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Clark, William

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:0.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Clark, William
Clark, William (1770-1838) Soldier and co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Governor of the Missouri Territory, and Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Autograph Letter Signed "Wm. Clark" as Governor of the Missouri Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1 page, 9¾ x 7¾ in. with integral address leaf, Executive office, St. Louis, Mar. 28, 1814. Addressed to the Judges of the County of St. Louis, regarding the care of some orphaned Indian children: "I am informed that there is in this Town and its vicinity several Indian girls and boys who have been brought from the most distant Tribes and are yet minors; as there is not a probability of sending those to their Tribes and as no provision is made in the Indian department for the support of such orphans; It is my wish and desire as the Superintendent of Indian affairs, that the orphans court o[f] this county should bind such children, out to humane and proper characters…." Clark was recognized by both Indians and whites as a fair man. The letter has recently been professionally restored: old tape stains reduced and thin japan paper applied to the back to strengthen it; some repairs to address leaf are earlier. The letter is quite legible, with a couple of letters missing. The signature is affected by tape stain and a horizontal fold but still bold.

The docket makes reference to "an Indian Girl of the Snake Nation of Indians." The Snake Nation was another name for the Shoshone, a tribe which had been helpful to Lewis and Clark in 1805 when they needed horses to cross the Bitterroot Mountains. Sacagawea, the young Indian woman who served as a guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark, was also born into the Shoshone tribe but was captured by the Hikatsa when she was about twelve.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.

Our item number 158000