forced to seek a resting-place in this Great American Desert; and this, in all probability, will form a new era in the history of this singular and ill-fated race. They will remain a wandering, half civilized, though happy people. ‘Their flocks and herds will cover a thousand hills,’ and will furnish beef and mutton for a portion of the dense population of whites that will swarm in the more fertile sections of the great valley of the Mississippi.”
This line, recommended by Mr. Mitchell, runs just east of Dakota, through the extreme eastern portion of Nebraska, a little to the cast of the middle of Kansas, through the middle of Indian Territory and Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and New Mexico, all lie west of it.
The records of the War Department for 1846 contain an interesting account of a visit made to all the wild tribes of the Upper Missouri Agency—the Yankton Sioux, the Arrikarees, Mandans, Assinaboines, Arapahoes, Cheyennes, and others. In reply to the agent’s remonstrances with one of the Sioux chiefs in regard to their perpetual warring with each other, the chief “was very laconic and decided, remarking ‘that if their great-grandfather desired them to cease to war with their enemies, why did he not send each of them a petticoat, and make squaws of them at once?’ ” This same chief refused to allow the boys of his tribe to go to the Choctaw schools, saying, “They would return, as the few did who went to St. Louis, drunkards, or die on the way.”
The Cheyennes and other Indians living on the Platte complained bitterly of the passage of the emigrants through their country. They said they ought to be compensated for the right of way, and that the emigrants should be restricted by law and the presence of a military force from burning the grass, and from unnecessary destruction of game. They were systematically plundered and demoralized by traders. Whiskey was to be had without difficulty; sugar and coffee were sold
