MINNESOTA AND DACOTAH:

IN

Letters descriptive of a Tour through the North-West,

IN THE AUTUMN OF 1856.

WITH

INFORMATION RELATIVE TO PUBLIC LANDS,

AND

A TABLE OF STATISTICS.

By C. C. ANDREWS,

COUNSELOR AT LAW; EDITOR OF THE OFFICIAL OPINIONS OF THEATTORNEYS GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES.

"From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the Northland,
From the land of the Ojibways,
From the land of the Dacotahs."
LONGFELLOW

SECOND EDITION.
W A S H I N G T O N:
ROBERT FARNHAM
1857

Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1857,by

C. C. ANDREWS,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the UnitedStates, in and for the District of Columbia.

PHILADELPHIA:

STEREOTYPED BY E. B. MEARS.

PRINTED BY C. SHERMAN & SON.

THESE

"Trivial Fond Records"

ARE

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED

TO THE

YOUNG MEN OF MINNESOTA.

INTRODUCTION.

THE object of publishing these letters can bevery briefly stated.

During the last autumn I made a tour into Minnesota, upwardsof a hundred and thirty miles north-west of St. Paul, to satisfymyself as to the character and prospects of the territory. All Icould learn from personal observation, and otherwise, concerningits society and its ample means of greatness, impressed me sofavorably as to the advantages still open to the settler, that Iput down in the form of letters such facts as I thought would beof general interest. Since their publication— in theBoston, Post— a few requests, which I could notcomply with, were made for copies of them all. I was led tobelieve, therefore, that if I revised them and added informationrelative to unoccupied lands, the method of preemption, and thebusiness interests of the territory, they would be worthy ofpublication in a more permanent form. Conscious that what I havewritten is an inadequate description of that splendid domain, Ishall be happy indeed to have contributed, in ever so small adegree, to advance its growth and welfare.

Here I desire to acknowledge the aid which has been readilyextended to my undertaking by the Delegate from Minnesota—Hon. HENRY M. RICE— whose faithful and unweariedservices— I will take the liberty to add— in behalf ofthe territory, merit the highest praise. I am also indebted forvaluable information to EARL S. GOODRICH, Esq., editor of theDaily Pioneer (St. Paul) and Democrat.

In another place I give a list of the works which I have hadoccasion to consult or refer to.

C. C. ANDREWS.

Washington, January 1, 1857.

LIST OF WORKS WHICH HAVE BEENCONSULTED OR REFERRED TO IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS WORK.

Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi, byMajor Z. M. PIKE vol. Philadelphia; 1807.

Travels to the Source of the Missouri River, byCaptains LEWIS and CLARKE. 3 vols. London: 1815.

Expedition to the Source of the St. Peter'sRiver, Lake Winnepek, &c., under command of Major STEPHEN H.LONG 2 vols. Philadelphia: 1824.

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