459. GEORGE HANCOCKKENNERLY (1790 - 1867) American military officer, explorer and trader. In1825, he married Allezire Menard, daughter of prominent pioneer and traderPierre Menard. Then, in 1828, he was appointed Captain and Commander of thesecond Isaac McCoy expedition which inspected lands west of the Mississippifrontier. According to the Kansas Historical Society, "With the purchase ofLouisiana by the United States in 1803, removal of eastern Indians to unoccupiedterritory became a feasible plan, but it was not until the election of AndrewJackson that settlement of the tribes on lands west of the Mississippi riverbecame established as a national policy. By this time several tribes had removedto the West under treaty arrangements; removal of those remaining was legalizedby the act of Congress of 1830. A step in the development of this program was anexploring expedition ordered in 1828 to permit certain tribes to examine thecountry west of the Mississippi and select locations. Isaac McCoy, Baptistmissionary at Carey, Michigan, was appointed commissioner to accompanyrepresentatives of the tribes". During this excursion, Kennerly was madehead of the party and supervised delegations of Chicksaw, Chotow and CreekIndians, taking them west to the Neosho River and then to Fort Gibson and themouth of the Canadian River. An outstanding archive of over 45 A.L.S.'s, memos,documents, receipts, and so forth, outlining the career of George H. Kennerly,dating between 1814-1861, with the majority of the material being sentimentalletters to his wife. However, the archive also contains several letters withexcellent content with references to the McCoy expedition, Black Hawk andSeminole Wars. The archive begins with a war-date A.L.S. to Kennerly, Oct. 24,1814, Lexington, Kentucky, from Col. A. Butler, 2nd Rifleman, advising Kennerly,in part: "...You will hold yourself of readiness to march with the detachmentof the 2nd riflemen. You will proceed...as far as Chillicothe, in the state ofOhio, where it will be placed under the command of Lt. Stockton...".Considered a very able officer, Kennerly was promoted captain in 1823, anddeveloped lifetime friendships which included Brig. Genl. Henry Atkinson, whowould entrust Kennerly as sutler to various frontier outposts and forts. In aMay 10, 1827 A.L.S. marked "Special Order", Kennerly is appointed,subject to the Approbation of the Sec. of War, to 6th Regiment. This militaryorder forever changed his life in that it opened the door for him to leavegovernmental service in lieu of a career in trading. Kennerly was appointed in1828, as leader of the McCoy Expedition following his marriage to AllezireMenard. On Oct. 28, 1828, Kennerly writes his wife from Franklin, MS, in part:"...I arrived here yesterday and have gotten the whole of my party togetherand will leave here in an hour on the trip...". This letter is historicallyimportant because historians have often disagreed about the exact date thatIsaac McCoy set off on his second expedition. On Nov. 29, 1828, Kennerly writesfrom Fort Gibson (Arkansas), "...I am approaching the Canadian Fort with 15days' provision - then down to Fort Smith, to dispense my part. The mostdisagreeable part of my journey is already accomplished...". Unfortunately,Kennerly turned out to be wrong: for although he completed the long trek, hestill had to submit a report to the Sec. of War (James Barber) and to bothHouses of Congress in order to be reimbursed. On Feb. 27, 1829, he writes fromWashington, DC, "...My business as such as will keep me here some days yet -waiting for an appropriation to be made, which was yesterday passed by theSenate, and now is before the lower house. I am in hopes it will passtomorrow...". By Mar. 12, 1829, Kennerly is confused and angry, writing:"...McCoy has not settled the accounts of our expedition therefore I couldnot get any money for my trip home. The Sec. of War [John Eaton] has not as yethad time to act on my application. Saw General Clark and James. I am anapplicant for the post office and several of the friends of General Jackson,from Tangiers offered to go with me to the President and insisted on it...but Iwould not go...". One week later, on Mar. 19, 1829, it is probable thatKennerly wished he went to see Andrew Jackson, for he writes, in part: "...Istill have not been enabled to get my business accomplished with the Sec. ofWar....but I have assurances from him that he will attend to it today. GeneralSmith, Captain Rogers and Sanford have left here yesterday (without me). Sanfordwill wait for me in Baltimore and accompany me to St. Louis...". There is afifteen-month gap between letters to his wife, but on Aug. 5, 1830, Kennerlypens, in part: "...I am just about starting for camp as the troops are to bepaid today and tomorrow. The troops are healthier than when we left, except themeasles...and hooping [sic], though which are not prevalent among thechildren...but I hear of no deaths...". On Apr. 12, 1832, Black Hawk and hisKeokuks band of renegades would leave Rock Island, causing havoc in the Illinoisvicinity. Kennerly was then put in a difficult situation, for as a sutler hewould have to accompany troop movements into hostile regions. On June 10, 1832,he writes "from the mouth of the Fox River", in part: "...The General,Mr. Johnson and myself rode up from the Fort of the rapids yesterday to thisplace, we have had no news of the troops on Rock River for some days. Reportsfrom Chicago say that the hostile Indians are all trying to get west of theMississippi again, the last that was heard from them they were high-up on RockRiver...". The next phase of interest in Kennerly's long career concerns hisinvolvement in Florida during the height of the second Seminole War. He writesseveral letters to his wife, including one from Natchitoches on Mar. 21, 1836,in part: "...The troops are still in the neighborhood of this place encamped,and very disagreeably so. It appears that we have gotten out of away of allnews, as we can hear nothing from Florida, or from Genl. Gains, which have usall in suspense as to our future destination, and until his arrival I cannottell when it will be in my power to come home. I stay at the local tavern untilGeneral Gains arrives...". Surprisingly, two years later, on July 23, 1838.Kennerly writes from Tampa Bay, in part: "...General Taylor arrived heretoday. I've yet an opportunity of conversing with him relative to thedestination of the 6th regiment...". Kennerly would soon know, for on July29, 1838, he again writes from Tampa Bay, in part: "...We have just learnedthat Captain Jewett, on his way from Fort White, on the Sewana to Numinsvilleand about 4 miles from the former place, was fired upon by Indians, and he[Jewett] was shot through the arm (slightly)...the party consisted of himself,servants, a young man...a carpenter in the Q.M. Service, and a man driving asmall wagon with his captain's baggage, none of them armed...secured theirescape by running. It is certainly the most curious warfare that has ever beencarried on with the Indians...". This is just the tip of the iceberg, asthis archive offers much insight into the life of a sutler, soldier, and familyman who was often prevented from returning home to his wife and children due toterritorial hostilities and for his part in the expansionist policies of theUnited States government at the time. Included in this lot is a series ofletters by PIERRE MENARD and family members, specifically relating to thecourtship and subsequent marriage of Allezire to Kennerly. A fascinatingarchive, most definitely worthy of future research. $2,000 -3,000