Reed College
Reed College

Primary Source Sets

Special Collections and Archives

Letter from Army Scout Ned Chambreau to General O.O. Howard

Edward Chambreau was a French-born, Canada-raised scout for the United States government from 1876 to 1880. He served under General O.O. Howard before moving on to run trading posts, a theatre, and a furniture store. In his early life, he left Montreal to join the circus before later joining the United States Army and running a gambling hall and a saloon. During his time as General O.O. Howard’s scout, he wrote this letter regarding his interactions with Northwest tribes. In the excerpt from the ten-page letter, Chambreau tells Howard that he informed several Columbia River tribes that United States troops were on their way. While he claims in the letter that he was welcomed and well-liked by the tribes he interacted with, that is merely one side of the story.

Item 5 of 10 in this set

Previous Next