DATE: 1800-1820
CREATOR: Bissell, Daniel (1768-1833), United States General and Commandant of the U.S. Military Department of Missouri immediately following the ceding of the Louisanan Territory to the United States from France.
SCOPE: The correspondence covers the years during Gen. Bissell's time as Missouri Territory Commandant. Correspondents include Gen. James Wilkinson; Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike; Gov. William Henry Harrison; Henry Dearborn; William Clark; Frederick Bates; Gov. Meriwether Lewis; and Auguste Chouteau
EXTENT: 31 letters or documents in bound volume.
HISTORY: Immediately after the Louisiana Territory was ceded by France to the United States, Gen. Daniel Bissell (1768-1833) was appointed Commandant of the U.S. Military Department of Missouri. He built, by government order, the contanment at Bellefontaine, just north of St. Louis. As Commandant, Bissell officially welcomed the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to St. Louis. After his military career ended, Bissell retired to a large tract of land on the Bellefontaine Road near St. Louis.
ACCESS: For research purposes, PDF copies of the collection have been made available:
M-009 General Daniel Bissell Papers (.pdf)
A digital copy of this collection is available in Adobe .pdf format: M-009 General Daniel Bissell Papers
As well as online: View in the UMSL Digital Library.
The collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material in Special Collection M-009 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition. For collections marked limited access, researchers are advised to contact the library at least three business days in advance of their visit to submit a request to view the physical material.
Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building.
In observance of security procedures, certain services may not be available shortly before the daily closing time.
Preferred Citation: When citing the material from this collection, the preferred citation is: From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
