After setting up his headquarters at Yankton, Governor Jayne had a census taken, which showed 2402 white people in Dakota territory; and called an election for the choice of a delegate to Congress and members of a legislature. Then he returned to his home in Illinois to remain until the following year. Captain John Blair Smith Todd, recently resigned from the United States
Captain J. B. S. Todd
Army, was elected delegate to Congress. The Weekly Dakotian, which still survives as the Press and Dakotan-Gazette, was established at Yankton on the 6th of June, 1861, and the Vermilion Republican was established in July of that year.
By proclamation Governor Jayne called the legislature to convene at Yankton on March 17 (St. Patrick's day), 1862, and he returned to Dakota in time for that event. There were nine members of the council and thirteen members of the house, and seldom has a more remarkable body of men been gathered together. This territorial legislature was at once named "the Pony Congress"
