The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-02 00:00:00

RED RIVER.

We have received an account of the plunder of a convoy
of goods on the road from Georgetown down to Fort
Garry. It appears that in consequence of the Sioux mas-
sacres in Minnesota, and of a warning sent from Fort
Abercrombie to prepare for the worst, Mr. Kittson, who
was in charge at Georgetown, determined to remove the
property at that station, and all the party there, to Fort
Garry, and started in September, sending 15 or 20 tons of
cargo by barge, and taking about the same quantity with
him in waggons. At the Grand Forks, where the Red
Lake River empties itself into the Red River, about 2,000
Chippewas were encamped, waiting for the long-expected
treaty with the American Government respecting certain
tracts of land ; and !:a. number of half-breeds from the
neighbourhood of the boundary line were assembled. When
the party from Georgetown approached they stopped for the
night three miles off; but a band of Indians soon arrived
and demanded provisions, and after getting these they
coolly drove off all the cattle. Mr. Kittson followed and
appealed to the chiefs. The plea was that they were
starving, and he was obliged to be content with getting back
but belonged
itton
the cattle absolutely necessary for the waggons. But a de-
emxapnladinthed thenaartesethfeery
weregoDis
nfrootmhtihsetNovaggivgee:ibau. Mr. Kittson
Red River merchants, with whom the Indians were wont
cyheiaar
sbycyomeaprltoaindeod
thus binat
tet
hs se
yi nhtande
been most
nfrime.nteddlydwownay.byTthhee
Government and kept waiting with no result ; their provi-
sions were gone, and they had lost time in which they
should have provided fur the winter. Long harangues were
made of a characteristic description. Mr. Kittson said he
could not believe they would set themselves to barefaced
robbery. The chiefs said they would not do that; what
they wanted was, that he should hand over the goods to
them, and their necessities compelled them to insist upon
it. He replied that he could not give them the goods, but
he was in their power, and it was useless for him to offer
opposition. All this took place in the presence of 2,000 ex-
cited Indians, who began shouting that they were now at
liberty to help themselves. The chiefs still restrained them,
but represented that if Mr. Kittson did not give, a general
plunder might be the result, which would leave him no-
thing, and perhaps endanger life. At length, amidst the
general noise, wrangling, and confusion, Mr. Kittson, see-
ing his helplessness, and anxious for his party, which in-
cluded both sexes, bade the Indians go forward in their
work. Then tea, sugar, tobacco, carpets, blankets
were flung hither and thither among the crowd, silks
torn into pieces to tie over their heads, and the finest
scarlet cloths rent into pieces and tossed about.
A few half-breeds, being Roman Catholics, exclaimed
against taking some priests' robes and holy vestments, but
the Red Lakers cried, " We don't care for priests, bring the
things here." When they had helped themselves, Mr.
Kittson found himself proceeding on his way, plundered to
the extent of above 20,000 dols.—a loss which will fall hea-
vily on the traders of Selkirk. Some of the half-breeds
were from parishes actually within the Red River settle-
ment. The barge was some distance in the roar, and suc-
cessfully stole past afterwards in the deadofthemght. It
is said to be considered in the settlement that Mr.
and the chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, who
was with him, acted with discretion, and that the lose
could not have been averted by any other course.