Soldier and explorer (1770–1838) who, with Meriwether Lewis, undertook a two-year expedition in 1804 to discover a navigable route to the Pacific Ocean, in the process exploring and later describing much of the course along the Missouri River. Following the expedition, Clark resumed his military career, serving as agent for Indian affairs in St. Louis and leading a number of campaigns during the War of 1812. LS signed “Wm. Clark,” one page, 8 x 10, May 5, 1836. Letter to Joseph M. Street. In full: “I have received your letters of the 18th, 26th, and 27th ulto—In that of the 26th, you state your conviction that there are at present no intruders on the reservation on the Ioway, expressing, however, your intent personally to ascertain the fact, upon receiving orders to that effect. You are made acquainted with the assertion of Black Hawk and Wapalaw on this subject, and have been furnished with the papers requisite to guide you as to the lines of the Reserve; but the necessity of a personal examination into the matter, must be judged of by yourself.” Accompanied by a partial address leaf of the letter, docketed along the right edge, most likely by Street. In very good condition, with intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, a repair to a small area of paper loss along left edge, with several affected words having been re-inked after repair, another repair of paper loss to lower left corner, and some mild edge wear and toning.
The two Native Americans mentioned in this letter were members of the Fox and Sauk tribes, both of which were pushed from their homelands in present-day Wisconsin southward into Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri after wars with the French. In 1836, Joseph Street was named as a US government liaison and representative of the two tribes, reporting to Clark, then Superintendent of Indian Affairs. The following year, he accompanied a delegation of both tribes to Washington, DC, where they agreed to relinquish 1,250,000 of their lands In Iowa to the United States officially signing a treaty on October 21, 1837. Over the course of Clark’s career in this position, he negotiated 37 similar treaties between the US and American Indians, transferring millions of acres of land to US ownership. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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