Des Moines County IA Archives History - Books .....Chapter III Pike's Expedition 1915 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 August 11, 2008, 4:58 pm Book Title: History Of Des Moines County Iowa CHAPTER III PIKE'S EXPEDITION On the 19th of October, 1803, the treaty agreed upon between Mr. Livingston and the First Consul was ratified by the Senate of the United States, and on the 31st of the same month the President was directed by the Congress to take possession, which was done on the 20th of December of the same year, through William C. C. Claiborne, who had been authorized to go to New Orleans for that purpose; by hoisting the American flag, and the issuance of a proclamation informing the people of the change of the nationality of the territory in which they lived. On the 26th of March, 1804, Congress caused to be organized out of the territory purchased the Territory of Orleans, which territory was in 1812 admitted as a state into the Union, under the name of Louisiana. After the organization of the Territory of Orleans, the remainder of the land purchased from France was called the District of Louisiana. On March 3, 1805, this district was organized into a territory by the name of Louisiana, and Gen. James Wilkinson appointed its governor. It was an unknown and uninhabited region, except by the Indians and some hunters and trappers, the white population not exceeding ten or twelve hundred souls. To know something of the land purchased, its climate, soil, and mineral resources, and to find out the navigability of its waters, two exploring expeditions were fitted out, one, known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which started from St. Louis on the 14th day of May, 1804. These explorers were to go up the Missouri River and explore a region entirely unknown. This expedition consisted of forty-two men, of whom Lewis and Clark had joint command. The other expedition was under the sole command of Zebulon M. Pike, a son of a hero of the Revolution. He was a young man, a lieutenant in the army, and distinguished himself not only in this exploration, but as an officer in the War of 1812. He was mortally wounded at the taking of Toronto, Canada, at which place he died. On the 9th of August, 1805, with twenty men under his command, he left St. Louis to explore the Mississippi River to its source. Among other things in his report he says: "We have arrived at the foot of the Rapids des Moines, which are immediately above the confluence of the river of that name with the Mississippi. The rapids are eleven miles long, with successive shoals, extending from shore to shore across the bed of the river. The channel, which is a bad one, is on the eastern side of the first two falls. It then passes under the edge of the third, crosses to the west side, and ascends that side all the way to a Sac village. We had passed the first and most difficult shoal when we were met by William Ewing, an agent of the United States, residing at the Sac village, to instruct the Indians in agriculture. A French interpreter and fifteen men of the Sac Nation came with Mr. Ewing in their canoes (with a United States flag) to assist me over the rapids. Taking a part of my load and putting two pilots in my barges, we soon reached Mr. Ewing's house at the village." We wish to be particular as to this part of Lieutenant Pike's exploration for the purpose of showing that members of the "Stars and Stripes Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Burlington" are not mistaken as to the place Lieutenant Pike landed and unfurled the Stars and Stripes, and to commemorate the same have placed in Crapo Park in the City of Burlington a large granite boulder on which is inscribed: 1805 1905 COMMEMORATIVE OF THE FIRST UNFURLING OF THE STARS AND STRIPES ON THIS SITE BY LIEUT. ZEBULON M. PIKE SON OF A REVOLUTIONARY HERO AUGUST 23d, 1805 ERECTED BY THE STARS AND STRIPES CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, ON THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY On the 20th of August they had reached the mouth of the Des Moines River, and with difficulty passed over the rapids, and came to a Sac village situate at what is now the Town of Montrose. They stayed at this place over night, for the next morning he made known to the chief men of the village the purpose of the expedition. On August 23d he passed a number of islands, and the river was wide and full of sandbars. After ascending twenty-eight miles from the Sac village, they came to a place where the channel passes under a hill which rises perpendicularly to a height of about one hundred and sixty-six feet. "On the summit is a platform of about four hundred yards. In the rear is a small prairie of about ten acres, suitable for a garrison. Directly under the rocks is a limestone spring, which would supply a regiment of men with water. The landing is bold and safe, and a road could easily be made up the hill for teams. Black and white oak timber are found in abundance. The hill continues for two miles, and gives rise to fine springs in this section. The view from the hill across the river east is very beautiful, showing broad prairies as far as the eye can reach, occasionally interrupted by groups of trees. We remained here for nine hours and saw traces of Indians. We learned that the largest Sac village was about two miles and a half westward on the prairie, and that this point was about half way between St. Louis and Prairie du Chien." From the description of the place where Lieutenant Pike landed it must have been where the Daughters of the American Revolution placed that granite boulder. Additional Comments: HISTORY OF DES MOINES COUNTY IOWA AND ITS PEOPLE By AUGUSTINE M. ANTROBUS ILLUSTRATED VOLUME I CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1915 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/desmoines/history/1915/historyo/chapteri50gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb