Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-08-07
aSHLEYS BATTLE,

tract from letter OF Ge0 Ashiey, tudt
yery serious misfortune has befallen that
gentle man in, bis entsrprising expedition
mn the Missouri. We have learned from
other sources, that Col. Leavenworth,
with 600 men, and party OF the .Missou--
ri Fur Company, together with some OF
the Sioux and Sac warriors, have set out
TO avenge this bold insult 10 the American
people.
Extract of letter from Gen Ashley, do.
ted ION board The keet boat Rocky Noun.
fains, June 4th, 1929.
On the morning OF the ed inst. was at.
tackled by the Ricaree indians, which
terminated seriously On my part. The
particulars OF which relate with feelings
OF the greatest sorrow and modification.
Previous 10 my arrival at their towns, from
information received from some gentle.
men descending the river, | apprehended
danger from them, and used as much pre-
caution az the nature OF NY situation
would admit. Not one OF the Rlcaree In
dians did | see until | arrived a; their
towns, on the 3Olb of May my boa S
were anchored about the middle OF the ri.
YER, and went OH shore with two men.
where met some OF the principal chiefs,
who pretended 10 be very friendly dispo.
sed towards us, and expressed wish that
should trade with them.
Wishing 10 send party through by
land from that point to the Yellow Stone
river, for which purpose forty or nifty
horses were necessary, and having just
received an express from Major Henry,
sen. for the purpose OF desiring me 10 pur.'
chase all the horses | could on my way, l
consented to send some goods on shore to
exchange tor horses, but proposed that The
chiefs OF the two towns would meet me on
The sand beach, where a perfect under
standing should take place before the bar.
ter commenced. After long consuta-
ton among them, they appeared at the
place proposed to mold the talk. | made
them small present, which appeared to
please them very much | then told them
that had understood that a difference had
taken place between party OF Their men
and some of the Missouri Fur Company (;
that in consequence OF which, they might
feel disposed to do me an injury, and
went on to state what | supposed would
be the consequences should they attempt
il. They answered that the ARRAY slu-
ded to had caused angry feelings among
them, but that those feelings bad vanish
ed, that they then considered The
white people as their friends, and would
treat them as such
A price Tor horses was proposed by me,
and agreed 10 by them. the exchange
therefore commenced, and on the evening
h,1 lot oH INK r.
chases and had all things prepared for an
early start the next morning Late IN the
afternoon the principal cnief OF one OF the
towns sent me az invitation 10 visit him at
bis LODGE hesita,ed for a moment, but
al length concluded to accept it., as did
not wish them to know that apprehend
ed the least danger from them. | took
with me my interpreter, and went to The
lodge OF the Chief, where ] was reated
with every appearance OF friendship by
him, as we'll as several other chiefs who
were present. The next morning just
before day light, was Informed that the
indians had Killed one Of my men, Aaron
Stephens, and, in all probability, would
attack the boats in a lew minutes ar
engagements were made to receive them /;
my party consisted OF go men, Az OF
whom were selected TO accompany me to
the Yellow Stone river by laud, and were
encamped on the sand beach inicharge OF
the horses. ,
About sunrise, the Indians commenced
a heavy and well directed fire from line
extending along the picketing OF one OF
their towns ana some broken ground ad'
Join ng, a distance of about 6OO yards.
Seeing that some OF the horses were killed
and others wounded, as well as two or
three men, attempted 10 have the borses
crossed to sand bar about the middle OF
the river, over which the water was about
three feet deep but before any thing. to
effect that object could be done, The hire
became very destructive, aimed prInCI-
pally at the men on shore. ordered The
anchor weighed and the boats put 10 shore;
bu: the boatmen, With but very few eS-
cept,ons, were so panic.struCk that they
could not be got 10 execute the order.
Two sSitfs, which would carry 30 men,
were taken ashore for their embarkaiIun,
but q .uppose) from predeterm'Dsti0n
Of The men on the beach not TO give way
10 The Indians a, long as there appeared
the least probability OF keeping their
ground, not more than FIVE OF them made
use OF the large ski!, two OF whom were
wounded the other skllf was taken to
the opposite side OF the river by two men,
one of them mortally wounded.
started the large skif Immediately
back. but unfortunately one OF the men
that worked it was shot down, and by
some means the skif set adritt. BY this
time, most OF the horses were killed or
wounded, and about the halt OF the men.
| continued to make every effort to get
the boats to shore but all in vain. Altbo'
snchoIcd moi more than ninety feet out IN
the stream, the most of the men swan TO
the boats soma OF them, when shot, i'm
mediately sprsng into The river and sunk'
Ii was about Is minutes from the time the
firing commenced Until the surviving part