# Frederick Bates to Richard Bates, St. Louis, 9 November 1809 (on Lewis's death), with John Burke Treat to Bates, Washington, 31 October 1809, and Bates to Nicholas Boilvin, 2 November 1809 CITATION: Thomas Maitland Marshall, ed., The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates (St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society, 1926), vol. 2: Treat to Bates, 31 Oct. 1809, pp. 103-104; Bates to Boilvin, 2 Nov. 1809, p. 104; Bates to Coburn, 2 Nov. 1809, pp. 104-105; Bates to Richard Bates, 9 Nov. 1809, pp. 108-112 (with editor's footnotes 25-28). URL fetched: https://archive.org/download/lifepapersoffred02bate/lifepapersoffred02bate_djvu.txt (Internet Archive item lifepapersoffred02bate) DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 TRANSCRIPTION: OCR of the 1926 printed edition. NOTE: Marshall does NOT print Captain James House to Bates, Nashville, 28 Sept. 1809 (which Fisher 1962, p. 87, quotes from the Bates Papers, Missouri Historical Society); searched the OCR of both volumes for "House", "Stoddard", "derange", "patroon": absent. ---- VERBATIM TEXT (OCR of the scan; line breaks and page headers as in the scan; runs of spaces collapsed; OCR errors NOT corrected) ---- The Second Acting-Governorship. 103 JOHN BURKE TREAT TO BATES My Dear Friend Washington City October 31st 1809 This moment the Secretary at War has mentioned to me his having by this days Mail received an account of the extraordinary death of Governor Lewis : for which no one here undertakes to account for — & certainly the short acquaintance 1 had with him at St. Louis in June last wholly precludes my having any reason to offer for his committing an act so very extraordinary & unexpected. It is already ask'd here who will become Gov. of the Territory: Some say one, others another — but those acquainted with the present Secry. of the Territory point him out as the most suitable and proper person: he cer- tainly possessing more local knowledge of that part of the Country than perhaps any other person who might be selected as possessing talents adequate thereto — on the other hand, there are those who assert that if offered he would not accept it — as it might be necessary he should in that case relinquish the place of Commissioner, Register &c &c however of this you will undoubtedly be best able to determine — Here we are all tranquil and have not any foreign News more than the Gazettes of the day will probably commu- nicate to you — though — should any thing occur, which may be either interesting or amusing to you it shall by the earliest opportunity be communicated by [me] . TO NICHOLAS BOILVIN, SUB-AGENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, PRAIRIE DU CHIEN glR St. Louis Nov 2d. 1809 Mr. Pope, the acting Governor of the territory of Illinois has complained to me that you have licensed persons to 104 The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates. trade within his territory — and demanded that this prac- tice should be discontinued. It is a proceeding with which I have been totally unacquainted, and must confess myself altogether at a loss to conceive your object. The Orders of the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Louisiana can have no operation East of the Mississippi — And no Licences in Gov Lewis' name ought to have been issued at Prairie du Chien or for any other part of the Illinois. — It appears to me that you ought to correspond on these subjects with Mr. Pope. Gov Lewis is no more. He died in Tennessee about 20 days ago.20 — TO JOHN COBURN SlR^ St. Louis Nov 2d. 1809. I have been somewhat too sanguine in my expectation of the popular address which we spoke of — Not, that the People would be better satisfied with any other appoint- ment; but a reluctance of which I have not been able to discover the true cause, has heretofore thrown a damp on my exertions. Until the news of Gov Lewis' death, the fear of incurring his displeasure was the ostensible mo- tive — & now, the impropriety of dictating to the President will serve as a pretext for their backwardness. I did not myself sign the Peto. as I conceived that the wishes of the People & not the Secy's wishes should be expressed in it. I send you the copy of a letter which I wrote last week to Mr. Pope. He has not answered me — The communica- 20 Governor Lewis met his death on October 11, 1809. The Second Acting-Governorship. 105 tion of which I spoke, has not yet been made to Govern- ment — It will go by next week's mail. If the proper efforts are made at the city I shall not dispair of your success. TO JACQUES POKLIER21 AND JOHN BLEAKLEY,22 MERCHANTS OF THE BRITISH MACK- INAC COMPANY Gentlemen, St. Louis Nov 3. 1809. — [... pp. 105-108 omitted (letters not concerning Lewis) ...] TO RICHARD BATES St. Louis Nov 9. 1809. You have heard no doubt, of the premature and tragical death of Gov : Lewis. Indeed I had no personal regard for him and a great deal of political contempt; Yet I cannot but lament, that after all his toils and dangers he should die in such a manner.25 At the first, in Washington he made to me so many friendly assurances, that I then imagined our mutual friendship would plant itself on rocky foundations. But a very short acquaintance with the man was sufficient to undeceive me. He had been spoiled by the elegant praises of Mitchell26 & Barlow,27 and over whelmed by so many flattering caresses of the high & mighty, that, like an over- 25 For the circumstances connected with the death of Lewis, see Coues, History of the Expedition under the Command of Lewis and Clark, I, 43 et seq. See also the Missouri Gazette, November 2, 1809. 26 Probably Samuel Latham Mitchill, one of the best known American scientists of the period. 27 Probably a reference to Joel Barlow's Columoiad. The Second Acting-Governorship. 109 grown baby, he began to think that everybody about the House must regulate their conduct by his caprices. 'De mortuis nil nisi bonum'28 is a good old maxim; but my character has been assailed, as respects our late Gov- ernor, and I owe to those I love some little account of my- self. I never saw, after his arrival in this country, anything in his conduct towards me, but alienation and unmerited distrust. I had acquired and shall retain a good portion of the public confidence, and he had not generosity of soul to forgive me for it. I was scarcely myself conscious of my good fortune; for the still voice of approbation with which I was favored by the People, was, as yet drowned in the clamours of my enemies. As soon as I was seen in conflict with my associates in business, my friends came forward with a generous and unexpected support. — T bore in silence the supercilious air of the Governor for a long time ; until, last summer he took it into his head to disavow certain statements which I had made, by his order from the Secretary's Office. This was too much — I waited on him, — told him my wrongs — that I could not bear to be treated in such a manner — that he had given me the orders, & as truth is always eloquent, the Public would believe it on my assurances. He told me to take my own course — I shall, Sir, said I, and I shall come, in future to the Executive Office when I have business at it. Some time after this, there was a ball in St. Louis, I attended early, and was seated in conversation with some Gentlemen when the Governor entered. He drew his chair close to mine — There was a pause in the conversation — T availed myself of it — arose and walked to the opposite 28 Of the dead nothing but good. 110 The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates. side of the room. The dances were now commencing. — He also rose — evidently in passion, retired into an adjoin- ing room and sent a servant for General Clark, who refused to ask me out as he foresaw that a Battle must have been the consequence of our meeting. He complained to the general that I had treated him with contempt & insult in the Ball-Room and that he could not suffer it to pass. He knew my resolutions not to speak to him except on business and he ought not to have thrust himself in my way. The thing did pass nevertheless for some weeks when General Clark waited on me for the purpose of inducing me to make some advances. I replied to him 'NO, the Governor has told me to take my own course and I shall step a high and a proud Path. He has injured me, and he must undo that injury or I shall succeed in fixing the stigma where it ought to rest. You come' added I 'as my friend, but I cannot separate you from G ov Lewis — You have trodden the Tips & the Downs of life with him and it appears to me that these proposals are made solely for his convenience.' At last, I had business at the Executive Office — He pressed me to be seated and made very handsome explana- tions. I told him that they sounded well; but that I could not accept them unless with the approbation of my friend Wm. C. Carr — He, with some other Gentlemen were then called in, & this particular misunderstanding adjusted to the entire satisfaction of Carr and myself. Oh Lewis, how from my Love, I pity thee ! 1 Those who stand high, have many winds to shake them And if they fall, they dash themselves to pieces' I should not speak of these things now, but for the pur- pose of explaining what followed. Gov. Lewis, on his way The Second Acting-Governorship. Ill to Washington became insane. On the arrival of this un- happy news and before we heard of his death, an Honbie. Gentleman of this place, a Colleague of mine at the Land- Board, commenced a regular and systematic traduction of my character — He asserted in several respectable com- panies that the mental derangement of the Governor ought not to be imputed to his political miscarriages ; but rather to the barbarous conduct of the Secretary. That Mr Bates had been determined to tear down Gov Lewis, at all events, with the hope of supplanting him in the Executive Office' with a great deal of scandal equally false and malicious. The persons who listened most attentively to these accusa- tions, happened to be my very intimate friends Judge Coburn and Doct Farrar. I deliberated with myself 24 hours in what manner I ought to proceed. Clement B. Penrose was worthy of my resentment, as being nearly connected with the ' illustrious House of Wilkinson' as well as on many other accounts. But he has a Wife and family. A defiance ought not then, if it could be avoided, to come from me. The second day after I had heard these slanders I met him in public, at the Board of Commissioners, after we had adjourned. I charged him with the falsehoods which he had propagated in concise and angry terms. He denied them and explained 'I have said that you were the enemy of Gov Lewis and would willingly be the Governor yourself.' 'You have gone farther than this Sir' said I 'and I will prove it upon you. I will not submit to your malicious impertinence Mr. Penrose — I will chastise you for it — for two years past, you have been in the habit of gossiping your scandals with respect to me, and I pledge my word of Honor, that if you ever again bark at my heels, I ivill spurn you like a Puppy 112 The Life and Papers of Frederick Bates. from my Path' These reproaches made no impression upon him — he was only apprehensive of another kind of attack. He had denied the charge and I thought him too worthless for further notice. I satisfied myself with obtaining from Judge Coburn a Certificate of what 1 had alledged and with sending Aid Major McNair with a letter to Mr. Pen- rose, expressive of my hearty and everlasting Contempt for him. His reply to the Major was, that he would have me indicted for an Assault. Eichard, this is a strange world, in which we live! I had thought that my habits were pacific; yet I have had acrimonious differences with almost every person with whom I have been associated in public business. I have called myself to a very rigid account on this head, and before God, I cannot acknowledge that I have been blamable in any one instance. My passions blind me I suppose. It is certain, nevertheless, that I float on a flowing tide of popular favor, without a diminution of credit that I know of at the City. 9/10ths of the People are ready to push me into the government, as much I presume, against the determinations of the President as contrary to my own inclinations. The Recorder's Office united with the Secretaryship are better, safer, more permanent, more congenial with my habits, and offer me duties with the discharge of which I am intimately familiar. In the Government, I might have a three years' greatness and sink into oblivion. I could not hope to ' escape from the world 's great snare uncaught. '