Throwback Thursdays” at ClimbingSky feature posts I wrote over a 15 year period for various blogs. This was first posted on October 23, 2012.

Frontier moves… like a receding wave that leaves smooth, unbroken sand behind.

In American history that wave receded west across the continent and then turned north to the Alaskan frontier. All places in America were once frontier: wild places ruled by nature and peopled by tribes of people now largely forgotten, swept aside by the tide of “modernization and civilization.”

Growing up as I did in Montana, frontier was still a vaguely tangible thing, and wilderness something just over the next ridge. But here in the North Country, where prairie has been sectioned off, and the Big Woods long ago logged off, frontier and wilderness seem as distant as the sea. But once Minnesota was the western edge of civilization. The riverbanks and wetland edges I walk… wilderness fought over by Sioux and Chippewa.

In 1805-1806 Zebulon M. Pike was sent up the Mississippi River to  solidify the commercial and military interests of the United States in the newly purchased North Country. While Lewis & Clark were exploring virtually unknown country to the west, Pike was “exploring” a part of North America that already had a few scattered  fur company outposts established. It was wilderness, but the map was not completely blank.

Comparisons with Lewis & Clark are inevitable when talking about Pike’s Mississippi expedition, and Pike himself. Inevitably Pike comes up short: in accomplishments, in character, and in documenting his expedition.

As a number of articles I read about Pike afterwards echoed, what comes through most clearly  in his journals is what an arrogant and insufferable individual he was. As several historians have said,  it is amazing that someone didn’t just shoot him at some point: one of the many Sioux chiefs, various french fur traders and English agents, and most of all his own men whom he drove to the edge of physical damage.

As an expedition, the results were largely underwhelming. While Pike was sure he had found the headwaters of the Mississippi, he had not. He ended up at Leech lake about 50 miles east of Lake Itasca the actual headwaters. In the end the only thing of significance that he appears to have done was “purchase” 9 square miles of  land around the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi River for a song, though a few years later when the Americans arrived to build what would become Fort Snelling, the Sioux living there had no idea that the land had been purchased.

Reading Pike’s journal is not at all like reading the Journals of Lewis and Clark. Pike was no naturalist. His notes about the land he was going through are few. His descriptions of the many people he was meeting spare at best. None the less, it is interesting reading… especially with the footnotes in the kindle edition I have.

I recommend it.

Some Interesting Lines

 

I was shown a point of rocks from which a Sioux woman cast herself* and was dashed into a thousand pieces, on the rocks below. She had been informed, that her friends intended matching her to a man she despised; and having refused her the man she had chosen, she ascended the hill, singing her death song; and before they could overtake her, and obviate her purpose, she took the lover’s leap ! and ended her troubles with her life. A wonderful display of sentiment in a savage.   [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 119-122). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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Near a war encampment, I found a piece of buckskin and a piece of scarlet cloth, suspended by the limb of a tree; this I supposed to be a sacrifice to Matcho Manitou, to render their enterprise successful; but I took the liberty of invading the rights of his diabolical majesty, by treating them, as the priests of old have often done, that is, converting sacrifices to my own use. [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 339-342). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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When we arose in the morning, found that snow had fallen during the night; the ground was covered and it continued to snow. This indeed was but poor encouragement for attacking the rapids, in which we were certain to wade to our necks. I was determined, however, if possible to make la riviere de Corbeau, the highest point ever made by traders in their bark canoes-We embarked, and after four hours work became so benumbed with cold that our limbs were perfectly useless. We put to shore on the opposite side of the river, about two-thirds of the way up the rapids. Built a large fire ; and then discovered that our boats were nearly half full of water ; both having sprung large leaks so as to oblige me to keep three hands bailing. My sergeant (KENNERMAN) one of the stoutest men I ever knew, broke a blood-vessel and vomited nearly two quarts of blood. One of my corporals (BRADLEY) also evacuated nearly a pint of blood, when he Attempted to void his urine. These unhappy circumstances, in addition to the inability of four other men whom we were obliged to leave on shore ; convinced me, that if I had no regard for my own health and constitution, I should have some for those poor fellows, who were killing themselves to obey my orders. [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 343-351). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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Found myself powerfully attacked with the fantastics of the brain, called ennui, at the mention of which I had hitherto scoffed ; but my books being packed up, I was like a person entranced, and could easily conceive why so many persons who have been confined to remote places, acquired the habit of drinking to excess, and many other vicious practices, which have been adopted merely to pass time. [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 366-369). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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This evening disclosed to my men the real danger they had to encounter.  [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Location 438). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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Mr. GRANT and myself made the tour of the lake, with two men, whom I had. for attendants. Found it to be much larger, than could be imagined at a view. My men sawed stocks for the sleds, which I found it necessary to construct after the manner of the country. On our march, met an Indian coming into the fort; his countenance expressed no little astonishment, when told who I was and from whence I came; for the people in this country themselves acknowledge, that the savages hold in greater veneration, the Americans, than any other white people. They say of us, when alluding to warlike achievements, that “we are neither Frenchmen nor Englishmen, but white Indians.”  [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 501-507). . Kindle Edition.]

 

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Hoisted the American flag in the fort. The English yacht still flying at the top of the flag staff, I directed the Indians and my riflemen to shoot at it, who soon broke the iron pin to which it was fastened, and brought it to the ground.  [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 546-547). . Kindle Edition.]

 

… upon this I take [the Chippewas] to be neither so brave nor generous as the Sioux, who, in all their taansactions, appear to be candid and brave, whereas, the Chippewas are suspicious, consequently treacherous, and, of course, cowards.  [Pike, Zebulon Montgomery (2010-05-19). Pike’s Explorations in Minnesota, 1805-6 (Kindle Locations 634-636). . Kindle Edition.]