1828 – Letter from Joseph Rolette at Prairie du Chien, Michigan Territory to Pierre Chouteau in St. Louis, the two most important agents of John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Trading Company, reporting that “the Indians are peaceful altho’ intrusions” have been made into “ their lands in search of mineral oar.”
Prairie du Chien, Michigan Territory: 1828. Envelope or Cover.
This four-page stampless letter has one page of text and measures 16” x 10” unfolded. It is datelined “Prairie du Chien 20th Jany 1828” and bears a very fine example of a scarce Michigan Territory, manuscript postmark (see ASCC Vol 1 p 177) with an accompanying “25” manuscript rate mark. It was sent by Joseph Roletto to “Pierre Chouteau Esqr / Agent American Fur Co/St Louis/Missouri”. Splits along the letter’s folds have well-done transparent repairs and reinforcement with archival tape. Part of the letter is missing including some text, however, its content remains discernable.
Docketing, presumably in Chouteau’s hand reads, “Joseph Roletto/Prairie Du Chien, Jany. 20. 1828/Recd Feby 9/Answd Feby. 20. Feby 1828”.
The letter reads in part:
“Having borrowed twenty barrels of super fine flour to be returned early [next] Spring, I will thank you to . . . charge to upper M[ississippi] outfit 1827. . .. The Indians are peaceable altho’ intrusions direcly [made into] their lands in search of mineral oar.”
. Item #009982In the mid-1820s, lead was discovered in the Michigan Territory (today, southwestern Wisconsin) and white miners began to flock into Ho-Chunk territory.
Although relations between the groups remained mostly peaceful, shortly before this letter was written, Redbird, a Ho-Chunk leader and three companions massacred two settlers and scalped a twelve-month old infant while in a drunken rage fueled by a mistaken belief that two tribal members had been hung for an earlier murder. Later, he and 40 warriors attacked a keelboat killing some of its crew.
In response, 580 soldiers under the command of General Henry Atkinson were sent up the Mississippi River to Prairie du Chien from Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. Other Ho-Chunk leaders, having no desire for war, met with Atkinson and subsequently forced Redbird and his three companions to surrender. Redbird was imprisoned, his companions were pardoned, and a peace treaty was signed.
The Ho-Chunk peacefully resisted later attempted relocations; rather than fight, the bands simply returned to their homeland following each relocation until the government finally gave up and allowed those who wanted to remain in Wisconsin to do so.
(For more information see, Banta’s “A History of Jefferson Barracks, 1826-1860,” King’s “Lead, Land, and Cranberries: The Ho-Chunk Experience in the 19th Century,” and the Wisconsin Historical Society’s “Red Bird, Ho-Chunk chief, 1788 – 1828” all available online.”)
An exceptionally scarce early letter between two giants of the fur trade made more significant by its report that the Ho-Chunk uprising had subsided. At the time of listing, nothing similar is for sale in the trade. Rare Book Hub reports another Rolette-Chouteau letter sold at a Spink Shreves auction in 2010. No letters are reported by OCLC, but it is likely some are present in collections of American Fur Company papers located at several institutions.
Unfortunately, missing a small section of text, so priced accordingly.
.Price: $650.00