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ishop Whipple could not rest with the outcome. He investigated and wrote to another minister,
Rev. E. G. Gear, of what he uncovered. The letter is dated Nov. 5, 1862:
"I spent several days in examining the books of the
Indian bureau & my fears of dishonesty were all confirmed. The whole system is a bad one & in the
hands of bad men as corrupt as it can well be. I had often heard the Indians complain of their wrongs
but I hoped it was not just. In 1853 these Indians sold the Govt about 800 thousand acres of land.
The lower Sioux's portion came to [$] 96,000. A clause in this treaty states that these Indians
shall go home & hold an open council & decide what shall be done with the money . . .
Although 4 years have elapsed since that sale, these Indians have never received a cent of
that money. [$] 880.58 is to their credit on the books of the Dept & all else has gone for
claims. This created very great dissatisfaction among them. In May of this year they were told by
traders that 1/2 of their annual payment had been taken for claims. They were very angry. In June they
came for the payment. They waited two months and no money came -- mad, exasperated, starving -- at
last the outbreak came & it desolated 200 miles of our border . . . Deeply as I
sympathise with our poor suffering [white] citizens, I do know that this war is justly due to robbery
& wrong -- and as I fear God, I will not keep silence. I have done all I could to arrouse public
attention to this matter & hope to do more."
from Minnesota Historical Society, Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple papers
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