Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-10-07

lev, and Lieut.. Morris, With enc six poun'
der, were ordered 10 take possession OF the
towns, and 10 suffer not the least article 10
be taken away, or the towns 10 be injured.
A message was sent to call back the In
dams, if possible, and to induce them TO
take possession Of their villages. but they
could not be found. 1t was now evident
that our artillery had been served win
very great effect. The towns hdd been
completely riddled. We found 81 new
graves, and we found that several OLD
ones had been opened, and the surface sci
thick with prickly pears TO conceal lhe
new dirt. We know that 10 men, VINO
were killed by the Sioux in the skIrmsh
on the 9th, were buried in i've graVes;sna
we know, also, that more than one was 6u'
ried in several OF the other graves. From
the best evidence which we could collect,
i. is supposed that more than so OF their
people were killed. and a great number
wounded. Our messengers returned on
the evening of The l4th. without having
been able to find the Ricaras.
On the morning OF the 10Th, we placed
the mother OF the ia.e chief, Grey Eyes,
Ian aged and in6rm woman, whom they
left in their fight in one OF the pr'nci.
pal lodges of The lower village, gave her
plenty OF provisions and waller, and lett
her in the quiet possession oil lne 'o"hs'
and the property iett by The Indians, ex-
eept some corn which had been taken LOT
the subsistence Of the men. Al about 10
| o'clock. on the evening Of he 18th, me
troops were embarked 10 descend the RI
yer. and our guards withdrawn, and every
! soul removed from the villages, except the
woman before mentioned. ALI the boats
were got under way nearly at tue same
| time. Before we were out OF sight OF Inc
towns we had the modification TO discover
them to be on FIRE. There is no doubt but
thew have been consumed to ashes, nor IS
there any doubt but that they were set on
6re.by one NJ Donald, partner, and ore
Gordon. clerk OF the Missouri Fur Com
pany. Had not this been Gone, there Is no
doubt, but that the Rica-a lnnlanS Wonl1,
| in future have behaved as well towards
our countrymen as any other Indians on
the river. It is now my deliber te opinion,
that those Indians will be excited 10 Iur-
| Their hostltIes.
lis understood that thi, Company (the
| Missouri have Withdrawn their trade rom
above the Sioux country. Not SO with
Messrs. Ashley and Henry; they have a
small number OF men md large amount
of property at The mouth OF the reno"
Stone river, and they were deeply inter d,
ested in the correction and paclhca'lon OF
the Ricsras. Their zeal aud efficiency
in aiding to chas,ise those Indians were
conspicuous and highly honorable
We found the Ricara Indians IN TWO
villages, Inc lower one containing ~ our!
lodges, and the upper village ~ art
lodges. Each village was enclosed WIN
! PALISADES, or pickets, and ditch ana
pr,ater part OF the lodges had ditch a.
rouni the bottom on the inside. These
works. however, had been represented &c
be much stronger than what we touhu
them 10 be.
During our operations. we sustained no
! loss in men. and had bat two wounded,
Hugh johnson of General Ashley's com
mand. and Smith, a private OF MAJOR
| <,ur uuIUoro IL uISu hu- -atprr~I ~ ""n
health and spirits, and it is well, tor those
left here are nearly all SICK Cap: Fowie
arrived here with IS men, (recruIts,) on
| the 28th instant.
Our spring wheat has done well, all our
crops are very good No material losses
will be sustained by our absence ln as.
cendlng he river. We lost one boat, and
seven men drowned, and lad another boat
sunk by storm. We lost one -wivel and
some ammunition, and some provisions
| particular account of all Of which shall
be soon forwarded, together with state
ment OF every item OF expense.
| have been highly gratlhed with The
officers and men Of the regiment, and al =,
so with Gen. Ashley and bis command OF
| 80 men, and intend to do myself the no.
nor to make more detailed and cIrcum
stantia account OF all our proceedings, and
| of what was done by each, and hope that
what has been done will meet the appTo-
baton OF our superior officers, and Of the
government.
have the honor TO be, respectfully,
your obedient servant,
H. LEAVENWORTH,
Col. commanding 9Th regt.
Brig. Gen. II. ATKINSON,
Commanding West. Dept.