One of the prize patronage plums of Dakota Territory was the position of Indian agent, and one of the biggest battles for that position took place at the Devils Lake Indian Agency in 1876.

The person that some historians have called one of the best U.S. Indian agents in American history, and who served for 52 years in the Indian service, almost had his career derailed just as it was beginning.

James McLaughlin was trying to get the Devils Lake Agency back on its feet, following the death of William Forbes, the original agent, when he learned that another person had been appointed to that position.

Later, the new agent tried to get McLaughlin removed by charging him with personal use of supplies that were meant to go to the Indians, a charge later proved to be untrue.

McLaughlin was born Feb. 12, 1842 in eastern Ontario. Looking for work in the U.S. during the height of the Civil War in 1863, McLaughlin settled in Wabasha, south of St. Paul, Minn. While there, he fell in love with Marie Buisson, granddaughter of Duncan Graham, the first white settler at Devils Lake.

Another granddaughter of Graham's, Agnes Faribault, was married to Forbes, a prominent fur trader and politician who was one of the founders of St. Paul.

In 1870, Forbes was appointed Indian agent of the newly established agency at Devils Lake. Forbes enlisted the aid of McLaughlin to serve as his assistant. When they arrived in April 1871, they discovered that the reservation was floundering and the Indians were in a "deplorable condition." Most of the Indians' needs were provided for by the "unsympathetic" military at nearby Fort Totten.

Through the efforts of Forbes, McLaughlin and George Faribault - the agency farmer - conditions for the Indians greatly improved. However, the health of Forbes was very poor, and most of the responsibility for running the agency fell on McLaughlin, who was 27 years younger than Forbes.

When Forbes died on July 20, 1875, McLaughlin believed he should be named agent. Five days after the death of Forbes, McLaughlin sent a letter to Edward P. Smith, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requesting that he be named as Forbes' replacement.

A number of other letters also were sent to the commissioner from members of the Catholic church, politicians, co-workers and high-ranking military personnel, recommending McLaughlin for the position.

Everything seemed in place for McLaughlin's appointment. However, there was one thing McLaughlin had not counted on. Smith became ill and was replaced by interim commissioner, H. R. Clum. McLaughlin learned from a letter in August that Clum named Paul Beckwith as the new agent at Devils Lake. Beckwith was a 26-year-old man who desired action and adventure.

He used family connections to obtain the position.

On learning that Beckwith had been appointed agent, McLaughlin was at first stunned, then angry, and finally determined to get the situation resolved. On Aug. 23, McLaughlin fired a letter to Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley, a former business partner of Forbes and the first governor of Minnesota.

In turn, Sibley sent a letter to the commissioner stating that McLaughlin was "the proper man for the place." Sibley received word that McLaughlin was agent and that Beckwith would be sent to Standing Rock. To try counter this, Beckwith sent a letter to the commissioner stating that McLaughlin had expressed an interest to go to Standing Rock instead, which was not true.

When Sibley traveled to the Devils Lake Agency in early October, Beckwith was still there. He tried to persuade Sibley that a switch should be made, but the general would not accept that. Instead, Sibley sent a letter to the commissioner stating that "all (the people) that knew McLaughlin would testify to his honesty, ability and fitness for the position."

When no official word arrived, Beckwith, on Oct. 27, began his process of firing McLaughlin's employees. When Beckwith was told to leave he claimed he could not because his wife was pregnant. This also was untrue. Becoming more brazen at the end of winter, Beckwith ordered McLaughlin off the reservation.

To try and strengthen his case, Beckwith alleged that McLaughlin was stocking his own personal home with supplies intended for the agency. When these charges proved to be groundless, efforts were made to officially make McLaughlin agent.

He was confirmed by the U.S. House on June 7, 1876, and by the Senate the next day. On June 13, President Grant commissioned McLaughlin as the agent at Devils Lake.

Beckwith turned in his resignation on July 1 and later became the assistant archivist at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C. McLaughlin remained at Devils Lake until 1881 when he was transferred to the larger reservation at Standing Rock.

In 1883, Sitting Bull was placed under his charge. In 1890, the religious movement known as the Ghost Dance started to become popular among many Indians of the region. Many white authorities became concerned because the dance was supposed to portend the death of all whites.

McLaughlin wrongly suspected that Sitting Bull was a leader of the Ghost Dance and ordered his arrest in December 1890. When a fight broke out resulting from the arrest, Sitting Bull was killed. In 1895, McLaughlin left Standing Rock to become an inspector for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He remained at this position until his death on July 28, 1923.

(Written by Curt Eriksmoen and edited by Jan Eriksmoen. Reach the Eriksmoens by e-mail at cjeriksmoen@cableone.net.)