Charles Eli Mix (February 4, 1810 – January 15, 1878) was an American civil servant. He served as chief clerk of the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

from 1850 to 1869. For a brief period in 1858, Mix was

commissioner of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

. During his time as commissioner, he oversaw the signing of a treaty with the

Yankton Sioux Tribe The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Western Dakota people, located in South Dakota. Their Dakota name is Ihaƞktoƞwaƞ Dakota Oyate, meaning "People of the End Village" which comes from the p ...

of the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...

(present-day

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

). The

Treaty of Washington A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...

was signed on April 19, 1858 and ratified by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on February 16, 1859.

Charles Mix County, South Dakota Charles Mix County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,373. Its county seat is Lake Andes. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1879. It was named for Charles Eli Mix, an off ...

, organized in 1862, is named after him.

Early life

Charles Eli Mix was born on February 4, 1810, in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

. He was educated at the Lancaster School in New Haven. At the age of sixteen, Mix moved to Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Career

After moving to Georgetown, Mix entered the mercantile business. His business failed during the

Panic of 1837 The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis in the United States that began a major depression (economics), depression which lasted until the mid-1840s. Profits, prices, and wages dropped, westward expansion was stalled, unemployment rose, and pes ...

. In 1838, Mix was appointed by President

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...

as a clerk in the

. He was later appointed as chief clerk, under Secretary of the Interior

Thomas Ewing Thomas Ewing Sr. (December 28, 1789October 26, 1871) was a National Republican and Whig politician from Ohio. He served in the U.S. Senate and also served as the fourteenth secretary of the treasury and the first secretary of the interior. ...

, in November 1850. While chief clerk, Mix drafted the

Yankton Treaty The Yankton Treaty was a treaty signed in 1858 between the United States Government and the Yankton Sioux Tribe (Western Dakota), that ceded most of eastern South Dakota (11 million acres) to the U.S. Government. The treaty was signed in April ...

of April 19, 1858, with the

. He was also known for drafting the 1850 Office Copy of the Laws, Regulations, Etc., an important set of regulations for implementing and governing Indian affairs. He served as acting commissioner in August 1853 and June 1856 while

George Washington Manypenny George Washington Manypenny (1808 – July 15, 1892) was the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the United States from 1853 to 1857. Early life George Washington Manypenny was born in 1808 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He moved to Ohio around 1830 ...

was traveling in Nebraska and on temporary absence, respectively. He again served as acting commissioner in April 1857 after the resignation of Manypenny. He was appointed as

, after the resignation of

James W. Denver James William Denver (October 23, 1817 – August 9, 1892) was an American politician, soldier, and lawyer. He served in the California state government, as an officer in the United States Army in two wars, and as a Democratic member of the Uni ...

, serving from June 14, 1858 to November 8, 1858. Mix resigned, preferring to work behind the scenes. Mix retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1869.

Personal life

Mix married Catharine Upperman, of Georgetown, in 1829. They had five sons and four daughters. Mix owned a farm, near Ball's Crossroads in

Alexandria County, Virginia Alexandria ( ; ) is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile River delta. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria grew rapidly and became a major ce ...

. Mix died on January 15, 1878, at his home at 164 High Street in Georgetown. He is interred at Oak Hill Cemetery in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., along with his wife and children.

Legacy

, organized in May 1862, was named after Mix.

References

External links

* 1810 births 1878 deaths People from New Haven, Connecticut United States Bureau of Indian Affairs personnel Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) Charles Mix County, South Dakota {{SouthDakota-stub