1851
Through his publications and lectures, Peter John has become a well-known figure both in the United States. He can count on much support and sympathy as in Europe as well. Moreover, it has not escaped the notice of the American government that the Catholic missionary gets along very well with most Indian tribes. Washington decides to enlist De Smet's help in their efforts to avoid conflict with the Prairie Indians. The initiative comes not too soon, because the Indians have become very restless due to the massive migration right through their traditional hunting grounds. The Americans want to hold a council with all the tribes south of the Missouri and north of the Texan border. In this way, they hope to agree on safe emigration routes to Utah, California and Oregon. On April 19, the person responsible for Indian affairs in St. Louis, Colonel David Mitchell, officially asks De Smet to participate in the planned consultation at Fort Laramie. De Smet's assignment is to encourage as many tribes as possible to come to the fort by September first.
De Smet's plan is simple. He will sail to Fort Union, urging as many Indians as possible along the way to participate in the planned council. He will preach, distribute pamphlets and accompany the Indian delegation to Fort Laramie. Father Elet likes the plan. Father Christiaan Hoecken, missionary to the Potawatomi, will accompany De Smet.
In the meantime, Roothaan blames De Smet for the loss of the missions in the Bitterroots. In particular, he would have glossed over things too much. De Smet counter-argues that it is clear from letters from Accolti, Ravalli, Mengarini and Joset that the Flathead mission was doing very well until 1849. 49 is the year of the gold rush and the start of the massive waves of migration to the west. But despite Roothaan's criticism, Elet gives De Smet and Hoecken the go-ahead for the planned council.
On June 7, Captain Joseph La Barge steers the St.-Ange into the brown waters of the Missouri. The St.-Ange was built in '49 and is therefore still quite new. On the 60 meter long deck, the 100 passengers, mostly agents of the AFC, have to get along during the long journey to Fort Union (3,200 kilometers). Also on board is the young Swiss painter Rudolph Friederich Kurtz. Kurtz plans to spend a year with the fur traders in Fort Berthold. Along the way, Kurtz paints De Smet's portrait. Due to the late and sudden thaw, the Missouri River is very high and as a result a large part of the riparian area has been flooded. The shallow riverboat has to make its way through the countless uprooted trees and the floating wreckage of washed away houses, fences, stables and sheds. It is quite an art to navigate against the current between all those dangerous obstacles. The swollen carcasses of all kinds of drowned animals float in the murky water. Six days after leaving St. Louis (after 800 kilometres), a dreaded disease broke out on board the St.-Ange. 13 passengers suddenly develop a severe fever. It's cholera! De Smet also falls ill. Father Christiaan Hoecken takes care of the victims and assists the dying, but on June 19 the contagious disease also struck him and a few hours later he died. Hoecken is buried at the edge of a forest. On the way back, La Barge will pick up the coffin to take it to Florissant's novitiate. When the St.-Ange approaches the clear air of the plateau, at the mouth of the Platte, the epidemic, that claimed the lives of 20 people on board, has subsided. But in Native American land, most of the tribes along the Missouri River are once again victims of a massive smallpox epidemic. The casualty count is so high that the smell of death travels with the St.-Ange. Beyond Fort Pierre, De Smet organizes his first encounters with the stricken Lakota, the Arikara, Gros Ventre and Mandan Indians. He tries to comfort them and hopes that he will be able to offer more concrete help later.
On July 14, the St.-Ange reached its final destination : Fort Union at the mouth of the Yellowstone River. There, De Smet has exactly 2 weeks to prepare his journey to Fort Laramie. Some chiefs of the Assiniboin, the Minitaree, the Arikara, the Mandan and the Crow Indians will accompany De Smet to the place of the meeting. The AFC's local director, Alexander Culbertson, will also accompany them.
On July 31, the delegation of 35 people leaves with two carts and four small cars to their destination about 1,300 kilometers south. Ten days later they reach Fort Alexander, at the confluence of the Rosebud and Yellowstone rivers. After a break of 6 days, they cross the Yellowstone and follow a previously unknown route. It is dry and hot. In a cloud of vermin, the caravan travels through a wild landscape full of dry riverbeds and ravines. The guides regularly lose track, but after a few detours, the group finally reaches the Great Magic Road(the nickname the Indians have since given to the Oregon Trail). It is September 2 when De Smet recognizes the area around Red Buttes (southwest of Casper, Wyoming). They are too far west and have to drive east for a week to reach Fort Laramie. In '49 30,000 emigrants traveled by road and a year later another 50,000. Their passage has caused a permanent disturbance to the landscape. September is already late in the season and the route is deserted. They arrive at Fort Laramie on September 9. In and around Fort Laramie, where normally no more than 200 people live, there is not enough food for the thousands of Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Arikara, Assiniboin, Mandan and Gros Ventre Indians. As a result the meeting must be relocated 56 kilometers to the east. De Smet and his delegation have to go to the mouth of the Horse Creek (Nebraska), on the south bank of the Platte. De Smet can travel on Colonel Robert Campbell's car.
On September 12, Mitchell gives the go-ahead for the grand deliberation. The purpose of the whole scheme is to give the Americans the right to travel undisturbed through the hunting grounds of the Indians. The whites also want forts to protect the Trail. In return, the Indians will receive compensation. Among the negotiators we find well-known names such as Thomas Fitzpatrick, Jim Bridger, A. B. Chambers and B. Gratz Brown. At least 10,000 Indians are now camping around the site of the meeting. They are Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, Gros Ventre, Assiniboin and Arikara. The Shoshone, Pawnee, Kiowa, and Comanche don't participate in the talks because they don't trust the other Natives. After much palaver and rhetoric, everyone finally agrees with the proposals. The so-called Fort Laramie treaty of 1851, which should make the roads to Santa Fe, Utah, Oregon and California safe, is a fact. De Smet will draw a map in St. Louis with demarcated hunting areas for all Indians. During the consultation, De Smet converts a large part of the indigenous population present (approx. 2000 or 1 in 5!). With much delay, 24 wagons arrive on September 20, carrying $50,000 worth of food and other gifts, which are distributed without delay. Not long after, scouts bring the good news that along the southern fork of the Platte, three days from Fort Laramie, masses of bison graze ! For most Indians, that's the signal to break camp and go buffalo hunting. The deliberation lasted 12 days.
On September 24, De Smet says goodbye to his fellow Indians and returns to St. Louis with the official delegation. He will personally accompany some chiefs who want to visit the Great Father in Washington. On their way back they meet Prince Paul of Württemberg, who travels to the Wind River mountains with a couple of Prussian officers. The gentlemen want to organize a nice hunting party. At Fort Kearny, Mitchell leaves the delegation to travel on to Nebraska City. De Smet, Fitzpatrick and the Indians travel to Fort Leavenworth. They visit the mission of the Potawatomi Indians in St. Mary and after a stay of three days they travel on to Westport. They stay at the Union hotel where Mitchell rejoins the group. They board the Clara on October 18 and arrive in St. Louis four days later. The Indians are deeply impressed by the living conditions of the whites. In the buildings of the University of St. Louis, De Smet organizes a banquet for his Indian delegation. The provincial promises the Indian guests to also send a Black Robe to their respective tribes. In total De Smet has covered 8,780 kilometers. The American government is very pleased with his role as mediator.
During his absence, Father Verhaegen took over De Smet's task as procurator. De Smet quietly hopes to return to his reductions in the Rockies, but Roothaan has other plans. He proposes Elet to send De Smet permanently to Europe. There he could continuously collect money for the missionary work, but when De Smet returns to St. Louis, Elet has died and William Stack Murphy has taken over responsibility for the vice-province. Murphy needs De Smet in St. Louis. He wants him to remain in office. So De Smet will continue to serve as procurator and socius for the Missouri vice-province in St. Louis until his death.
In desperation, Roothaan removes the missions in the Rockies from the control of the vice-province in St. Louis and places them under his direct command.
1852
Father Terwecoren starts the fortnightly magazine Collection de précis historiques littéraires, scientifiques. The publication appears simultaneously in Brussels and Paris. Between 1852 and 1854 De Smet sent no fewer than 27 contributions to the editors of the magazine, with the result that his fame in Europe increased considerably.
In March, De Smet assists the seriously ill student Ralph Benton (22). On March 17, Ralph dies of dysentery, but not after converting to the Catholic faith. Ralph is the son of the well-known Senator of Missouri, Thomas Hart Benton and the brother of Jessie Benton, who married John Charles Frémont in 1841. The senator, although Protestant (Presbyterian), henceforth becomes De Smet's best ally in Washington D.C.
On April 15, De Smet receives a letter from Roothaan in which he mitigates his former accusations. Roothaan begins to realize what has gone wrong in the Rockies. The missions just can't work like the reductions in Paraguay. There are insufficient financial resources to ensure the independence of the Indians and as it turns out white influence is impossible to avoid. The Indians are nomads, once hunting their conversion fades away. De Smet does not fully agree with Roothaan's statement, but he is already satisfied that he is no longer the scapegoat.
St. Louis now has 120,000 inhabitants, almost half of whom are Catholics. The old Catholic core mainly consists of French speakers. They are the first settlers from Louisiana and Canada. But more and more non-native speakers are coming. In a few years large groups of German, Polish and Irish Catholics turn this French-speaking core into a minority. Despite the immigration, Catholic predominance remains. Many Catholics come from famine-stricken Ireland. In St. Louis, the Catholic community has a cathedral, eleven churches, a university, a seminary, a number of schools and boarding schools, a hospital, an orphanage, a refuge for women and a few monasteries. In total the U.S. has six archbishops, 35 bishops and 1,500 priests serving 1.6 million active Catholics (out of 25 million Americans). But that success arouses envy and throughout the U.S., including St. Louis, a certain aversion to Catholicism is gradually growing. After the repression that followed the European disturbances in 1848, numerous revolutionaries from Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Hungary fled the old continente. In America, these radical immigrants are declaring war on all things Popish. They organize demonstrations. Fires are set and people are killed. After the gold rush and the massive immigration that followed, a form of xenophobia is also emerging among the Real Americans. Some Protestants see this development as an opportunity to put a stop to the rise of Papism. It's an explosive cocktail that culminates in a new secret movement: the Know-Nothings. Between 1852 and 1856, this movement united the forces of the resistance. The political wing of this group is the American Party, which promises to defend the rights of the poorest Americans against the growing tide of European immigrants: America for the Americans, as it were. In 1854 Know-Nothings' harassment caused 20,000 Catholics to leave the U.S. for good. Fortunately, most Americans quickly become fed up with the terror of the American Party and in 1856 the election of Buchanan reversed this black page in American history. During this turbulent period, De Smet withdrew a bit from the public eye so as not to provoke the Know-Nothings and the American Party.
For the ordinary, poverty-stricken emigrant, the journey to the New World is not a pleasure trip. A good percentage do not survive the crossing from Europe to the promised land. Between New Orleans and St. Louis, the overcrowded paddle boats spread many deadly diseases. De Smet regularly takes care of Flemish emigrants in difficulties. When father, mother and one of the children from one family die shortly after their trip in St. Louis, he places the eight remaining orphans with good Catholic families.
1853
New Washington Territory governor, Isaac Stevens asks De Smet to accompany him to the northwest. De Smet has a good reputation with the local population, including the feared Blackfoot Indians, which is a handy bonus. De Smet does not want to put himself in front of the cart of this clever politician and thanks him for the honour.
In April, De Smet visits Washington D.C. on his way to Europe. He has an interview with President Pierce. On May 9, he departs from New York for Europe with Bishop John Miège aboard the steamer Fulton. They arrive in Le Havre on May 20, a fast eleven day crossing. In the meantime they learn that Roothaan has died in Rome. De Smet gives a lecture in Paris. In November, De Smet and Miège will meet again in Paris. In addition to a full purse, De Smet brings eight new recruits. The bishop also has five candidates for Missouri. Roothaan is succeeded by Father Beckx.
In December, De Smet and Miège leave with their thirteen recruits from Antwerp on the Humboldt for the U.S. The Humboldt's destination is New York, but the supply of coal is too short and near the American mainland, the captain decides to head for Halifax and bunker there. A thick fog off the coast of Nova Scotia makes entering the harbor almost impossible. A local fisherman offers his services to pilot the passenger ship. The captain of the Humboldt accepts the invitation, but that turns out to be a capital mistake. At 6 o'clock in the morning, while everyone is still asleep, the ship hits a reef off Devil's Island. The Humboldt leaks and seems hopelessly lost. Lifeboats are deployed, but when the fog clears the ship appears to be only 30 meters from the coast. Those on board are terrified. De Smet celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving at Halifax Cathedral.
On his return to St. Louis, De Smet learns that Van de Velde has been appointed Bishop of Chicago and that Miège now bears responsibility for the entire Indian Territory.
1854
De Smet visits the sick mothers of David Mitchell and Benjamin Bonneville. Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe asks Beckx to send De Smet to New Mexico. St. Louis is once again faced with an acute shortage of personnel, so that De Smet has to remain at his post. Beckx decides that De Smet no longer has to monitor the accounts of the Rocky Mountain Mission. Antonio Ravalli will head the mission, henceforth called the Oregon Mission administratively dependent on California. From now on, the financial control will be done by the province of Turin (Italy). De Smet loses another old acquaintance when Thomas Fitzpatrick (55) suddenly dies of pneumonia. De Smet visits a number of colleges in Ohio and Kentucky.
In Washington, a law is passed (the Kansas-Nebraska Act) with the intention of removing as many Indians as possible from the Kansas-Nebraska transit area. The Indians from the east need to move again. They are re-settled south of Kansas, in a new Indian Territory (future Oklahoma). It is impossible for the Jesuits to follow the diaspora and be present in all the new reservations of the Indian Territory. Thousands of wild Indians still roam in the rest of the prairie (Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas and Montana). They are uncivilized tribes living mainly from hunting. It is difficult to convert these wandering nomads. In St. Louis, the Jesuits' attention will henceforth be directed primarily to the growing white community. The Prairie Indians are now beginning to feel that their way of life is seriously threatened by the increasing white immigration. That explains why there are more and more incidents between the Natives and the settlers. A well-known incident is the so-called Grattan Massacre, which takes place near Fort Laramie, not far from the place where the lasting peace of Fort Laramie was concluded three years ago. Frightening Bear, the chief of all Sioux Indians appointed by the Americans in 1851, is killed in the conflict.