| Notes |
- The following letter was copied from the original by a reporter
Wabasha Herald - Newspaper Article, dated Monday, January 24, 1876
EARLY DAYS IN MINNESOTA
Lord Selkirk to Capt. Duncan Graham
Fort William, February first, 1817
Dear Sir:
I have received your 2 letters of Oct 11th and Dec, 7th with its enclosure. I am happy to learn that you have so far succeeded in your place and with such good prospects of further success. The supply of provisions from your post will be of great consequence to the settlement. I am sorry that you omitted to mention the name of the officer at Prairie des Chien, also the trader on the River St. Peter to whom you alluded. In other respects your narrative is distinct and satisfactory. The deficiency of goods at Alle de Carbeon was unavoidable as Mr. McDowell’s destination there was not preconcerted, but determined upon the spur of the moment, in consequence of the unexpected intelligence from Red River which we received at the Sault many articles which it would have been desirable to send were of course not at hand: but I will attend to your list of which almost every article is most material and shall be supplied from here as soon as we have means of conveyance. You will hear from Lake LaPlein whether Capt. D’orsinus? will remain at Red River. You will inform him or Gov. McDowell of the amount if provisions which you can supply and take their orders as to forwarding them. I am happy to hear that it can be done so easily. In the mean time you will make your preparations, but will not send them actually away until you have advices to that effect from Captain D’orsinus?. You should also prepare a large ice house so as to be able to preserve a stock of meat through the summer. If that should be requisite.
With respect to your proposed journey to Prairie des Chiens I would by no means wish you to undertake it this season. None of the articles that are to be has there are of immediate consequence and I would be very sorry that you should leave your post at present for any object of secondary consequence. Roseon might be capable of taking care of the remaining goods, but I consider your stay at the post an of essential consequence with a view to cultivate the friendship of the Sioux and to prevent any misunderstanding between them and our Indians on the Red River or those among whom Mr. McDowell is wintering. The peace between them cannot yet be firmly established and fatal accidents might happen if there were not some person of influence upon the spot to check any hostile dispositions before they go too far. For that reason, though I would be very happy to see you here, I must request you to defer your visit till I come into the interior, in the spring. There will be plenty of time then to settle on the points of business to which you refer. If our affairs go well on the Red River you will probably have to go down to the Forks early in the spring, soon after navigation opens and I may meet you there or on my way from thence, but I cannot determine absolutely what your motions should be till I receive further intelligence from the interior.
I am Dear Sir, Your, & c..
SELKIRK
P.S. I send with this dispatch a letter for Colonel Miller Commandant of Michillmocino which I hope there may be an opportunity of forwarding to Prairie des Chiens or to the nearest American garrison, through the medium of some of the traders on the Mississippi, or river St. Peter. I wish you would write to any of your friends on the way to assist it getting it forwarded.
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