cope's diary, kept while the two men were at vivid, firsthand impressions of an Oneida Fort Howard in the late spring and early sum- Fourth of July celebration culminating in a mer of 1849 supervising the payment, that spirited game of lacrosse. this and the two previous installments are drawn. W.C.H. 120 COPE: MENOMINEE DIARY THE Sub-Indian Agent William H. Bruce, presented to him, and he appeared to think it who was to hold council on the 21st of necessary to ask them whether any such claims Sixth month with the c h i e f s relative to should be recognized. Claims for cattle, hogs, traders' claims, in the afternoon of that day &c., alleged to have been killed by their young made his appearanceat the Fort, accompanied men had likewise been set up, upon which he by his secretary', two interpreters,and a num- wanted them to sit in judgment. ber of the people of the town. He invited Oshkosh bluntly replied that they knew of Thomas Wistar to attend, but he declined on no cattle killed by their young men, but they being informed that they were not yet going had lost nearly all their own and had sent in into an examination of claims or an apportion- no claim for them. This money, they thought ment of the $30,0002-the only points to which was for traders. he had been to attention. requested give Then the agent wanted them to tell him, The then with his agent proceeded company as Government had not appropriated enough to the council and the Friends chamber, hoped to cover all their debts, how they meant to they would hear no more of the matter. But settle. The chiefs answered that there were before a came to their long messenger lodgings some traders entitled to particular favour, on from the council with an from urgent request account of their liberality and benevolence the Indians that he would come in. This was to them on certain occasions. irresistible. It was afterwards stated that the To this the he did not think chiefs had refused to enter agent objected: preemptorily upon that was the which claims the business without the of the Com- principle upon presence to be he the debts missioner. As the Friends were ought adjusted: thought inseparable should be rata: he wanted them to on these one was sent paid pro occasions, though only consider this. He then entered into a both went. regular for, the of his On the of the council the disquisition upon meaning Latin, opening agent which the Indians were as much edified made a discourse. The by long chiefs, deviating as one After a defi- from the had heretofore ob- might expect. labyrinthine courtesy they nition, to thread the mazes of which, must served, several times interrupted him with ob- have sorely perplexed the simple-minded bar- jections which he endeavoured to remove as barians, if indeed the interpreter had skill he went along. The traders' claims, as it ap- enough to lead them into it at all, the abstruse peared from his remarks, had been satisfied point was left about where it was found. They some years ago under the provisions of a however could understandwhat was meant by treaty made in 1836, up to that date. This giving each man a share in proportion to his council was held under the treaty of October, claim and agreed to it after a little explanation 1848. Yet some claims prior to the former by the interpreter. and subsequent to the latter date had been The agent then went on to tell the Menomi- nees a piece of news: the President had di- rected that this should be at the 1 money paid Bruce's secretary was Edward Outhwaite, de- council held for the of the scribed as "a young Englishman . educated in apportionment Paris, and p o s s e s s e d of a most extraordinary $40,000 and had given the Commissioner mind. His French was notably elegant." See $2,000, to bear the of it. Elizabeth Therese Baird, "Reminiscences of Life in expense Territorial Wisconsin," in State Historical Society This was about as new to the Commissioner of Wisconsin Collections (Madison, 1900), XV:225. as to the Indians. He added that the in the Account Book $30,000 Outhwaite is also mentioned had he kept by Alfred Cope, the original of which is in the not arrived, yet understood this Com- Quaker Collection, Haverford College. missioner was going away the next day. An- 2 In addition to $40,000 to be distributed among other council would, have to be the mixed-blood Menominee, the treaty of 1848 set therefore, aside another $30,000 to enable the tribe to settle its called, and he had no means of meeting the financial affairs before removal to Minnesota. This expense unless he should advance money of was understood to include claims against the tribe his which he would do if would made by traders, which Wistar describes as amount- own, they ing to $140,000. Wistar to Abram Taylor, June 19, repay him hereafter. Collec- 1849, in the Thomas Wistar Papers, Quaker This was a nice proposition. The Govern- tion, Haverford College. The letter was written from Green Bay. ment had frightened the Indians into selling 121 WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY WINTER, 1967 ALTHOUGH THE AGENT had left no 1N problem for the chiefs to solve they had one of their own, of deep interest to them- in their , selves, which they had been pondering ill(II% hearts ever since the Friends had been with them, but had as yet found no opportunity to unravel.