Thomas Jefferson Papers
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To Thomas Jefferson from Pierre Chouteau, 19 November 1804

From Pierre Chouteau

st. Louis le 19 nobre. 1804

Monsieur

Le Capitaine Lewis a son passage avoit engagé les chef de la Tribus Ayoua a venir ici, plusieurs chefs de cette Tribus y sont venus il y a peu de Jours et d’après la promesse que le Capne Lewis leur avoit fait, ainsi qu’a la Tribus Sioux d’aller vous voir a federal Cité, ces chefs m’ont demandés a ce que Je les y Conduisent, Je leurs ai observé qu’il faloit vos ordres avant tout et Je leurs ay promis de vous les demander, Je les ai renvoyé satisfait de cette promesse ainsi que des Conseils que Je leurs ai donné & des esperances qu’ils doivent Concevoir sils se rendoient digne de votre bienveillance; les Sakias ont egalement demandés a ce que deux ou Trois de leurs chefs soyent du même voyage: Si vous Jugez la chose necessaire, Monsieur, J’executerai vos ordres avec exactitude et Je pense qu’il resulteroit les meilleurs effets d’un pareils Voyage, Ces chefs de tribus, qui Toutes sont Considerables, Transmetteroient a leurs descendants les forces immense qui auroient vu dans les Etats Unis et daprès levidence de cete Superiotée phisique il seroit bien plus facile après de les maintenir dans la dependance et dans la subordination, ils retourneroient chez eux Comme les Ozages bien Persuadés que leur veritable interêt est de se maintenir Toujours en paix avec les Etats Unis.

Les cheveux, ma prié de vous rappeller Monsieur la promesse que vous lui avez fait de faire faire un moulin chez les Ozages, il ma bien prié de vous l’ecrire. Je me suis informé du Prix que pourroit coûter cette batisse, un ouvrier s’engageroit a le livrer entierement fini pour La somme de 1200$. Je crois qu’il ne seroit Pas Possible dobtenir un moindre prix vu l’eloignement des lieux et les difficultés du transports des choses nécessaire pour cette batisse.

Dans ma precedente J’avais l’honneur de vous marquer que mon frere se rendoit a federal Cité comme Representant des habitants de ce District, mais un accez de Goutte la forcé de renoncer a ce voyage; Cy Joint un apperçu de la population sauvage de ce District.

J’ay l’honneur dêtre avec un profond Respect Monsieur, Votre très heumble et très Obeissant Serviteur

Pre. Chouteau

Editors’ Translation

St. Louis, 19 Nov. 1804

Sir,

During Captain Lewis’s stay, he invited the chiefs of the Iowas to meet here. Several of them came a few days ago. Captain Lewis promised them and the Sioux the opportunity to go see you in the federal city, and they asked me to take them there. I told them it was absolutely necessary to have your orders and promised to consult you. I sent them away satisfied with this promise, with my advice, and with the hope they must have in order to deserve your favor. The Sacs asked if two or three of their chiefs could also join the trip. If you think this is justified, Sir, I will scrupulously execute your orders. I believe such a trip would yield excellent results. The chiefs of these tribes, all of which are important, would transmit to their descendants the immense power they saw in the United States. The evidence of this physical superiority would then make it much easier to keep them dependent and subordinated. They would return home, like the Osages, convinced that their true interest lay in perpetual peace with the United States.

White Hair asked me to remind you, Sir, of your promise to build a mill on Osage land and asked me to mention this. I looked into the cost of such a building. One workman proposes final delivery for $1,200. I do not think it would be possible to obtain a lower price, given the distance and the difficulty of transporting the required materials.

In my earlier letter I had the honor of informing you that my brother would be in the federal city representing the inhabitants of this region, but a gout attack forced him to abandon the trip. Attached is an overview of the Indian population of this region.

With deep respect, Sir, I have the honor of being your very humble and obedient servant.

Pre. Chouteau

RC (DLC); in a clerk’s hand, signed by Chouteau; at head of text: “Mr Ts Gefferson President des Etats Unis”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 Jan. 1805 and so recorded in SJL.

d’après la promesse: TJ had requested that Meriwether Lewis inform the different Indian tribes he encountered of the friendly intentions of the United States and invite “a few of their influential chiefs” to visit Washington. Lewis and Clark prepared a speech to deliver to the Iowas and the Sioux before beginning their journey and likely had it read by a trader whom Lewis dispatched to collect vocabularies from members of the nations living along the Des Moines River (Moulton, Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition description begins Gary E. Moulton, ed., Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Lincoln, Neb., 1983-2001, 13 vols. description ends , 2:192; Vol. 40:179; Amos Stoddard to TJ, 29 Oct.).

ma precedente: Chouteau to TJ, 7 Nov.

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