Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-01-16
DOMESYIC.
EItract Of a letter from Brigadier
General atkinson, to the Secretary Of
FRANKLIN, OCTOBER l8, 1920.

the 18th and 2lst of June. Your in
struciions respecting the occupancy of
Fort Usage, and in relation to the COM
plants made by the Usage deputalion,
at Washington, shall be particularly at
tended to.
| left Council Bluffs on the LIST inst.
and came down the wagon road that
lieutenant Fields has opened, with his
command. We overlook him on Grand
River, about forty miles above its mouth,
on the 10th instant, with his wagon
team, and party, in good condition AS
soon as | get his report on opening the
road, it shall be forwarded to you, as
shall the report and typographical sketch
of lieutenant Talcott, of the route across
to St. Peters. The road is measured
from the Bluffs, to Charlton; the dis
lance is about two hundred and fifty
miles the distance across, to 81. Peters,
is estimated at three hundred miles,
From belief thar the Sac Indians arc
secretly hostile to the whites, have de-
! ferred having the country across to
plored for the present.
The ague and fever has been preva-
lent at the pest above, for the last two
months, but there is every reason to be-
Iieve that it will soon disappear. Only
one death has occurred among the
troops, from the 18th April, to the lst
instant, and that from case OF the
,yphns.
The now barracks were in state Of
torwardacss Oh the Isl instant; INDEED
most OF the troops were quartered. the
rooms were put up with round logs, and
hewn down without and within; the
whole Of the Infantry, and one block of
the rifle barracks, are co, cred with
shingles. Good brick chImneys were
made to most OF the rooms, and TIE re-
.ldue, no doubt, completed by this me.
The barracks are dry and comfortable,
and will probably last some fifteen years;
a plan OF Their construction, and OF their
defcnces, shall be forwarded to you on
my arrival at ST. Louis.
Our crop surpasses my expectation,
of corn we shall no doubt gather more
than 10000 bushels. From the quan,i-
ty gathered and measured, from an acre,
which, believe, yielded not more than
| an average, we should count on more than
$4,000 bushels. The acre alluded 10 ,
produced 1929 bushels of shelied corn,
bat. as 1t was not yet quite dry, an allow
| ancc for shrinking 22a per cent. would
Sill give us more than the latter quanti-
ty. Our potatoe crop will not be as
abundant as anticipated, nor will the pro-
duct OF turnlps; OF the former we shall
probably gather four thousand bushels,
and four 10 FIVE thousand of the latter
Grasshoppers appeared in myriads the
last week in August, and stripped the
turnips of their leaves; they were so
well grown, however, as to rcsuscitate
measurably, and will give halfa crop
II these destructive vstants had made
their appearance six weeks sooner, we
| should not have made one busheI of
corn. They stripped it, even at that
period, of half Its leaves. The Pawnee
Indians lost their whole crop by their
ravages, and | understand that al the
Earl OF Se!kirk's establishment, on Red
River, the two last crops have been en-
tirely destroyed by them.
live arc not again visited by those in
sects, there is no doubt but we shall be
able, after gathering the next crop, to
subsist ourselves in plentiful abundance
by our own labors. We have cut and
preserved two hundred and fifty tons of
hay, which will be sufficient for our
horses and cattle.
The Indian tribes on the Missouri corr
tinue friendly towards us. Our oppor-
tunity of Judging of their dispositions has
been greater the present season than at
any former period. In September there
was assembled, at one time, at the Bluffs,
the chiefs and head men of the three
bands Powndes, of the Kansas, OF the
Madas, OF Puncas; ofthe three bands OF
Yanketon Sioux, of the Teton Sioux, and
of the Stone Sioux, residing above the
Great Bend; all of whom professed Ia
ue, and are, no doubt, as friendly as
could be wished. 1t is said that the
Alacaras, who inhabit the country l5o
miles below the Mandans, speak lightly
OF the troops; and the friendly DISPOSE
ton of the Mandans is also questioned.
In these reports but little confidence
should be placed. For my own par, (
have not the least doubt bu, the presence
OF 400 troops would be quite sufficient TO
over-awe them, and make as favorable
an impression as could be desired and
which | must hope will be authorized
early in the spring. There certainly ;s
not the least diff ulty with propc, man
agement, of carrying the view. of COVE r,.
menl into full ef'-ct in regard to opens