Full Text of "A Brief History of South Dakota", pages 85-87

	This file contains part of a full transcription of "A Brief 
	History of South Dakota", by Doane Robinson, Secretary of the 
	State Historical Society of South Dakota. Originally published 
	in 1905, it was republished many times through the 1930's. This 
	transcription is from the 1919 Edition.

	The Table of Contents for this book is at:

	http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/histories/brief.htm

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                                  CHAPTER XIV 
 
                          A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION 
    
  DESPITE the fact that nearly fifty years had passed since the Declaration of 
Independence, and ten years since the last peace treaty with England, 
nevertheless in 1825 the matter of trade on the western frontier was still 
unsettled, and there was a constant conflict between American and English 
interests there. For many reasons the Indians preferred the British trade. The 
chief of these was that England placed no restriction upon the use of 
intoxicating liquors in the Indian country, while it was entirely prohibited by 
American law and could be carried into the wilderness by American traders only 
at great hazard. The British traders naturally were very reluctant to give up 
the rich American field, and they constantly came in by way of Canada and the 
Lakes and across from the Hudson Bay country by way of the Assiniboine to the 
Missouri. Colonel Leavenworth was clearly of the opinion that the Rees had been 
incited to the massacre of General Ashleys men by English influence.  This long-
continued friction, and the Ree trouble, led the government to undertake once 
for all to keep the Englishmen out of our territory, and to secure all of the 
Indian trade for our merchants.   

  To this end, in the summer of 1825, General Atkinson and Dr. Benjamin 
O'Fallon, of St. Louis, were appointed special commissioners to visit all of the 
Indian tribes on the Missouri River, to secure from them trade and intercourse 
treaties which would be solely for the advantage of the American merchants. The 
expedition traveled in a fleet of eight keel boats, which in addition to the 
usual oars, sails, and cordelles, were equipped each with a set of paddle wheels 
operated by hand power. They were accompanied by four hundred and seventy-six 
soldiers, with Colonel Leavenworth in command. They reached the Dakota country 
early in June, and on the 18th held a great council near Chamberlain with the 
Yanktons, Yanktonais, and some of the Teton bands, and after a grand military 
exhibition which greatly impressed the Indians, secured a treaty precisely in 
the terms desired by the government. They went on to Fort Pierre, where they 
arrived on the 2d of July, and there met several other bands of Tetons and 
waited several days for the Oglalas and some of the distant bands to come in.   

  When the 4th of July arrived, the officers determined to give the Indians the 
benefit of a genuine Fourth of July celebration, and this is the first recorded 
celebration of the Fourth within South Dakota. Colonel Leavenworth was made 
officer of the day, cannon were fired at sunrise, there was a flag raising, and 
General Atkinson and Dr. O'Fallon delivered orations, which were interpreted to 
the Indians.  Lieutenant W. S. Harney, who thirty years later rendered 
distinguished service upon that very soil, read the Declaration of Independence, 
which was duly interpreted to the Sioux. At noon the Oglalas made a feast of the 
"flesh of thirteen dogs, boiled in seven kettles, much done," to which the 
officers were invited.  The remainder of the day was spent in games, races, 
etc., and in the evening there was a fine display of fireworks.  The festivities 
were continued over the 5th and 6th; a grand military review took place on the 
5th, which "struck the Indians with great awe, and on the 6th, after the 
treaties had been signed, Lieutenant Holmes threw six shells from the howitzer 
which exploded handsomely and made a deep impression upon the savages." Among 
those present who took part in the Fourth of July celebration and festivities 
and who signed the treaty was Chief Waneta, the English captain.   

  When passing the mouth of the Little Cheyenne River, near the site of the 
present village of Forest City, the commissioners visited and examined the now 
celebrated footprints in Medicine Rock.

  The expedition went on to the Rees and secured a similar treaty from those 
people, with an additional clause in which the Indians expressed deep regret for 
the occurrences of 1823.  The treaties secured by this expedition had the 
desired effect.  The British traders were excluded from the American field and 
there was no further friction on this account.