Manuscript Project Transcription and Works Cited for Research of ...

all their territory east of the Mississippi, including the St. Croix area and east to the Chippewa
River. More than likely, the Indians never knew that they had ceded their lands until the
Removal Order came in 1849. Warren expressed much concern over this matter in a nine-page
letter he had written (prefaced with an introduction from Governor Ramsey) to L. Lea,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. He expressed his determination and
commitment to the cause: “Not only in their councils, but throughout the whole length of my
journey, I heard in every lodge and from the mouth of every man and woman a determination
expressed not to remove.”
William Whipple Warren spent his short life educating himself and others about the
Ojibway people and culture. He fought for their rights and assisted in bridging the language and
cultural gap between the whites and the Natives. Even in rapidly declining health, he devoted a
great deal of energy to his work. The following letter from William Whipple Warren to his
cousin indicates his strong ties with the Indians and his decline in health.