Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall
Subject(s): Cattle, Frontier and pioneer life, Indians of North America, Indians of North America--Social life and customs, Little Bighorn, Battle of the (Montana : 1876), Ranching, United States--Dakota Territory, Winter
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The weather is cold and the snow is over a foot deep. William Wingate Sewall is not sure how the cattle can survive in such an environment. He accompanied a group, including James Watts, a “genuine specimen of a frontier man,” to a Native American village. Watts was with General Custer the day before the Battle of the Little Bighorn and claims to have been shot seven times and hit with arrows five times. They bought several moccasins, buckskins, and a buffalo robe. Sewall’s long hair seemed to interest the Native Americans and they even braided his hair. There are opportunities in Dakota Territory but he still believes that Maine has better living conditions and hopes to return soon.
Collection
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Creation Date
1885-02-18
Creator(s)
Sewall, William Wingate, 1845-1930
Recipient
Language
English
Period
Dakota Rancher (June 1884-1886)
Page Count
8
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
For permissions, please contact histsoc@nd.gov.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall. [February 18, 1885]. State Historical Society of North Dakota.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o292522. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Sewall, William Wingate, 1845-1930. Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall. [18 Feb. 1885]. Multi-image.
State Historical Society of North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o292522.
APA:
Sewall, William Wingate, 1845-1930., [1885, February 18]. Letter from William Wingate Sewall to Samuel T. Sewall.
State Historical Society of North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o292522.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
State Historical Society of North Dakota. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/state-historical-society-of-north-dakota. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
State Historical Society of North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/state-historical-society-of-north-dakota.
APA:
State Historical Society of North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/state-historical-society-of-north-dakota.
