Indian Agents 1831 - 1832

[Larry Koschkee]

There is plenty of discussion on this board about opposing sides in the BHW... principally warriors vs soldiers. When you look at the people considered to be in the middle of the two groups, the Indian Agents, does anyone imerge or stand out from the rest in terms of respect or admiration?

Or does a particular Agent appear incompetent or disappointing?

ADMIRABLE
I would give high marks to Henry Gratiot, Sub Agent for the Winnebagoes. He appears to have been signficantly engaged in diplomacy and matched up well with Col Henry Dodge. Gratiot the "moderator" and Dodge the "enforcer." And certainly the courage he displayed in going into the "Lion's Den" at The Prophet's village deserves high marks.

INCOMPETENT ?
Felix Saint Vrain, Agent for Sauk and Fox Indians at Rock Island. He was asleep at the wheel prior and subsequent to Black Hawk's band crossing to the east bank of the Mississippi River in the spring of 1832. He should have been out front of the situation and fully engaged with the band.

DISAPPOINTING ?
John Harris Kinzie, Sub Agent for the Winnebago. His wife Juliette is endearing and I love her book Wau - Bun but, I am sorry, John did not appear to be fully engaged in the BHW. It seems he was preoccupied with the needy condition of the Winnebagoes in his charge, dispensing annuities and vaccine. Although these are admirable actions, he did not instill much respect from me as an effective moderator or take charge individual in a time of crisis.

Larry Koschkee

[Robert Braun]

Excellent observations and comments.

I would add a few more to the list...

• The "This is my job and I gotta a do it" award goes to sub-Agent Joseph Street, who found himself in an extremely delicate situation in between the redoubtable Henry Dodge and Winnebago people upset with what they regarded as incursions into their territory. He performed his tasks admirably and did all that his superiors could have expected of him... caught as he was between his boss and the Army commander at Fort Crawford;
  
  
• The "Hey! I was HANDLING it!" award to Sauk Agent Thomas Forsyth , and experienced relationships manager who seemed to be doing a credible job of mediation between the Sauk/Fox and the U. S. Government... right up until the time he was fired and replaced by Felix St. Vrain. (Note: Forsyth's writings after the BHW in which he blames all the sins of the world on his boss earns him an "honorable mention" for the "Sour grapes of wrath" award);
  
  
• The "Just ignore it and it will all go away" award goes to Superintendent of Indian Affairs George Clark, who it seems took a bright, important, and promising career and flushed it down the loo once the "Corps of Discovery" was disbanded;
  
  
• The "Flying under the radar" award goes to sub-Agent Edward Bouchard... appointed to take the place of the murdered St. Vrain. While he was involved with the militia somewhat during the Force and Green murders at Mound Fort, it is not clear what else the man did. I know he lived to a ripe old age... as his image in the Frank Stevens book attests.
  

I agree with your assessments of Gratiot and Kinzie. The former (and I must add his secretary George Cubbage) certainly set an example of individual courage and fortitude... something the latter certainly never exhibited much during the 1832 conflict.

Regards,

Bob Braun.

[pshrake]

My verdict is still out on Kinzie.

I would agree that he does not seem to have played a significant role in the war effort. If one goes strictly by Wau-Bun the record is somewhat vague, but Juliette Kinzie was away from the Portage during much of the time of the war. There is reference that he was involved in a Talk with the HoChunk, but there seemes to be little else to go on.

Yet if one looks at his overall carreer in the Indian Field Service he was an active agent. He diligently oversees the disbursement of annuity payments, actively engages in a vaccination program administering vaccine to Indians personally, he does his best to uphold the Intercourse Act of 1802 and is present at 5 different treaty negotiations.

The problem with Kinzie is a general lack of records. As I understand it, much of his private correspondance has been lost. There is the letters of the Winnebago Agency in the National Archives. I must admit I have not examined them to great detail, perhaps there is ample evidence of his role in the BHW.

Yet given his seemingly personal relationship with the HoChunk, and his overall carreer as an agent, I would find it supprising that he would not play some role in the war.

Pete

[Larry Koschkee]

In my assessment of John Kinzie's actions within the time parameters of this thread I find evidence of a benevolent individual, a humanitarian who was very sensitive to the needs of the Indians in his charge, but little else in terms of crucial military/Indian affairs coordination or communication.

In all the recorded talks or councils, I do not recall any Indian words of praise or admiration, however there are examples in Juliette's book Wau-Bun. Do we accept those citations on face value or due we cast an eye of suspicion or bias because it is a narrative?

In addition, there does not appear to be any words of praise from the miltary establishment, militia or his boss Governor George B. Porter, nor do we see evidence of criticism.

The most significant comment on Kinzie's abilities or effectiveness as an Agent, that I have, is that not only once but twice Black Hawk passed through his agency territory within a matter of a few miles from Fort Winnebago. If he was an effective Agent and had a good relationship with his constituents he should have been able to rely on the eyes and ears of the Winnebago and Menomonie to pin point Black Hawk's location at all times. This is in stark contrast to Gratiot's and Street's communication with their Indian constituents.

When Henry, Dodge and Alexander re-supplied at Fort Winnebago , thereby depleteing the Fort Winnebago provisions, Kinzie was more concerned about that than the whereabouts of Black Hawk in the neighborhood. (Refer to Kinzie's letter to Gov. George Porter dated July 12, 1832)

In summary, I would say Kinzie did not do anything remarkable during the BHW to help the cause of the United States Government.

"You turned Injun, didn't geh ?" Seriously, probably not true...

Larry K.

[pshrake]

You make some very good points Larry and your comments regarding Kinzie's reactions to Black Hawks movements and the activities surrounding the Fort are well taken.

Concerning other agents, however, there is one that is a personal favorite of mine. Samuel C. Stambaugh. This guy is simply one of the more facinating individuals I have ever come across. Technically by the summer of 1832 he was no longer agent. His nomination had been denied by the Senate in 1831, but he returned to Green Bay and served until the summer of 1832 as a "Special Agent" to the Green Bay Agency. He was put out of office with the arrival of George Boyd, the new Agent at Green Bay.

During the summer prior to the arrival of Boyd, Stambaugh was active in organizing the local defense of Green Bay. His campaign at the head of a Menominee contingint must make him one of the most active agents or former agents on the frontier.

Pete

[Robert Braun]

And what of the enigmatic Agent Boyd at Green Bay?

Quite an interesting fellow... was he not essentially an beurocrat placed in the Indian Affairs Department at Michilimackinac and then at Green Bay so that he could pay off a debt to the Federal Government he incurred by purchasing goods in Europe under (I think the JQA administration) that the Administration later repudiated... then declared Boyd must repay the Treasury because the expenditure wasn't authorized?

Bob.

[Chris]

Excellent illustration. ;D

Governor Ford's passivity in dealing with the situation around the mouth of the Des Moines river is another illustration of governmental passive participation in fraud against the tribes.

And it continues.