Osage Tribe

Capt. Lewis's Exploration of Louisianna and the Visit of the Osage Indian Nation to Washington

The Sprig of Liberty, Gettysburg, PA
May 23, 1805

We are informed by a Kentucky printer of the 30th ult. that a council of war, consisting of about 500 Indians, has lately been held at the mouth of the Wabash river. This convocation is said to consist of deputies from all the Northern Tribes: The object of their meeting is, to deliberate on the subject of going to war against the Osage Indians up the Missouri, a nation with whom they have long been at enmity. It was remarked by a gentleman present at the convocation, to a chief, that as Mr. Jefferson was of a pacific temper and averse to the effusion of blood, he would very probably
use his exertions to prevent hostilities. But the Indians appeared to think that the President had no right to interfere in the matter that peculiarly related to their own sovereignity.The results of their deliberations had not been learnt at Lexington the
beginning of May.

August 15, 1805
Lexington, July 12
Some time during the last spring, it was announced, that a combination of the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi, had been formed against the Osage, or Washasah, up the Missouri . Since that period, the account of this expedition has been doubted. We have now to inform our readers, that the intellegence has recently been confirmed by a Chickkasah Indian, who, with his companion, was in Lexington a few weeks past. He says that not only his own nation have actually sent forward their warriors, but that the Cherakee, Chocktah and all the other tribes to the north have started on the
expedition.

December 12, 1805
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at St. Louis, to his friend in
Vincennes, dated the 23rd inst.
I saw Governor Harrison on Sunday, on his way by water to Vincennes, a treaty of peace has been patched up between the Osages and the different other tribes, no one however expects it will be long attended to by either, for authentic information has just been received that Spain has agents among the Indians of the Missouri, and upper parts of the Mississippi, persuading them to war against the United States, and that in consequence, two men have been killed. This confirms the numerous accounts received of the hostile disposition of Spain towards the United States.


February 26 1806
Carlisle, Pennsylvania February 11

By a gentleman who left St. Louis (Upper Louisiana) on the 31st December last, we are informed that a party of the Sock Indians took the opportunity when the Osages were out hunting, came in on their towns, killed about 100 consisting of old men, women and children, and took about as many prisoners. A number of the Osage Chiefs came down to St. Louis and demanded protection from the United States, upon which Gen. Wilkinsen send a Lieut. Hughes, with a detachment of thirty men, to demand the prisoners.

We are also informed by the same gentleman, that a few days previous to his leaving St. Louis, an Indian Chief sent down by Captain Lewis, from about 1500 miles up the Missouri, had set out from St. Louis for the city of Washington, attended by Lieutenant Climpson and an interpreter, he is of the Ricquora nation, of a dark complexion, and remarkably corpulent.

At the time of our informant’s leaving that place they had received no account of the destruction of Captain Lewis and his party. It is therefore to be hoped that the report which has been in circulation of their being cut off, is without foundation, as we have reason to suppose, had such an event taken place, they would there have received the earliest intelligence.
The Centinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Submitted by Nancy Piper

 


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