NYYM_scrapbook_156

Meeting of Indian Com. of N. England &; M. Day in behalf of New York. John D. Lang, &;c. 2 mo 1842. Letter from S. Taylor Jr. at Fort Madisons, Iowa on way to Indian Ter.. 10 mo 1842 10th mo. 15 1842 Fort Madison Iowa Territory 200 miles up the Mississippi from St Louis Dear Friends Mahlon Day Having a little leisure at this time while waiting for a conveyance down the Mississippi to St Louis I have thought to occupy a part of it in writing to thyself and some other of our dear friend in the East, I wrote to our mutual Friend Henry Hinsdale about the time of our leaving Ohio. After leaving Ohio we went by water to Detroit Michigan to Chicago so on to Golane and Dabesque. We there hired a man to take us 100 miles to the Agency on the Neutral Ground occupied by the Winnebago Indians. David Lawry is at this time Sub. Agent of this Tribe. The U.S.Government have appriopriated about 5000$ for the support of a School amongst this Tribe. There have been 85 children receiving some instruction at the school the past year many of them have made pretty good progress in the various branches of an English Education. As near as we could learn this school is doing some good to this poor degraded tribe of Indians. As miserable and degraded as any of the Tribes west of the Mississippi River. This Tribe numbers about 2200 in all and fast waisting away through the destructive influence of the whites, many of whom are selling them whiskey and in every other possible way cheating them out of all their Annuities of money, Blankets Guns, &;c. So that in a very short time after their Annuities are made the poor Indians have nothing to show but poverty and retchedness. We were informed by D. Lawrey the Agent that in a little more than one Year thirty nine persons Indians had been killed in their drunken revels, that had come to his knowledge. And he had not much doubt, but that a number more might have been killed which he did not know of