Edward Duffield Neill

The History of Minnesota; from the Earliest French Explorations to the Present Time... Edward Duffield Neill

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1858 edition. Excerpt: ... Dahkotahs, who would have attacked them, if a detachment of troops had not arrived from the fort. A rumour reaching Penneshaw's village that he had been killed at the falls, his mother seized an Ojibway maiden, who had been a captive from infancy, and, with a tomahawk, cut her in two. Upon the return of the son in safety he was much gratified at what he considered the prowess of his parent. LONG'S EXPLORATION OF MINNESOTA RIVER. 341 CHAPTER XVII. The interesting information procured by the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the tributaries of the Missouri and Rocky Mountains, and that of Governor Cass through the north-eastern district of Minnesota, induced the United States government to send an expedition to explore the Minnesota river, and the country situated on the northern boundary of the United States between the Red river of Hudson's Bay, and Lake Superior. The command of the expedition was intrusted to Major Stephen H. Long, and the scientific corps attached were Thomas Say, zoologist and antiquary, William H. Keating, mineralogist and geologist, Samuel Seymour, landscape painter and designer. Late at night, on the second of July, 1823, they arrived at Mendota opposite the fort, and slept in the open air. On the morning of the third, Colonel Snelling and the five companies of the 5th Infantry, within the fort, were much surprised by the appearance of the exploring party; and, on the afternoon of the ninth of July, they commenced the exploration of the valley of the Minnesota. Joseph Renville, a bois brule, after whom one of the counties of the state is named, acted as interpreter and guide; and Joseph, a son of Colonel Snelling, was assistant interpreter, and Beltrami, the Italian refugee, was permitted to accompany the party. To...