John Beach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Beach
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|---|---|
| Born | January 1, 1812 Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | August 31, 1874 (aged 62) Agency City, Iowa |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of AmericaUnion |
| Service/ |
 United States ArmyUnion Army |
| Years of service | 1828–1838; 1861–1866 |
| Rank |  Major |
| Unit | 1st Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Black Hawk War American Civil War |
| Other work | Farmer, merchant, writer |
John Beach (born January 1, 1812 – died August 31, 1874) was an officer in the United States Army. He served during two important conflicts: the Black Hawk War and the American Civil War. He also held a special job as the last U.S. Indian Agent for the Sac and Fox tribes.
As an Indian Agent, John Beach worked as a representative for the U.S. government. His job was to manage relations and agreements with Native American tribes. He took over this role from his father-in-law, General Joseph M. Street. In 1842, John Beach led an important meeting where a treaty was signed. This treaty led to the U.S. government buying a large part of the land that is now Iowa from the Sac and Fox people.
Who Was John Beach?
John Beach was born in Massachusetts. He joined the U.S. Army when he was a teenager. He then went on to graduate from the West Point Military Academy on July 1, 1832.
After graduating, Beach became a second lieutenant. He worked on the frontier, which was the edge of settled areas. He was part of the Infantry Regiment. During the 1830s, he was stationed at places like Fort Armstrong and Fort Crawford.
In 1836, he took charge of the soldiers at Fort Armstrong. This happened after the main commander moved his troops to Fort Snelling. John Beach stayed at Fort Armstrong until November of that year. Before he left the Army in 1838, he helped with finding new soldiers.
Life as an Indian Agent
After leaving the Army, John Beach married Lucy Frances Street. She was the daughter of General Joseph M. Street. When General Street passed away in 1840, John Beach was chosen to take his place. He became the U.S. Indian Agent for the Sac and Fox tribes.
As an agent, Beach tried to continue some of General Street's ideas. He wanted to teach the Sac and Fox people about European-style farming and education. However, his efforts to change their farming methods were not successful.
Beach also worked to protect the land of the Sac and Fox people. He opposed settlers who were illegally living on the reservation land. In 1841, some soldiers helped remove these settlers. They had ignored Beach's orders to leave. After the settlers gathered their belongings, their homes were burned down.
The Treaty of 1842
A very important event happened on October 11, 1842. John Beach was in charge of a meeting where a treaty was signed. This agreement allowed the U.S. government to buy a large area of land in Iowa from the Sac and Fox tribes.
Beach continued to work at the agency until 1847. After that, he stayed in the area. He became a farmer and a merchant, selling goods.
Later Life and Writings
When the American Civil War began, John Beach joined the Army again. He had some hearing loss, so he wasn't sent to fight on the front lines. Instead, he helped train new soldiers.
After the war, Beach returned to Agency City. He became a writer and a historian. He passed away at the age of 62 and was buried at Chief Wapello's Memorial Park.
After his death, some of his articles were published. These articles were about the early history of the Native American tribes he had worked with. His writings about the Sac and Fox people and the fur trade along the Des Moines River were later included in a book called History of Wapello County (1878).
