The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-10-14
To hc .4djntam General.
HrAp QuAurERs, 9Th RECT.


Fort .Hkinson, lug. 80, 1898.
| SIN: haze The honor to iniprm you
tha, the troops who lately visited the Ri
csra Towns returned 10 this pos, on the
q7,h inst.
We arrived before the Ricnra Towns on
| the OH of the present month The Sioux
! Indians, who were with MS, were met by
lhc Rlcaras shoft distance from their
towns, and skumsh took place between
them. TIE Kraras maintained their
ground, or rather, drovethe Sioux back, IN
Ill the regular troops aud Gtnerai Ashlty's
mcn arrived, aud formed then line. The
Rcaras were then Immediately driten into
their towns. The Sioux were 80 much
scattered in front of the troops that the
latter were unable to deliver their fire,
without killing sotne of the Sioux, and
Therefore did not fire.
Our boats arrived subsequently during
the evening Of the 9th, and our artillery
was disrmbarked
On the morning of the 10th, Captain
Riley, with company Of lsifemcn, aud
Lio,ii. Bradley, with company Of lnian-
try, were ordered To take possession of n
| hill above the upper village. They lmme
diatrly took position there within one
| hundred steps from the town, and IN stu
aion which screened them from the fire Of
the enemy from the toms. At the same
moment, 1t. Morris, with one SIX FOUNDER,
and FIVE and Il half inch howtZer, com
menced an attack ON the lower town
| SERGEANT Perkins, with one SIX FOUNDER,
waa ordered to report 10 Mr.. VauHcrburg,
No hiysnur, I',t, flbia a
FOUNDER was placed above the upper VII
| laEe. A brisk fire continued upon the
towns until 8 o'clock in the afternoon
The Sioux were, IN the mean tame huslly
engaged in gathering and carrying off the
cora of the RICaras.
| At O'Clock NJ j. Ket hum was also or.
dered to the upper village wit his com
| pany.
Between 3 and ! o'clock the six poun.
dcr and the troops opposed In the hppper
village, were withdrawn, aud Our whole
force concentrated below the lower vii
! lagr, and the troops ordered to form, for
the purpose Of collecting corn for their
OWE use, as Gen Ashley's men had then
been destitute of provisions for two days.
At this time, party of Sioux, and party
III lAitdIbN, bhlH WI lIiTStl'dtht NtIf iNSto
Hcred holding II parley on She hill beyond
the upper town. II WAS Hiso discovered
that the Sioux were going off, though they
had given M intimaton of their intention
to do so. The Rlcaras sent out and beg
ecd fuI peace. They said that the first
shot from our cannon had killed the cele-
hrated Chief, called Grey Eyes" who
caused all the mischief, and that we had
killed n great many of their people, and al
their horses. They were evidently very
much terrified, aud completely humbled.--
Being convinced of this, and snpposinG that
the government would be better pleased IN
have those Indians corrected than criermin.
aicd, and rs the Sioux, amounting 10 about
: or 800 warriors, had left us in very
strange aud maccountahlc manner, II was
Thought best, under all the circumstances
of the case. tn listen 10 the solicitations oil
the Rcaras for peace, especially rs il was
understood that our round shot were near
lly all expended consequently, a treaty
was made with them, copy of which is
enclosed.
In restoring to Gen. Ashley the proper
" taken II was thought that the Indian.
did not perform their engagements on thai
subject, AS well as they We're able TO do
and they were threatened with an attack
Their principal chief, the Little Soldier
came to Us, and begged permission Ia
withdraw his family from the village BIZ
fore we attacked it; aud he gave us the
most conclusive evidence of his friendly
disposition towards us. II was now late
IN The afternoon of the 18th, the 10th and
nth having been spent III action and nego-
tiatioa, and intcrchangiug visits, our men
ircqnenting the towns for the purpose o
trading for mocassins. &c. and the Indians
! manfeshng every symptom ofhaving been
Thoroughly brought To a stnse of their in.
trrest and duty. 1t WAS concluded Il
postpone the attack until morning, and th,
troops were dismissed from parade.
. Ii had been asce, tanned by me that thu
Indians were 50 much alarmed by oul
threaie ing again 10 attack them, that they
: would probably ruu away and leave then
/ villages. This, il was thought. would have
an nnlavorable effect upon the Indians, and
= make them more inclined II commit de
predations upon the traders and, az tn,
Little Soldier soon after sent CUT, for gene
raj Ashley, Il Jew more buffalo robes, with
Il message that hc could not possibly do
+, more, aud begging that we would have
D pity on them, sent him word that [ would
/, not attack them; that il was not their pro
p"rty that we wanted t. make his peopl,
4 leel safe, and conduct them elves well, and
l they should not be hurt
81 Early on the morning of the 18th, Ne
u found the Ricaras had left their tewns du-
Il rup fbp MO lt