Letter from Thomas Forsyth to George Davenport, 23 May 1832

The collection of early merchants' papers related to Indigenous affairs, 1816-1838, contains letters, indentures, and other papers created by three early merchants active in the Upper Mississippi Valley region: Thomas Forsyth, Russell Farnham, and Edward Kilbourn.

The Thomas Forsyth papers, 1831-1832, comprise three letters from Forsyth to Col. George Davenport.

The Russell Farnham papers, 1816-1832, consist of a passport for safe passage through the city of Copenhaven, Denmark, in 1816, and a letter to George Davenport, 21 May 1832, concerning Farnham's return to Rock Island once he received annuities from Fort Edwards and the conditions of the indigenous peoples near Fort Edwards.

The Edward Kilbourn papers, 1837-1838, primarily include nine deeds of sale for lands in the "Half-Breed Tract" of Iowa between the Mississippi and the Des Moines rivers. The indentures were authorized by both male and female members of the landholding tribes (Sauk and Fox), including Ke-O-Kuk, a Sauk leader. In all cases, the indigenous landholders marked the deeds of sale with an "X" rather than signing their full names. The Edward Kilbourn papers also include a letter, 9 October 1837, from George S. Nicholsen regarding the sale of Native American lands and a bill for lodging signed by George Richmond.