the best men could be found collected there. From the strong claim, as our men say, which Scott County as the Republ. banner county represents, there seems to be an inclination to run me for Lieutenant Governor and also are all the Germans in the State coxing me to be a candidate as a demonstratum ad hominem that the Republ. party has nothing to do with Know nothingism, but you know best what good reasons I have to keep my hands of. I thank God that he has give me modesty enough not to seek a position which I believe myself not able to sustain to my own satisfaction, for my broken English and little experience are not proper qualifications for an office of that nature. This is the main reason why I urge the nomination of Hamilton for he, being an adopted citizen, would though not quite as much as myself, to a certain degree satisfy the German Republicans and would consequently be a strong candidate. I beg, my dear sir, your kind forbearance for this unseemly long letter and with my imperfect style and mode of writing, as I could not help it to express to you my gratification in regard to your willingness to accept the nomination for Governor. I am very respectfully your friend, N. J. RUSCH.11 seeing what one might be changed, and still having some prejudice against the name of Buncombe, decided that Lyon should take the place of that name in the list of counties.-ANNALS, v. II, No. 2-3, p. 198, 201. Nicholas J. Rusch was born in Holstein, Germany, in 1822. He received a good education and taught school for several years. He emigrated to America and located on a farm near Davenport, Iowa, in 1847. He soon acquired a knowledge of the language, laws and institutions of this country and became an influential leader among the German Americans. He was a Republican in politics, was nominated by his party for state senator in 1857 and elected. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1860 to 1862. He also served as Commissioner of Immigration from 1860 to 1862 with great_efficiency. In 1862 he was appointed to a position in the Commissary Department with the rank of Captain. He died in the service at Vicksburg in 1864. EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT WHERE IS THE RIVER JEFFREON? Students of Indian boundary lines in the Mississippi Valley have some difficulty in locating the "river Jeffreon" mentioned in Article 2 of the treaty at St. Louis, November 3, 1804, as follows: The general boundary line between the lands of the United States and of the said Indian tribes shall be as follows, to wit: Beginning at a point on the Missouri river opposite to the mouth of the Gasconade river; thence in a direct course so as to strike the river Jeffreon at the distance of thirty miles from its mouth, and down the said Jeffreon to the Mississippi, thence up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ouisconsing river and up the same to a point which shall be thirty-six miles in a direct line from the mouth of the said river, thence by a direct line to the point where the Fox river (a branch of the Illinois) leaves the small lake called Sakaegan, thence down the Fox river to the Illinois river, and down the same to the Mississippi. And the said tribes, for and in consideration of the friendship and protection of the United States which is now extended to them, of the goods (to the value of two thousand two hundred and thirty-four dollars and fifty cents) which are now delivered, and of the annuity hereinafter stipulated to be paid, do hereby cede and relinquish forever to the United States, all the lands inIcluded within the above-described boundary.1 We present herewith a map showing "An island called the Jefreon" at the mouth of the river, and the line from opposite the mouth of the Gasconade to the point thirty miles from the mouth of the river as designated in the treaty. Incidentally, the west line of the Black Hawk Purchase treaty of September 21, 1832, is here indicated in a projection to the Missouri river, and identified as the western boundary of the Sac and Fox claims. "PRIVATE ARCHIVES." Public events are illuminated from private as well as from public sources. Our public archives contain most of the official Kappler's Indian Affairs, Laws and Treaties, v. II, p. 74. Map of Jefreon Island and other landmarks of the Treaty of Nov. 3, 1804, with the Sauk and Foxes. Iowa Superintendency-H. 62 Filed by Jos. V. Hamilton, Feb. 7, 1837. It is inscribed: correspondence of leaders while temporarily in office. To lead is itself often as important a public service as to discharge official duty, though the records of public leadership are usually very meager. On this theory the Historical Department of Iowa holds itself obligated to discover, preserve, and reserve from immediate use the personal letters of public men. On another page we present two personal letters to Governor Kirkwood which bear upon his first nomination for Governor and the single term of service of Governor Ralph P. Lowe. The complete history of this and of other interesting chapters of Iowa history of the period of the Civil war and earlier, exists nowhere except in "private archives," of which we are rapidly augmenting our collections. GEN. J. G. LAUMAN COLLECTION. The Historical Department of Iowa has recently received a collection of military materials accumulated by the late Gen. Jacob Gartner Lauman, presented by his sons, Col. George Viele Lauman and Charles Newcomb Lauman. This collection illustrates events in the life of General Lauman and his activities as an officer during the Civil War. A list of the collection and a copy of the military escutcheon of General Lauman as given by his son are herewith appended: GEN. J. G. LAUMAN COLLECTION. Presented by Col. George Viele Lauman and Charles Newcomb Lauman. Army camp outfit advertisement, illustrating field desk, mess chest, cooking outfit, etc. Autograph congratulatory orders-U. S. Grant to Colonel Lauman and Seventh Iowa Infantry for action at Belmont. Dated Cairo, November 11, 1861. Autograph Letter-From Adj. Gen. N. B. Baker, thanking General Lauman for relics for Iowa State Historical Society. Dated February 20, 1862. Barrack Plans-Drawn by soldier, S. F. Warner, Lieutenant Co. K. Seventh Iowa Infantry. Belt-Full dress, red Russia leather, gilt bands. |