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Seth Eastman Watercolors, ca. 1846-1858

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Summary

Creator:
Eastman, Seth, 1808-1875
Abstract:
The Seth Eastman watercolors consist of 12 sketches produced by U.S. Army officer Seth Eastman.
Extent:
12 watercolors
Language:
English
Authors:
Collection processed and finding aid created by Jakob Dopp, May 2022

Background

Scope and Content:

The Seth Eastman watercolors consist of 12 sketches produced by U.S. Army officer Seth Eastman. Most of these works were likely created by Eastman between approximately 1849 and 1858, including many that were executed in relation to his work as illustrator for Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s six-volume ethnographic survey Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, published between 1851 and 1857. Individual items measure up to 18 by 25 cm.

The following list includes titles (supplied titles appearing in brackets), content descriptions, and citations for engraved versions that appear in Schoolcraft’s survey:

“Pawnees Torturing a Female Captive”
  • Watercolor scene showing a naked Native American girl being tortured in front of a large group of Skiri Pawnee men, women, and children. This depiction is thought to have been based on accounts cited by Schoolcraft of the last known instance of the Skiri Pawnee Morning Star sacrificial ritual, ca. 1837/1838.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 6 (across from pg. 78)

“Emigrants Attacked by the Comanches”; Capt. S. Eastman U.S. Army Del.
  • Watercolor scene showing several Comanche warriors on horseback attacking a wagon train circle defended by men with rifles.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 2, Plate 33 (across from pg. 132)

“Mission Chapel of San José. Near San Antonio, Texas"; Capt. S. Eastman U.S. Army Delt.
  • Watercolor scene showing several Native American warriors (likely meant to be Comanche) on horseback outside of San José Mission Church.
  • Based on 1849 sketch by Eastman held by the Peabody Museum, Harvard University.

“Oneida Lake from the Original Site of the Oneida Stone, Oneida County, N.Y.”; S. Eastman U.S. Army Delt.
  • Watercolor view showing a Native American man smoking a pipe seated on the Oneida Stone overlooking terrain with Oneida Lake in the distance.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 5, Plate 23 (after pg. 152)

“Esopus Landing, Hudson River”; S. Eastman U.S. Army Delt.
  • Sepia ink wash view showing two Native Americans on rocks in foreground looking out over the Hudson River.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 19 (after pg. 74)

“Humboldt, California.”; S. Eastman from a sketch by G. Gibb (sic, George Gibbs)
  • Sepia ink wash view of Humboldt, California, ca. 1851 showing several buildings viewed from across a harbor. Copied by Eastman from original drawing by George Gibbs.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 43 (across from pg. 130)

“Pittsburgh in 1790”; Drawn by Capt. S. Eastman U.S. Army from the original, taken from the south side of the Monongahela by Lewis Brantz Esq.
  • Ink wash view of structures at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania, ca. 1790. Copied by Eastman in 1851 from original drawing by Lewis Brantz, then in the possession of Brantz Mayer.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 3, Plate 32 (across from pg. 336)

“Mexican Antiquities”; S. Eastman U.S. Army
  • Sepia ink wash depiction of seven indigenous Mexican cultural artifacts. Drawn after engravings based on drawings by Brantz Mayer.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 40 (after pg. 590)

“Mexican Antiquities”; Drawn from the originals by Capt. S. Eastman U.S. Army
  • Sepia ink wash depiction of ten indigenous Mexican cultural artifacts. Eastman drew these objects direct from observation of materials held in the collection of Brantz Mayer.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 6, Plate 39 (after pg. 590)

“Indian Signatures”; Copied from the original by S. Eastman U.S. Army
  • Pen and ink drawing showing written names and totems of sixteen Ojibwa individuals including “Kimi-Ki-Chawgan,” “Kitche-pus-quegegan,” “Siginac,” “Apeche-caw-boway or Grand Blanc,” “Maw-manche-Cawtence,” Skaw-O-mut or Black Chief,” “Mieray or Walk in the Waters,” “Ray-y-Aron,” “Ane-me-quinee,” “Puck-e-Nence,” “Que-baw-que-gun,” “Puck-qua-Cawboway,” “Seken-ge-win,” “Many-to-quajick or Little Cedar,” “So-wa-quet,” “Macconce or Little Bear.” These signatures were claimed by Schoolcraft to have been copied from an invoice of Indian goods disbursed by General William Hull at Fort Detroit in 1809.
  • Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States, Vol. 2, Plate 56 (across from pg. 226)

[The American Surrender at Fort Shelby, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, July 20, 1814]
  • Watercolor view depicting American troops at Fort Shelby, Wisconsin, surrendering to the British on July 20th, 1814, during the War of 1812; likely executed by Eastman ca. 1846-1848.
  • Eastman was stationed at Fort Crawford (successor to Fort Shelby, which was destroyed by the British in May of 1815) after graduating from West Point in 1829 and possibly interacted with individuals who witnessed the surrender first-hand.

[Winter Scene at Fort Pembina, Later Part of North Dakota, ca. 1858]
  • Watercolor view of Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory, during winter showing buildings, tipis, and a dog sled.
  • Work is unsigned but bears clear similarities to other landscape scenes by Eastman.

Biographical / Historical:

Seth Eastman was born in 1808 in Brunswick, Maine, to Robert (1783-1867) and Sarah Lee Eastman (1782-1865). He enrolled at West Point Military Academy in 1824 and graduated on July 1st, 1829. A gifted artist, Eastman specialized in topographic engineering. His first assignment was with the U.S. Army 1st Infantry as a 2nd Lieutenant. In October of 1829, he was assigned to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to assist with the reconstruction of Fort Crawford (formerly known as Fort Shelby) before being sent to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in February of 1830.

While stationed at Fort Snelling, Eastman learned to speak the Dakota language and executed many paintings depicting the local indigenous communities. During this time, he also married his first wife Wakaninajiwin (also known as Stands Sacred Woman), a fifteen-year-old Santee Dakota woman who was the third daughter of French-Santee chief Mahpiya Wicasta (ca. 1780-1862/63; also known as Cloud Man) and Canpaduta Win (also known as Red Cherry Woman). Shortly after the birth of his daughter Mary Nancy Eastman (1831-1858; also known as Winona, Wakantanka Win, Great Spirit Woman, First Born Daughter), Eastman was reassigned to Louisiana in 1832. He decided to abruptly abandon his first family and declared his marriage to Wakaninajiwin null and void. Mary Nancy Eastman would later die after giving birth to Charles A. Eastman (1858-1939; also known as Hakada, Ohiyesa, Pitiful Last, Always Wins), who became a renowned physician, author, and lecturer.

Beginning in 1833, Eastman served as a map drawing instructor at West Point. He was promoted to Captain in 1838 and eventually returned to Fort Snelling in 1841 as commander. Eastman’s second wife Mary Henderson Eastman (1818-1887) came with him during his second spell at Fort Snelling. Like her husband, Mary held an interest in Native American cultures, languages, and history. She would go on to publish several books on Native American topics including Dacotah, or Life and Legends of the Sioux Around Fort Snelling (1849). In 1850, Eastman secured a commission to work as the illustrator for a Congressionally approved ethnographic study of Native Americans led by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. After relocating with his second family to Washington, D.C., Eastman embarked on a prolific period of artistry which saw him generate hundreds of illustrations that would be engraved and published between 1851 and 1857 in Schoolcraft’s six-volume survey titled Information respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States. Later in his career, Eastman was also commissioned by the House Committee on Military Affairs to render several paintings of prominent forts and scenes from Native American life. Eastman died after suffering a stroke in Washington, D.C., on August 31st, 1875.

Acquisition Information:
Donated by Janet Mueller, July 2018. P-2996.1-.12 .
Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open for research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright status is unknown.

PREFERRED CITATION:

Seth Eastman watercolors, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan.

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Collection

Seth Eastman Watercolors, ca. 1846-1858
Total components 1
Last indexed 2025-02-09