CHAPTER III.
DAILY LIFE AT THE MISSION.
A missionary journal - Major Dougherty - Indian councils - Glory of the warpath - Liquor in abundance - Murder and mutilation - Sale of children- Law ineffective - How the Indians spent $90,000 - Colonel Kearny - Protestant ministers leaving - Peace mission to the Sioux.
Most dear Sir: (1)
Your kind favors of the 6th of July and the 27th of October arrived this day. Had I known, dear friend, for what port of this vast continent you had sailed, I would have written long before this; for I am not of that class of gentry who easily forget their real friends. No! your family will be ever dear to me, and it will afford me at all times the greatest satisfaction and pleasure to hear from you, and to know that you are well and prospering. Not a day passes, but I pray the Lord for your family's welfare. I keep a journal of the most remarkable events which take place around us. They are of a rather gloomy nature, disgusting and discouraging; a short sketch, however, of these I intend to give you, and I feel confident your regret at having left the Council Bluffs, when being made acquainted with the abominations of the place, will soon vanish.
May 10. Mr. Dougherty (2) held a council at Bellevue with the Pawnees. An Iowa waylaid a Pawnee, took his scalp and escaped. Paid the Pawnees
(1) Letter to a "most dear friend," dated Potawatomi Nation, Council Bluffs, December, 1839. Hitherto unpublished.
(2) John Dougherty, a member of Long's exploring party and for many years Government agent for the Pawnees. Somewhat famous in his time for having almost succeeded in rescuing a female captive who had been devoted to sacrifice by that tribe. A brother, Hannibal, was also at this time sub-agent at Bellevue.