Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
Aug 1, 1820: Cass Tries to Make Peace
Editor's Note:
Doty's comment on this treaty was, "The Chief at Sandy Lake and several other Indians came down with us. A treaty of peace was entered into between them and the Sioux that could be collected around the fort, about 300. In such a treaty those particular tribes or bands unrepresented in the Council are not considered bound by it. It is to be hoped these wretched creatures will no longer war with each other for causes unknown to the present generation, but cease their deadly hostilities. The country inhabited by either is sufficient to supply all their necessities and wants."
In fact, the Ojibwe and Sioux continued to fight for another 50 years, until white settlers had occupied much of the disputed territory and a comprehensive peace treaty was signed by all parties in 1870.
Location: modern St. Paul, Minn.
View Schoolcraft's complete description in his 1821 Narrative
[Doty did not write in his journal this day, so we resume excerpts from that kept by Henry Schoolcraft:]
A treaty of peace was this day concluded between the Sioux and Chippeways in the presence of Governor Cass, Colonel Leavenworth, Mr. Tallifierro, the Indian agent at St. Peter's, and a number of the officers of the garrison. These two nations have been at war from the earliest times, and the original causes of it are entirely forgotten, but still the ancient enmity is carefully transmitted from father to son.
It is supposed to have arisen from a dispute respecting the limits of their territories, and favourite hunting grounds, but if so, nothing was agreed upon in the present instance to obviate the original causes of enmity. It was only stipulated that hostilities should immediately cease on both sides. Several of the chiefs delivered their opinions upon the subject, and the Sioux appeared to manifest some indifference to the treaty, but finally consented to drop the hatchet; and the ceremony concluded with smoking the pipe of peace and shaking hands. In this nearly every individual present united...
Whether the peace will prove a permanent one, may be doubted. All their ancient prejudices will urge them to a violation of it, while past experience abundantly shews how difficult it has been to preserve a lasting peace between two powerful rival tribes of savages, whose predominant disposition is war, and if a durable peace should result from the laudable exertions of the agents of government in effecting this pacific conference, it will probably be owing in a great measure to a continuance of those exertions, supported as they are, by the influence of the garrisons at St. Peter's, Prairie du Chien, Council Bluffs, Green Bay, and other minor posts along our extensive Indian frontiers. In 1805, a treaty of peace was concluded between the Sioux and Chippeways at the instance of Lieutenant Pike. It continued as long as he remained among them. In the fall of 1818, a pacification took place at St. Louis under the auspices of Governor Clark, between the Osages and the Cherokees. The latter renewed hostilities before they reached their homes. This only proves, that treaties of peace between Indian tribes, like those between civilized nations, only amount to a momentary cessation of hostilities, unless the limits of their territories, and other subjects of dispute, are accurately defined, and satisfactorily settled.
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