The official residence of Gen. J. M. Street while acting as Agent for the Sacs and Foxes. It is just below the present village of Agency City,
Wapello County, Iowa. Gen. Street died here and was buried a few rods distant and near the grave of

the Indian Chief Wapello. ANNALS OF IOWA, 3d ser., Vol. II, p. 104.

THE SIMON CAMERON INDIAN COMMISSION OF

1838.

BY IDA M. STREET.

When we are disgusted with frauds in the execution of government offices, as exposed in the recent investigation in the post office department, it is somewhat consolatory to our outraged feelings to make a comparison with the frauds of previous years and their investigation. We like to feel that we have not grown worse even if we cannot congratulate ourselves on much improvement. Although a treaty of nearly seventy years ago with a now almost extinct tribe of Indians may not excite much interest, the connection with it of a man once prominent in our politics may arouse curiosity. For that reason and because I have a little new material to add from my grandfather's letters, I have chosen for the present article the frauds practiced by the first commission appointed to carry out the provisions of the Winnebago treaty of 1837.

At the time this treaty was made, Joseph Montfort Street, who from November, 1827 to 1836, had been agent for the Winnebagoes at Prairie du Chien, was agent for the Sacs and Foxes in Iowa. So that his connection with the complaint against the commission was purely accidental. The true instigator of the investigation was Major Ethan Allen Hitchcock, then disbursing agent for the War Department, at St. Louis. I have gathered the facts for this article from letters from Major Hitchcock to J. M. Street, and also to the War Department at Washington; from letters from Thos. Street to his father; and from the account of the investigation as given in public documents for 1838 to 1839.

November 1, 1837, a delegation of Winnebago Indians. at Washington signed a treaty with the government in which they sold to the United States all their lands east of the Mississippi river. They also agreed not to settle on their

One civilian, a Mr. Docier, was given a medal for "gallantry in action and on the march during an Indian campaign in 1870 while serving as citizen guide".

In numerous and notable instances medals were awarded to non-commissioned officers and privates of the colored troops during the Civil War.

General Funston was awarded a medal of honor as Colonel of the 20th Kansas Infantry-not for the capture of Aguinaldo-but for gallantry and daring in crossing a difficult river and dislodging the Filipinos from their entrenchments.

Senator Quay of Pennsylvania received his medal for services at Burnside's battle of Fredericksburg, December 13th, 1862, on the following record: "Although out of service he voluntarily resumed duty on the eve of battle and took a conspicuous part in the charge on the Heights".

Major J. B. Pond who so long managed the American lecture bureau was decorated for gallantry in a fight with guerrillas at Baxter Springs, Kansas, October 6th, 1863.

General Horace Porter, our present Minister to France, was given a medal for his services as a volunteer aide at Chickamaugua. He was then a captain of the ordnance department; he rallied fugitives and held the broken Union lines under heavy fire, thus saving batteries and wagon-trains.

General Nelson A. Miles perhaps wears his medal more proudly than the insignia of his rank as Lieutenant General. It was awarded him for services while Colonel of the 61st N. Y. Volunteers, at the battle of Chancellorsville, where he was severely wounded.

Major-General Daniel E. Sickles received a medal for his historic fight at the Bloody Angle on the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. He once in after years said to General Longstreet whom he fought there, "Longstreet, it was very mean of you to knock off my leg at Gettysburg". General Longstreet replied: "I did not intend to leave you a leg to stand on".

Major-General John M. Scofield was also decorated for his services as Major of the 1st Missouri Volunteers at the battle of Wilson's Creek, Mo., August 10th, 1861.

Major-General O. O. Howard received the medal for the battle of Fair Oaks, Va., June 1st, 1862, where he led a New York regiment of his brigade into action, and lost his right arm as he cheered them on.

General John C. Black, then Lieutenant Colonel, 37th Illinois Volunteers, received a medal for gallantry at Prairie Grove, Arkansas, December 7th, 1862, where he led a charge of his regiment and captured a Confederate battery, and where he was severely wounded in both arms.

General Llewellyn G. Estes, recently deceased, then Captain and Assistant Adjutant General, received a medal for bravery at Flint River, Ga., August 30th, 1864, where he volunteered to lead a desperate and successful charge over a burning bridge.

These six generals last mentioned have been successively commanders in chief of the "Medal of Honor Legion", a national society maintained by medal of honor men, which, like the Grand Army of the Republic and the Loyal Legion, holds an annual encampment or reunion. These annual meetings of the Medal of Honor Legion have been held in the east up to the present time, but it is hoped that they may be held west of Chicago at no distant day.

Of the 1,000 medals issued to the volunteer forces in the field, Iowa received 27, her full share in proportion to the millions who fought for the Union during the Civil War. It is remarkable that a large portion of these Iowa medals-no less than 14 out of the 27-were awarded for the capture of Confederate flags. The list reads as though wherever a Confederate flag was displayed in front of Iowa troops, some Iowa soldier marked it for his own, and triumphantly brought

it in.

The following is the Iowa list in full, with the date, engagement, and act, for which the medal was awarded in each instance.