were not chiefs, and who were not authorized to make a grant. Among the Sioux of the River there are no such names.* "3. They say the Indians never received anything for the land, and they have no intention to part with it without a consideration. * * "4. They have, and ever have had, the possession of the land, and intend to keep it." * * * * * * * On January 23, 1823, the Committee on Public Lands reported to the Senate on the claim of CARVER's heirs, at some length. They argue that the purported grant has no binding effect on the United States, and give very satisfactory and conclusive reasons therefor―at too great length, however, to include in this paper. The prayer of the petitioners was, therefore, not granted. It is certain that CARVER'S American heirs always supposed, (and are said to this day to assert,) that they had a good title to the grant in question. Some of them have visited Saint Paul in their investigations of the subject. Numerous deeds for portions of the land were made at various times by CARVER's heirs or their assignees. In 1849, and a few years subsequent, when real estate agents throve in the infant city of Saint Paul, very many of these deeds were received by land dealers here, to “locate." Several of them are among the MSS. in the Library of the Historical Society. SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE CAVE. After the visit by CARVER, the cave remained unentered by the white man for nearly half a century. PIKE tried in vain to find it in 1806, but its entrance was stopped up. Maj. LONG succeeded in gaining an entrance to it in 1817. FEATHERSTONHAUGH, in 1835, found the entrance again closed up with debris. NICOLLET explored it in 1837, however, and says CARVER'S description of it was "accurate." Indeed, it is so accurate, that, at the present day, if one wished to describe it, he could do no better than use CARVER'S Own language. * CARVER only once, in the body of his work, mentions the chiefs whose signatures and "family coat of arms" are appended to the deed. On page 380, speaking of Indian nomenclature, he says: Thus, the great warrior of the Naudowessies was named, Ottahtongoomlisheah, that is, "The Great Father of Snakes;" ottah, being in English, father; tongoom, great; and lisheah, a snake. Another chief was called Honahpawjatin, which means, "A Swift Runner Over the Mountains." Carver's Cave is now the most interesting relic of antiquity in this region. Unfortunately, the spirit of progress and improvement has no veneration for historical associations, and the Saint Paul and Chicago Railroad, which runs along the bank of the river directly by the mouth of the cave, will doubtless ere long dig down the bluff, and thus destroy the cave. The centenary of CARVER's treaty with the Naudowessies was duly observed on May 1, 1867, by the members of the Minnesota Historical Society. They paid a visit to the cave in the daytime, and held a reunion in memory of CARVER at their rooms in the evening. The proceedings were printed in pamphlet form, subsequently, at the expense of GEO. W. FAHNESTOCK, of Philadelphia, an estimable gentleman of historical tastes, (now deceased,) who was present. CARVER'S PROPHESIES CONCERNING THIS REGION. CARVER was a man of keen perceptions and shrewd foresight. He hints in his work at the possibility of a ship canal from the Mississippi River to the Lakes, and was sanguine that this region would ultimately become populous and wealthy. He says: "To what power or authority this new world will become dependant, after it has arisen from its present uncultivated state, time alone can discover. But as the seat of empire, from time immemorial, has been gradually progressing toward the west, there is no doubt but that at some future period, mighty kingdoms will emerge from these wilderand stately palaces and solemn temples, with gilded spires reaching the skies, supplant the Indian huts, whose only decorations are the barbarous trophies of their vanquished enemies." nesses, Already events were transpiring, which led to a more rapid fulfillment of his vision, than perhaps he himself even anticipated. The disputes between the Colonies and England were fast culminating in open rebellion. While CARVER was absent in England, the REVOLUTIONARY WAR broke out, and all progress toward the settlement of this region was stayed for the time. The war virtually terminated in 1782, and, by the Treaty of Paris, 1783, the territory east of the Mis sissippi River was ceded and yielded up to the United States, which now took its place among the nations of the earth. On March 1, 1784, Virginia, which claimed what was afterwards known as the Northwest Territory, ceded all that district to the United States, and, three years later, the famous “Ordinance of 1787" was enacted by Congress, creating the "Northwest Territory." THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY. This vast domain, comprising the present noble States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota east of the Mississippi, was probably the finest body of land, of equal extent, on the globe. At that time there were scarcely a dozen settlements of whites in the whole domain. Its present population must be over 10,000,000. Wonderful has been the transformation of this great empire from barbarism to civilization, and in the brief space of 88 years. It has scarcely, if at all, a parallel in the world's history. Civil government was soon after established over the Territory, and it began rapidly to settle up. On May 7, 1800, Indiana Territory was created, embracing all of the previous Northwest Territory except the present State of Ohio, and, in 1805, Michigan Territory was formed, whose southern boundary ran from the Maumee Bay, on Lake Erie, westerly to the Mississippi River. Minnesota (east of the Mississippi) remained attached to Michigan until the formation of Illinois Territory in 1809, when it was included in the bounds of the latter, and so continued until 1819, when Illinois became a State. This region then fell again into the arms of Michigan Territory, and continued there until Wisconsin Territory was formed in 1836. CHAPTER IV. THE FIRST SETTLEMENT OF MINNESOTA. EXPLORATION BY LIEUT. PIKE-He selecTS THE SITE FOR FORT Snelling-Red RIVER COLONY FOUNDED-TROOPS ORDERED TO "SAINT PETER'S"--THEY BUILD FORT SNELLING-JOSEPH R. BROWN-RED RIVER REFUGEES SETTLE HERE— ARRIVAL OF FIRST STEAMBOAT-EARLY MAIL SERVICE-GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES-SKETCHES OF TWO PIONEERS, H. H. SIBLEY AND N. W. KITTSON. THAT portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi, as mentioned before, had, by the "Louisiana Purchase," (December 20, 1803,) come into the possession of the United States, and President JEFFERSON took prompt steps to extend the authority of the United States over the domain acquired, and to make an exploration of the same. Lieut. Z. M. PIKE, U. S. A., was the officer selected to visit this region, expel the British traders, and make alliances with the Indians. He ascended the Mississippi River in a batteau in the month of September, 1805, and arrived at the encampment of J. B. FARIBAULT, an Indian trader, a mile or two above Saint Paul, on September 21. On the 23d he held a council with the Sioux at Mendota, and obtained from them a grant of land nine miles square, for military purposes, which has since been known as the Fort Snelling Reservation. Lieut. PIKE remained all winter in Minnesota, and returned to Saint Louis in the spring. THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT. In the year 1812, the Earl of SELKIRK, having obtained a grant of land from the Hudson Bay Company, near the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, established a colony of Scotch settlers upon it, and subsequently a colony of Swiss were induced to settle there. The colony suffered various hardships for many years, from floods, frosts, grasshoppers, &c., and were at times almost on the verge of starvation. In 1827, a party of the Swiss who had immigrated to Red River, abandoned the colony, and established themselves near Fort Snelling, as will be noticed more fully a little further on. The cession of land procured by Lieut. PIKE at the confluence of the Saint Peter's and Mississippi Rivers, in 1805, had been for the purpose of erecting a United States Fort. The matter was allowed to rest, however, for some years. The planting of SELKIRK'S Colony on the borders of the United States, called attention to it again, and resulted, in 1819, in the establishment of a military post at the point named. TROOPS ORDERED TO MINNESOTA. On February 10, 1819, an order was issued by the War Department, concentrating the Fifth Regiment of Infantry at Detroit, under Lieut. Col. LEAVENWORTH, with a view of proceeding west. Portions were detailed to garrison Prairie du Chien and Rock Island, and the remainder were to proceed to establish a post at the point called "Saint Peter's," (since known as Mendota,) which was to be the headquarters of the regiment, and of Lieut. Col. LEAVENWORTH, its commander. He remained some time at Prairie du Chien, to organize "Crawford County," which had been created by the Legislature of Michigan Territory, on October 16, 1818. Its boundaries were as follows: On the east by a line running north and south from the portage of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and extending to Lake Superior, thence westward to the Mississippi River. He found great difficulty in securing enough persons qualified to fill the county offices. The expedition up the Mississippi was made in keel-boats, and so low was the water that the party did not reach Mendota until September 24th. Rude huts for barracks were at once erected, in which the first winter was passed amid much discomfort. Many of the soldiers died from scurvy. The following August, Col. SNELLING took command of the post, and the erection of "" Fort Saint Anthony" was commenced. On September 10th, 1820, the corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies, but the next winter had to be passed in their cantonments at Mendota again. The lumber for the buildings |