The Story of Fort Snelling 



FORT SNELLING, at the confluence of the Minnesota and 

 the Mississippi rivers, has long been a spot of great his- 

 torical interest. Before the coming of the white man, 

 the neighborhood of the post was a favorite haunt of the In- 

 dians who called the spot "Minnedota" or "The Meeting of 

 the Waters." Several large Sioux or Dakota villages were 

 located within a half day's journey, many bloody fights be- 

 tween the Ojiboways and Dakotas taking place under the 

 cliffs beneath the fort. 



In 1803, President Jefferson bought Louisiana from France. 

 This vast territory, with no definite boundaries and had only 

 been explored along some of its largest rivers, lay west of 

 the Mississippi river. It was necessary that some steps be 

 taken to bring it under the authority of the general govern- 

 ment. Lieutenant Zebulon M. Pike was detailed to visit the 

 new region, drive out British traders and make an agreement 

 with the Indians whereby forts and trading posts could be 

 established. In September, 1805, after ascending the Missis- 

 sippi in batteaux, Pike landed at the trading house of J. B. 

 Faribault under the bluff of the present site of Mendota. 

 Within a few days, he purchased one hundred thousand acres, 

 west of the Mississippi, from the Sioux for two hundred dol- 

 lars' worth of trinkets and finery and sixty gallons of whis- 

 key. The war with Great Britain, 1812-15, prevented a mili- 

 tary post being built, and it was not until 1819 that the work 

 was undertaken. An order was issued to Colonel Henry 

 Levenworth to mobilize the Fifth Infantry and go to the con- 

 fluence of the St. Peters (Minnesota) river and the Missis- 

 sippi and there establish a fort. The regiment assembled at 

 Detroit, Mich., and after an arduous journey, reached its des- 

 tination in September, 1819, and at once prepared quarters for 

 the winter on the lower ground opposite the present fort. 

 When the ice went out in the spring, the river overflowed, 

 causing the command to hastily embark, transferring their 



