Historical archaeology is the study of remains of recent peoples who left written records. Written information can take a number of different forms, from official documents to personal diaries. This specialty uses the methods of archaeologists and the methods of historians to study recent societies of which we have both archaeological and historical information. Other terms for historical archaeology are PreContact archaeology, historic sites archaeology, and modern archaeology.
Fort Snelling is a good example of Minnesota historical archaeology. There is the physical evidence, the fort and its contents, and the written records by the military. There are also many personal accounts of living at the fort by the military personnel which take the form of letters and diary entries.
Fort Snelling was built by the United States government in 1819 along the Mississippi River near what is now the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. At that time, Fort Snelling was at the edge of the "civilization" frontier with only a few cabins to the west of it, and an occasional fur trading post. The fort contained about 300 people and was considered the center of white civilization. It was basically a town within walls, it consisted of a church, a theater, a school, and a library. Fort Snelling was never exposed to battles but was instead used to encourage and regulate trade with the Indians. The United States government's primary purpose for having the fort was to prevent the Indians from trading their furs to the British.
It is interesting to observe the fort and everything within, and of course much can be learned from this. But to be able to read personal accounts of life within the fort during its early years is exciting. It's hard to imagine what life was like over 150 years ago, that's why the writings of the people who lived there is so important. Of course it is understood that some of the writings may have been exaggerated by the writers, but this is taken into consideration and is still helpful in understanding the living conditions at the fort.
Dr. Nathan S. Jarvis was an Army surgeon stationed at Fort Snelling from 1833 to 1836. Dr. Jarvis came from New York and arrived at the fort by steamboat. On October 10, 1833 he wrote a letter to his family telling of his life at Fort Snelling. This is some of the information the letter contained:
He had been at the fort for seven months and has only received two letters since that time. Seclusion from the world is how he describes life there. He writes of the fur traders as being charming because even after they have become rich from their trades they still return to the wilderness to marry Indian women, abandoning all life in a civilized world, cut apart from their family and friends. He speaks of how very few people come to the fort and the ones who do have no homes or possessions, and they can be easily persuaded to enlist into the army. Expenses at the fort cost him about $25 a month; he was paid $82 a month. He was also paid $100 a year from an Indian agent to tend to the sick Indians, and received about $100 more from his private practice for a grand total of $1,200 a year in earnings. Dr. Jarvis writes about how cold the winters are in Minnesota, it starts in early November and lasts until mid April, with temperatures at minus 30 degrees. The fort consumes 2000 cords of wood in one winter. He notes how the Sabbath is not recognized by the men of the fort and no church bells are heard. Once you are enlisted he states that the officers cannot leave until they have dedicated six years of service.
Dr. Jarvis' account of life at Fort Snelling could be considered comfortable as that compared to that of the enlisted men. A German man by the name of Gustavus Otto was "persuaded" to join the army, as were many fugitives of the time. On April 7, 1849 he writes these accounts to his wife in Germany:
Otto describes the country as very pleasant with mountainous banks along the Mississippi River. He says the fort sits high on a mountain and is made of stone. All goods received for the fort come by steamboat. He writes of a little village, St. Peters, that lies one mile from the fort that trades with the Indians. A town six miles from the fort, St. Pauls, is growing daily in size and is very good for provision dealers. Gustavus Otto writes how the living conditions are harsh especially in the winter, two men per room with only three wool blankets and a pile of hay to stay warm. Lighting fires in the middle of the night is necessary to keep from freezing to death. He had frozen his face, ears, feet, and hands. The soldiers had to walk at least two miles to retrieve wood and water for the fort. Scurvy is a big concern for him, as is lice. He writes of the diet, fresh beef with potatoes only on Saturday and Sunday. The other days they eat boiled pork and bean soup in the morning and cold pork, a slice of bread, and coffee in the evening. The Irish, as he describes, are drinkers who fight a lot, and end up in the courthouse daily. Otto's letter begs his wife to somehow get him out of there, and he hopes she will forgive him, and raise his children well.
These accounts from two different perspectives of life at Fort Snelling are interesting to read and can certainly add important personal information to the artifacts left at the fort. With this we can better understand the people who lived there and the objects they used on a daily basis.