Journal of Stephen Watts Kearny

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EDITORIAL PREFACE. This journal of the famous soldier, Stephen Watts ICearny, now printed for the first time, has unusual interest in being the only known record or account it is believed, of an early military exploration that was an incidcnt of the pioneer movement of United States troops into the great trans- Mississippi region. Until 1818 no effort had been made to establish army posts beyond the Mississippi. Following the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, the Americans had re-garrisoned a few minor cantonments evacuated by the Spanih, and had planted a few new posts, but practically The mnnuscript is the property of the hlissouri Historical Society and was acquired by gift from the late Charles Kearny, Esq., of St. Joseph, MO, A search of the records on fle in theJWar Department has resulted in failure to find any mention of this expedition, A bare reference to it is found in Dotys Journal 1Yis. Hist. Colls., xiii, p, 216. In the St. Louis Enquirer, of July 25, 1820, there is a letter dated CounciI Bluffs, June 24, 1820, containing this statement Captain Magee, with a small command, is about setting outto mark a road from this position to the Faila of St. Anthony. a Although the Louisiana Territory was acquired from the French 1803 it will be remembered that it had been since 1783 in the possession of the Spanish. After the Treaty of St. Ildefonso 1800, which terminated Spains interest, the French did not resume possession of the posts. 2 Journal of S. W. lieumy. all of these were along the middle and lower river. The War of 1812 coming an soon afterward, and having its theatre east of the river, delayed the time when the military occupa- tion of the new territory should begin, 3 necessary measure . before it could safely be opened up for settlement. In that war what the western people had most to combat was not m the British but their allies, the Indian savages, whose depredations had kept the settlements in constant dread, if not in actual danger, and had interfercd seriously with the important fur trade, the chief frontier industry. Just M soon as the Americans had recovered sufficiently from the exhaustion of the war to consider the future, they were prompted by the budding spirit of nationalism to adopt a system of measures for their general security. Included in these was the erection of coast fortifications and a chain of military posts on the westen frontier, beyond the Mississippi, in the populous Indian region, Thus began, in 1815, the movement of United States troops into that vast territory, where for many years they were to have their most characteristic service, and where by hard experience they were to develop certain methods of warfare that have come finally to exert an appreciable influence on all modern armies. The military occupation of the north-west was undertaken in independent expeditions. One had as its destination the head of navigation of the Mississippi, near the mouth of the St. Peters now the Minnesota River. The other was directed to ascend the missiori far as the mouth of the Yellorwstone River. They had as their immediate objects the protection of the northwestern frontier against Indian attacks, the extension of the great fur trade, and the checking of the influence of British traders with the Indians...