Three Score Years and Ten | Page 9

as it floated on the breeze and to feel no harm could
come to us under the "Star Spangled Banner."
The only white people within three hundred miles were shut within that
hollow square, a community, dependent largely on each other for all the
little every-day kindnesses and amenities which make life enjoyable,
having no regular intercourse with the civilized world, except by mail,
which at first was received semi-annually, after a while quarterly, and
for many years not more frequently than bi-monthly. For a long while it
was brought from Prairie du Chien by an Indian on a pony, and there is
no record of any unfaithfulness on the part of our dusky carrier. But
those who enjoy daily mails know little of the excitement and tearful
gratitude of those pioneers at Fort Snelling when the announcement
was made, "The mail has arrived." Isolated as we were from the
privileges and recreations and distractions of town or city, we were
drawn very closely together, were, in fact, like one large family, and
news for one was news for all. We really "shared each other's pleasures
and wept each other's tears," and there was great rejoicing in the fort
over news from "home." I have in my possession a collection of letters

from General Gibson, Commissary General of Subsistence, received by
my father, which are interesting relics of those eventful years of
privation and hardship, of which the soldier of the present day can have
but a faint conception.
The first few letters are directed to St. Louis, to be forwarded to the
Fifth Regiment, wherever it might be; one or two are in regard to
furnishing rations to Indians who may visit the agencies of the United
States on business or otherwise, and authorizing the Commissary to
issue rations to them on the requisition of the Indian agents. I find here
a letter of instruction from the War Department to General Gibson, and
insert it, as indicating the policy of the Government in regard to the
Indians:
"Sir: It is customary for the Government to furnish rations to the
Indians who may visit the agencies of the United States upon business
or otherwise, and I have to request that you will direct the officers of
your department, stationed at posts in the vicinity of the agencies at
Fort Wayne, Piqua, Chicago, Green Bay and Mitch-ele-mack-i-nack[A]
to issue rations on the returns and requisitions of the Indian agents at
those places. The requisitions in every case must be accompanied by a
return of the number of Indians to be furnished, and both must be filed
with the account of the officer making the issue to obtain a credit for
the amount of settlement.
I am, etc., J. C. CALHOUN.
To Colonel George Gibson, Com. Gen. of Subsistence."
This letter is dated August 30th, 1819, before the troops had reached
the mouth of the St. Peters, and was intended, no doubt, as a guide to
the officers in their dealing with the Indians.
In the list of rations to be issued to the command, I notice that whisky
has its place, and in turning over the leaves of this manuscript book, I
find a letter from an officer of the army, Captain J. H. Hook, on duty at
Washington, D. C., making various inquiries of my father relative to
the condition of the troops, the best way of issuing rations, the best and

most desirable articles as rations, the wastage of each article, the
precaution to guard against wastage, etc.
One inquiry will be interesting, in the light of the present feeling on the
temperance question: "First--Would not, in your opinion, the service be
benefitted by dispensing with the whisky ration? Second--Could the
soldier be brought to submit cheerfully to the privation?"
This suggestion seems to have been acted upon, for I see a general
order dated May 11th, 1820, to the effect that "the President was
authorized to make such alterations in the component parts of the
rations as a due regard to health and comfort may require; and it is
hereby ordered that hereafter no issues of whisky will be made to boys
under eighteen or to women attached to the army." In the case of
soldiers on "extra duty," each was to receive one gill a day, and I
distinctly recall the demijohn with the gill cup hanging on its neck, and
the line of "extra duty men" who came up each morning for their
perquisite. In those days there seemed nothing wrong in this; but, with
the added light and wisdom of sixty years, all right-minded people
would now regard it as every way evil.
I find a letter concerning a contract with Joseph Rolette, of Prairie du
Chien, for furnishing the troops at Fort Snelling with fresh beef.