Dougherty, John (1791-1860), Letter Book, 1826-1829 (C2292)

1 volume; also available on 1 roll of microfilm

MICROFILM

INTRODUCTION

The Dougherty letter book contains letters from Dougherty, fur trader, interpreter, and Upper Missouri Indian agent, to William Clark, superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis, various U.S. Army officers, Indian agents, interpreters and fur traders, U.S. War and Treasury Department officials, Missouri politicians, and private citizens.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Dougherty letter book was donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by Dora K. Ruff on 27 September 1965 (SHS Accession No. 27).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

John Dougherty, a native of Kentucky, was born on 12 April 1791. He immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, as a young man. Later, as an employee of the American Fur Company, Dougherty spent the six winters from 1809 to 1815 trapping on the Columbia River. Dougherty learned to speak French and numerous Indian dialects fluently and in 1819 and 1820 served as an interpreter for Major Stephen H. Long's expedition.

Dougherty served as an Indian agent from 1820 until 1837 when he was dismissed by Martin Van Buren's administration for political differences. During Dougherty's service as an Indian agent he was headquartered variously at Fort Leavenworth, Council Bluffs, and St. Louis. He assisted in making various treaties with the Indians, principally with the Pawnee, Otoe, Missouri, Iowa, Sauk, and Fox tribes, and his most conspicuous public service was in connection with the cession of the Platte Purchase territory in Northwest Missouri in 1836.

In 1837 Dougherty purchased a large estate near Liberty, in Clay County, Missouri. He continued his connections with the Indian territories, however, as a U.S. sutler and freighter. In 1840 Dougherty was elected to the Missouri state legislature from Clay County on the Whig ticket. In 1856 he completed a palatial residence on his Clay County estate, which he called Multnomah. He died at Multnomah on 28 December 1860.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This letter book contains copies of John Dougherty's correspondence relating to his official duties as subagent and later agent for various Indian tribes of the Upper Missouri territory. Included are 153 letters, all from Dougherty, dating from 23 August 1826 to 29 September 1829. The letters are numbered successively, but they are not in chronological order. A chronological list of the letters follows this inventory.

Dougherty's principal correspondent was William Clark, superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis, and the majority of the letters were written from Dougherty's headquarters at Fort Leavenworth. Other important correspondents include U.S. Secretaries of War James B. Barbour, Peter B. Porter, and John H. Eaton, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, and Congressman Spencer D. Pettis. The remaining letters are addressed to various U.S. Army officers and Indian agents and traders located in Missouri and the Indian territories.

The most extensive material relating to Indian tribes concerns the Pawnee Nations and the Kansa Indians. Other tribes under Dougherty's jurisdiction or mentioned in his correspondence include the Fox, Missouri, Sauk, Omaha, Shawnee, Comanche, Ponca, Iowa, Osage, Otoe, Sioux, Cheyenne, Yankton, Arapaho, Mandan, Arikara, and Delaware. Topics include Dougherty's commission as Indian agent, his duties and wages, the quarters at Fort Leavenworth, attempts to mediate peace treaties, Indian annuities and gifts, food and medical shortages, the effects of starvation and disease, particularly among the Kansa Indians, liquor control, attempts to teach agricultural and mechanical skills to Indians, intertribal marriages, intermarriage of Indians and fur traders, intertribal conflicts, human sacrifice, Indian-white conflicts and encroachment upon Indian lands, the activities of various agents and interpreters, the fur trade, the American Fur Company, the Santa Fe Trail, Indian thievery and attempts to recover stolen property, 1824 and 1827 legislation regulating Indian trade, and recommended changes in Indian policy.

Chronological Order of Letters

1826

Letter No.Date of Letter
11826 August 23
21826 August 25
381826 October 31

1827

Letter No.Date of Letter
271827 April 3
281827 April 4
291827 April 5
31827 April 15
181827 May 20
19, 201827 May 24
211827 May 25
131827 June 28
141827 July 1
301827 August 1
151827 August 4
41827 August 20
221827 September 14
51827 September 27
6, 71827 September 30
23, 31, 321827 October 4
241827 October 5
321827 October 6
81827 October 9
9, 251827 October 12
101827 October 18
11, 26, 33, 341827 October 19
35, 361827 October 20
161827 October 26
171827 November 22
121827 November 25
391827 November 30

1828

Letter No.Date of Letter
371828 January 4
40, 411828 January 5
1421828 February 1
421828 February 12
43, 441828 February 19
451828 February 26
461828 May 6
471828 May 20
481828 May 22
491828 May 31
541828 June, Peace Treaty
501828 June 9
1181828 June 29
55-57, 59, 601828 June 30
611828 July 13
1431828 August 13
631828 August 31
641828 September 3
651828 September 10
1441828 September 15
661828 September 23
671828 October 5
681828 October 6
691828 October 7
731828 November4
741828 November 6
751828 November 15
77, 781828 November 18
791828 December 9
80, 811828 December 22

1829

Letter No.Date of Letter
821829 January 10
58, 83, 841829 January 20
851829 January 22
881829 January 30
891829 January 31
90, 911829 February 2
1451829 February 20
92-95, 97, 981829 February 24
1031829 March 14
861829 April 15
871829 April 16
1041829 May 9
1051829 May 15
1061829 May 16
1071829 May 18
108, 1091829 June 13
110-1141829 June 14
1151829 June 17
1161829 June 23
1171829 June 25
1191829 July 2
1241829 July 6
125, 1261829 July 7
127-1301829 July 11
131-1321829 July 12
1331829 July 13
1341829 July 27
1351829 July 30
1361829 August 2
1371829 August 10
138-1401829 August 18
1411829 September 1
1461829 September 14
147, 1481829 September 18
149, 1501829 September 21
1511829 September 25
152, 1531829 September 29

Undated

Letter No.Date of Letter
51n.d.

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.

  • Alley, William
  • American Fur Company
  • Ashley, William Henry (1778-1838)
  • Atkinson, Henry (1782-1842)
  • Baker, Daniel
  • Baker, James (1818-1878)
  • Baker, W.
  • Bangs, Oliver
  • Barbour, James B. (1775-1842)
  • Barbour, P[hilip] P[endleton]
  • Bean, Jonathan L.
  • Beauchamp, R.P.
  • Belknap, William G.
  • Bent, Charles (1799-1847)
  • Benton, Thomas Hart (1782-1858)
  • Berant, Joshua B.
  • Big Elk--Omaha Indian
  • Big Neck--Iowa Indian
  • Bissell, Daniel
  • Bliss, John ( -1854)
  • Blondeau, Maurice
  • Boilvin, Nicholas ( -1827)
  • Bonnell, Joseph
  • Boone, Daniel Morgan (1767-1837)
  • Brant, J.B.
  • Cabanne, Jean Pierre (1773-1841)
  • Caron, John Bpe.
  • Caron, John Bpe.
  • Cass, Lewis (1782-1866)
  • Chase, John
  • Chouteau, Auguste (1749-1829)
  • Chouteau, C.
  • Chouteau, Francis P.
  • Chouteau, L.
  • Chouteau, Pierre (1789-1865)
  • Chouteau, Pierre, Jr.
  • Clark, Maston G.
  • Clark, William (1770-1838)
  • Clements, Osage Indian
  • Cohon--Shawnee Indian
  • Collins, Reuben
  • Connelly, Henry
  • Curtis, C.
  • Dougherty, John A.
  • Dripps, Andrew
  • Ducate, Francois
  • Duncan, William
  • Duqueth, Francis
  • Edwards, Ninian
  • Election, 1828, Presidential
  • Fontenelle, L[ucien] (c. 1807-1836)
  • Forsyth, Thomas
  • Fort Armstrong, IL
  • Fort Gibson, OK
  • Fort Mandan, ND
  • Fort Osage, MO
  • Fort Snelling, MN
  • Fort Towson, OK
  • Frontier and pioneer life, 1820s
  • Fur trade, 1820s
  • Gale, [John]
  • Gordon, [William]
  • Graham, Richard
  • Great Walker--Iowa Indian
  • Hamilton, Samuel G.
  • Hamtramck, John Francis (1798-1858)
  • Harris, W.S.
  • Harrison, Thomas (1817-1912)
  • Hirsch, Goldene
  • Hughes, Andrew S.
  • Indians, 1820s
  • Indians, Agriculture
  • Indians, Arapaho
  • Indians, Arikara
  • Indians, Cheyenne
  • Indians, Comanche
  • Indians, Delaware
  • Indians, Fox
  • Indians, Government policy, 1820s
  • Indians, Iowa
  • Indians, Kansa
  • Indians, Liquor Trade
  • Indians, Mandan
  • Indians, Medical care
  • Indians, Missouri
  • Indians, Omaha
  • Indians, Osage
  • Indians, Oto
  • Indians, Pawnee
  • Indians, Pawnee Loup
  • Indians, Ponca
  • Indians, Shawnee
  • Indians, Sioux
  • Indians, Yankton
  • Indians--Annuities
  • Indians--Claims
  • Indians--Diet
  • Indians--Economic conditions
  • Indians--Education
  • Indians--Human sacrifice
  • Indians--Interpreters
  • Indians--Intertribal relations
  • Indians--Relocation
  • Indians--Social life and customs
  • Indians--Treaties, 1828
  • Indians--Wars, 1820s
  • Iowa, Council Bluffs
  • Iron Eyes--Omaha Indian
  • James, Joseph
  • Kansas, Leavenworth
  • Kennerly, Augustin
  • Kennerly, George H.
  • Kennerly, James
  • Keokuk--Sac Chief (1780-1848)
  • Ketchum, Daniel
  • Knife Chief--Cheyenne Indian
  • La Crenier--Otoe Indian
  • Lane, Hardage
  • Langham, [Elias T.]
  • Le Brent, Robert
  • Leavenworth, Henry (1783-1834)
  • Lee, William
  • Lewis, William Berkeley (1784-1866)
  • Liquest, Paul
  • Lisa, Manuel (1772-1820)
  • McKenney, Thomas Loraine (1785-1859)
  • McKenzie, Kenneth
  • McNair, D.D.
  • McNair, Harvey
  • Missouri River, Floods, 1828
  • Missouri, Liberty
  • Missouri, Lone Jack
  • Missouri, Westport
  • Mules, 1820s
  • O'Fallon, Benjamin (1793-1842)
  • Overland travel, 1820s
  • Palton, Nathaniel
  • Papin, [Pierre D.]
  • Patton, Nathaniel
  • Pettis, Spencer Darwin (1802-1831)
  • Philibert, Gasker
  • Pilcher, Joshua (1790-1843)
  • Platte River, Floods, 1828
  • Pochron, John
  • Portage des Sioux Treaty, 1815
  • Porter, Peter Buell (1773-1844)
  • Randolph, P.G.
  • Riley, Bennett (1787-1853)
  • Robbers & outlaws, Indian
  • Robidoux, Joseph (1783-1868)
  • Rogers, Louis
  • Rogers, William
  • Roy, Baptiste
  • Ruland, John
  • Sanford, John F.A.
  • Santa Fe Trail
  • Schoolcraft, Henry R. (1793-1864)
  • Scott, Winfield (1786-1866)
  • Slavery--Missouri
  • Steamboat, Duncan
  • Steamboat, Iatan
  • Steamboat, Liberator
  • Stockton, F.B.W.
  • Talbot, Thomas
  • Taliaferro, Lawrence (1794-1871)
  • Thorp, [John]
  • Treaty of Council Bluffs, 1825
  • Treaty of Prairie du Chien, 1825
  • Treaty of St. Louis, 1804
  • U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
  • Vandenburgh, William H.
  • Vanderburgh, William Henry (c. 1798-1832)
  • Vashon, [George]
  • Vasques, Barronette
  • Vasques, Benito
  • Walker, Benjamin
  • Walker, William
  • Wetmore, [Alphonso]
  • White Cloud--Iowa Indian
  • White Plume--Kansa Indian
  • Wickliffe, [W.N.]
  • Woollery, [A.R.]
  • Wright, G.