Schoolcraft's Expedition to Lake Itasca

E. Journal and Letters of the Reverend William Thurston Boutwell

APPENDIX E lournal and Letters of the Reverend William Thurston Boutwell WILLIAM THuRSTON BOUTWELL was the fourth member of the expedition who kept a journal, and in many respects his report is the most interesting of them all. Boutwell was a religious zealot and by 1832 had already decided to spend his life as a missionary for ,the Indians, in fact, among the very tribes he was visiting on this tour. He was harsh in his criticisms of these "pagan" Indians and the "irreligious" voyageurs who failed to observe the Sabbath. Of particular value, are his observations on Indian life and customs, which are the most candid, albeit naive, of all the diarists. Also of great interest is Boutwell's diary from August, 1832, to August, 1837, which describes his life as missionary among various Chippewa tribes of Wisconsin and Minnesota. This part, however, obviously is beyond the scope of this appendix, and must await separate publication. There is some doubt as to the provenience of Boutwell's Journal. According to Russell Fridley, Director of the Minnesota Historical Society, it was either given or loaned to the Society prior to 1889. Subsequently the diary was lost, although fortunately not before J. Fletcher Williams, the librarian of the Society, had an opportunity to copy it in longhand. The Joumal printed here is from the Williams copy of the Journal in the possession of the Minnesota Historical Society. Sections of the Boutwell Journal have been published before. The Minnesota Historian, Edward D. Neill, quoted extensively from it in his "Memoir of William T. Boutwell," Macalester College Contributions, Second Series, No.1 (St. Paul, 1892). Excerpts from the diary relating to the expedition of 1832 were published in "Schoolcraft's Exploring Tour of 1832," Minnesota Historical Collections, Vol. I (St. Paul, 1872), pp.153-76. Boutwell left other material relating to the 1832 expedition in addition to his Journal. Several of his letters to the American Board of Foreign Missions written en route were published in the Missionary Herald and are reprinted in this appendix. The letter from Boutwell to Julius Chambers of July 27, 1880, is also included in this section as well as Boutwell's interview with Jacob Brower since they bear upon the controversy of the derivation of the name "Itasca." 1. The Journal of Reverend William Thurston Boutwell, June 7 to August 12, 1832. Minnesota Historical Society. 2. William T. Boutwell to Editor, Missionary Herald, June 25, 1832. Missionary Herald, Vol. XXVIII (September, 1832), pp. 293-94. 306 Appendix E 307 3. William T. Boutwell to Editor, Missionary Herald, August 8, 1832. Ibid., p. 404. 4. William T. Boutwell to Julius Chambers, July 27, 1880. Chambers, The Mississippi River (New York, 1910), pp. 111-31. 5. Interview, William T. Boutwell by Jacob Brower [1890?]. Brower, The Mississippi River and Its Source, Minnesota Historical Collections, Vol. VII (Minneapolis, 1893), pp. 148-49. 308 Appendix E 1. Journal of the Reverend William Boutwell Sault Ste. Marie, June 5th, 1832. Left Mackinaw 1:30 o'clock, Monday morning, for this place, where we arrived in about 36 hours, a distance of 70 miles. June 7, 1832. Embarked at the head of the Portage at 6 o'clock, p.m. and proceeded to Point aux Pines [Pins], 6 miles, where we passed the night. Rose at 4 o'clock and embarked. Passed Point des Chiens on our right, 3 miles distant. Soil sandy, producing pine thinly interspersed with oak and white birch. The expedition from the Sault embarked in two barges [Mackinaw boats] and two canoes, Lt. Allen, of the U.S. Army, in command of the escort, which numbers 10. The provisions and Indian presents for the expedition are to be conveyed to Fon[d] du Lac in a barge. Mr. Schoolcraft and myself embarked in our canoe, with 8 men. Mr. Johns[t]on the interpreter and Doctor Houghton, the surgeon, embarked in the other, with 6 men, 34 in all. Leaving Point aux Chien, we next came to Point Iroquois, on our left, and Gros Cap on our right. These opposite points are by many travellers considered the entrance in to the Superior. Iroquois Point is so called from the following circumstance. This nation and the Ojibways were at war, when a party of the former came from a place near Montreal, called Lake of the Two Mountains [in 1662]. They encamped on this point, and spent the...