r:':'V opo of forr own blood. The father will not take them. We hold them a number ot years back, has afforded many of the prejudices of the Indians, noticing the activity of his son's mind, and yourselves in equal contempt." the only retreat to travellers, to- be against the teachers of the white tOoW him {d Canada, before he wa» For a short period after the war, found between St. Peter's and the man's religion. ten years of, age and placed him un­ the subject of this memoir, resided in British posts, a distance of 700 miles. It would be improper to conclude der .the tuition of a; Priest of Rome, Canada, and received the half pay of The liberal and untiring hospitality this article without some remarks ^lis instructor . appears to. have been a British Captain. He next entered dispensed by this respectable family, upon the religious character of Ren- both a kind and -good man, and from the service of the Hudson's Bay Com­ the great influence exercised by it ville. him, he obtained a slight knowledge pany, whose posts extended to the over the Indians of this country, in the Like Nicodemus, one of the rulers of of the French language, and the ele­ Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. In maintainence of peace and the pro­ Israel, he loved to inquire in relation ments of the Christian religion. winter he resided with his family a- tection of. travellers, would demand to spiritual things. Of independent ; Before he attained to manhood, he mong the Dakotas. In suinmer he beside our gratitude, some special ac­ mind, he claimed and exercised the Ifiras brought back to the Dakota land, visited his trading posts, which ex­ knowledgment of the United States, right of private judgment in matters and was called to mourn the death of tended as far arthe sources of the i and also from the Hudson's Bay Com­ ol faith. his father. • • _ Red river. i pany." Years before there was a clergy­ t At that time, there was a British In 1819 Col. Snelling, commenced j The only traveller that has ever man in Minnesota he took his Indian officer by the name of Dickson, who the crection of the massive stone fort, • given any testimony opposed to this, wife to Prairie du Chien and was mar-_ Uyed in what is now Minnesota, who at the junction of the Mississippi and | is Featherstonliaugh, a dyspeptic and ried in accordance with Christian was in the employ of an English Fur Minnesota. From this time Renville I growling Englishman, whose book, rites, by a minister of the Roman Company. "Knowing that young Ren­ became more acquainted with the! published in London in 1847, and Church. Before he became acquain­ ville was energetic, he employed him people of the United States, and some! styled a "Canoe voyage up tlus Min- ted with missionaries he sent to New as a "coureur des bois." While a of his posts being within the limits of j nay Sotor," betrays a filthy imagina­ York, for a large folio Bible in the mere stripling, he had guideq his ca­ the Republic, and there being great < tion. He remarks : French language, and requested those noe from the Falls 6f Pokeguma, to commotion in thf Hudson's Bay Com- "On reaching the Fort, Renville connected with him in the fur trade the Falls of Sk Anthony, and followed^any, he with several other experi advanced and saluted me, but not cor­ to procure for him, a clerk who could i.L_the trails efrom Mendotai .to .ithe *tMissou enced trappers, established a new dially. He was a dark, Indian-look­ read it. After the commencement of ri. He knew by heart the legends of company in 1822, which they called ing person, showing no white blood, the Mission at Lac-qui-Parle, his wife Winona, and Ampato Sapawin, and the Columbia Fur Company. Of this short iri his stature, with strong fea­ was the first full Dakota, that joined Hogan-wanke-kin. __ new organization he was the presiding tures, and coarse black hair." * * the Church of Christ, of whom we He had distinguished himself as a genius. When Major Long arrived at; * * * * * * * "I learnt that have any record. brave, andjilso become identified with Fort Saint Anthony, as Snelling was! Renville entertained a company of In 1841, he was chosen and ordain­ the Dakotas more fully by following then called, in the year 1823, he be- j stout Indians to the number of fifty, in ed a ruling Elder, and from that time, in the footsteps of his father, and pur­ came acquainted with Renville, and ; a skin lodge behind his house, of ex­ till his death, discharged the duties of chasing a wife of that nation. At the engaged him as the interpreter of the , traordinary dimensions, whom he calls the office in a manner acceptable and breaking out of the last war with expedition to explore the Minnesota,! his braves, or soldiers. To these men profitable both to the native members Great Britain, Col. Dickson was em­ and Red River of the North. i he confided various trusts, and occa­ of the Church, and the Mission. ! ! ployed by that governmentyto hire the The Historian of the expedition, sionally sent them to distant points to After a sickness of some days, in 1 warlike tribes of the Northwest, to Pro>esSoVgave to the world, transact his business. March, 1846, his strong frame began "g t against the United States. Ren- j Qne Qj- ^|ie mos^ interesting accounts of No doubt he was a very intriguing to give evidence of speedy decay. v'He received from him the appoint- > the Dakota nati that ever been person and uncertain in his attach­ He was aware that he was soon to ment and rank of Captain m the Brit-. pUblis|lecl? and he states that for mosti ments. Those who knew him inti­ take ish army, and with warriors from the j of lhe information he is indebted to mately, supposed him inclined to the "His chamber in the silent halls of Wabashaw, Kaposia, and other bands j the sulject of tl.is sketch. Shortly af-' British allegiance, although he profes­ death," but he knew "in whom he had of Dakotas, he marched to the AAe.r- j ter the Columbia Fur Companv com: ses great attachment to the American believed," and went, ican frontier. In 1813 he was pies-: rnencel its operations, the American government, a circumitance however, "Not, like the quarry-slave, at night, ent at the siege of Fort Meigs. One : Flir Cl ' nv of New York. of which ; which did .not prevent him from be­ Scourged to his dungeon; but sustaind and atternoon, while he was seated with | John Jbcob ^gtor was one of the di_ i ing under the surveillance of the gar­ soothed, Wabashaw, and the renowned Petit j rectorl> not wishin!? any rivals in the rison at Fort Snelling." Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch Corbeau, the grandfather of-the pres-j trade, purchased their posts, and £W1 j He was also a friend to the Mis­ About hint, and lies down to pleasant ent chief of the Kaposia band, |in In- . wj]|^ aktj retained the "coureurs des i sionary of the Cross. dreams chan presented himself, and told the j ^0jg » | Until about the year 1834, no min­ Sixty-seven years passed by, be­ chiefs that they were wa'nted by the i Tt j ^ • i. r» ' ister of the Church, made arrange­ fore he closed his eyes upon the world. head men of the other nations that; th» "'w .minB?men , Ken- The citizens of Kentucky delight in were ther. congregated. r I vile mnoyed to Lac-,,,,,-Parle, and ments to devote his life to the spiritual ,v, .. _ • j . ji„ „ erected a trading house, and here he and temporal welfare of the Dakotas. the mSemory of Daniel Boone ; let the - When they arrived at tfie rendez- ... » , ' In the year 1687 and 89f Father citizens of Minnesota, not forget Jo­ 1 , nt,1 l of vom, they were surprised to find that ' | "? 1. I Marest and another Jesuit, made some seph Renville. the Winnebagoes had taken an Araer- j »*_>"> "»»=>«'« .• ° j L- la halt century amoncj the Daicotas, excursions among thein, and one of The writer is well aware, that the ican captive, anu after roasting hnn, • , . J .•-» , . '; , i • i• . i • i ,1 • „ „„„ . over whom he exercised an unboun- them t6!d the historian Charlevoix deceased had some defects of charac­ had apportioned his body, mas man\1 , , , , . .. ... that he regretted that he did not suc­ ter, which made him appear double- • j- i. it- J, >*• i"i ded control, it was not surprisingr s that, dishes, as there were nations, and hadi I ceed in establishing a mission. He minded or unstable, if not double- invited them to participate in the feast. !", anced age e sometimes ex-: f describes them as docile, gentle' and faced, but he has borne in mind the Both the chiefs and Renville, "blt5(1 a dom.neermj d, p°,,t,o„ As s intelligent. A very few years after, trite maxim indignant at tins inhumanity, and Col. i °"? ls «"•»<*<"« . »l>ould "De mortuis, nil nisi bonum."f on the opinion of Marest was entirely Dickson, being informed of tli. fact, tfe " f S'v«»'.o hospital,ty. Saint Paul. ) ., ./ i " ,i „ i, I He invariably showed himself to be a j changed. In a letter dated Nov.