SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 313 



possessed over the Indians. When, at the commencement 

 of the late war, the British government determined to use 

 the Indians as auxiliaries, Col. Dickson, to whom the 

 ehief direction of this force had been entrusted, selected 

 Renville as the man upon whom he could place most 

 dependence; to him, therefore, was the command of the 

 Sioux given, with the rank, pay, and emoluments of a cap- 

 tain in the British army. In this new situation he distin- 

 guished himself not only as an active, but as a humane offi- 

 cer ; to him the Americans are, we doubt not, indebted for 

 the comparatively few injuries done by the Sioux ; he re- 

 pressed their depredations, and prevented them from shar- 

 ing in those bloody and disgusting transactions which dis- 

 graced the conduct of the Chippewas, the Potawatomis, 

 Miamis, Otto was, &c. 



After the war, he retired to the British provinces, re- 

 taining the half-pay of a captain in the line ; he then en- 

 tered the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, for 

 whom he traded several years at the head of Red river. 

 Being dissatisfied with their employ, he left them, and 

 finding it impossible to retain his pension as a British offi- 

 cer, unless he continued to reside in the British territory, 

 he voluntarily relinquished it, and returned to his old 

 trading post towards the sources of Red river. This be- 

 ing within the territory of the United States, he, with seve- 

 ral of the former agents and clerks of the British traders, 

 established a new company under the name of the Colum- 

 bia Fur Company. Of this Renville may be considered as 

 being the principal prop, as it is to his extensive acquaint- 

 ance with the Indian character that they are indebted for 

 the success which has hitherto attended their efforts. 



Renville's character has not been exempt from the 

 obloquy which always attends those who take decisive and 



Vol. I. 40* 



