The Brothers Robidoux and the Opening of the American West

Chapter 8: Joseph Builds His Own Town

133 CHAPTER 8 Joseph Builds His Own Town By 1835, there may have been two hundred or more families living illegally in the southern part of the Indian Territory in which Joseph’s trading post stood. General Andrew Hughes, in charge of the subagency near the Blacksnake Hills, loathed the idea of taking action against the whites. Joseph tried to have a good working relationship with Hughes, but ultimately failed at the effort, probably as much the fault of the general’s personality as Joseph’s attempt to induce favorable treatment. While trying to maintain a wilderness conducive to the ongoing Indian trade, and as close to a monopoly in the area as possible, Joseph did not care for Hughes’s attitude. Robidoux accused him of uneven tactics when it came to other traders who invaded his territory, particularly in regard to Geoffrey (Jeffre) Dorwin, whom the general and Joseph had butted heads over. The trade situation in the region proved tense at best with several potentially bad encounters leading to a simmering animosity. “Several days ago Messrs. Owens and Vasseur, partners of Jeffre, arrived, armed to the teeth, to pick a quarrel with me for what they had circulated amongst their like—but as they are rogues and therefore cowardly, in place of quarreling with me they were very decent—some time ago they had stolen a mule from me, which they brought back without my bringing them to justice. They took the Sacs away with them to G. Hughes—& I am certain that the latter charged them to hold a council and these gentlemen, who are traders, interpreters—there are no others—& after this council this Hughes will fabricate a letter, as he has done before. The older one gets the stupider one gets—pardon the expression—nevertheless I should have had enough experience not to have flung myself into this hell— but with the grace of God—and my good fortune, I hope to get out of it.”1 Nonetheless, the Indian agent at Fort Leavenworth, John Daugherty, proposed in 1835 to use federal troops to get the squatters out of the region. At that same time members of Missouri’s congressional delegation, headed by Senators Lewis F. Linn and Thomas Hart Benton, proceeded with their efforts to get support to annex the area. In August 1835, Linn wrote to John Forsyth, 134 The Brothers Robidoux secretary of state, to discuss the issue of possible military intervention to remove the squatters. He hoped to head off trouble from such an action and reinforce the impetus to acquire the area. “I hear an order has come from the War Department to remove the families who have settled on the Indian lands lying between our western boundary and the Missouri River, by military force. You know the independent and daring character of our frontier population, and knowing, you will easily believe that this step is not to be accomplished without violence and much distress, as the families are two or three hundred in number. The accompanying diagram will at a glance show you what we want, and at the same time the utter uselessness of this portion of country for Indian purposes.”2 In September 1835, William Clark called a meeting of the Ioway and Missouri bands and the Sac and Fox Indians at Fort Leavenworth for the purpose of signing a treaty. In the document they gave up lands totaling about two million acres, which allowed the northwest Missouri border to extend to the river. Known as the Platte Purchase, the area included the counties of Platte, Buchanan (including the Blacksnake Hills), Andrew, Nodaway, Atchison, and Holt. In exchange the Indians received $7,500 in cash, reservation lands in Kansas, the promise of a school, livestock, and miscellaneous other incentives, which included a ferryboat. One of the witnesses of the treaty signed, “H. Robidou, Jr.” Though the first initial does not match, Joseph E. is believed to be the signer.3 Robidoux’s wilderness outpost, once beyond the leading edge of the frontier line, suddenly sat directly on top of it. People began to flood in and he had to secure his claims. Robidoux hoped to receive from the government two sections of land, encompassing his post, for his help in dealing with the Indians, particularly his friend and trade partner, the Ioway chief White Cloud. That help, apparently quickly forgotten by the government, possibly on the report of his nemesis, General Hughes, got Robidoux no reward. Even a word of...