The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-10-14

VI nor 4 lc,fern, win nis company. and
company l.. commanded ~ Lieut.. Bod
ley, AID Lieut.. Mons, with one Elk poun-
der, ncre ordered to take lpssessiou of lht
towns, aud To suffer not the least aliich. II
be taken away, ar the towns 1" he Injured
A mesYeogef VAS sent To call back TIA,
Indians, II possible, and to induce Them Il
take pussessiun of their villages, but they
could not be- found. IL WIS now evident
thai our artillery had been served with ye.
~ great effect The towns lad been com
p'efely riddled. We found . new graves
aud we found that several Old ones had
been ope0ed, and the surface set thick with
pri.kly pears 10 conceal the new dirt
We know that 10 men, who mere killed by
the Sioux Ia the skiImish ou the 9th, were
buried in five graves; and we know, also,
that more than one was buried Ia several
of the other graves. From the best e,i-
denee which we could collect, ties suppes-
I'd that more than 30 81 their people were
killed, and great number Wounded
Our messengers returned ON the evening OF
the 18th, without having been able to find
the kicafas.
On the morning of the 18th, we placed
the mother of the late chief, GreyEyes,
IAN nged and infrm woman, whom they
left in their fight, in one OF the principal
lodges of the lower village, gave her plenty
of pfopisiOns and water, aud left her IN the
quiet possession of the towns, aud the pro-
perry left by the Indians, except some corn
which had been taken for the subsistence
OF the men. AT about 10 O'Clock, on the
evening OF the 18th, the troops were en-
barkcd IT, descend the river, and our guard
withdrawn, aud every soul removed from
the villages, except the woman before
mentioned. All the boats were got under
way yearly at the same time. Before we
were out OF sight Of the towns, we had the
modification to discover them to be on
IRE. There IL no doubt but they have
been consumed To ashes, nor is there any
doubt but that they were set on fire by one
NJ Donald partner, and one Carbon, a
clerk of the Missouri Fur Company, Had
not this been done, there is no doubt, there
is no room to doubt but that toe Rlcara
Indians would, in future, nave behaved
II, aeltowards our cOnntrymenasan any other
Indians on the river. Ii is now my dtlibe-
rntc opinion, that those Indians will be tx
cited To further hostilities.
Ii is understood that this Company (tbe
Missouri have Withdrawn Their trade from
above the Sioux country. Not so with
Messrs. Ashley and Henry they have
small number of men and Large amount
IF property at the mouth OF the Yellow
stone river, aud they wore deeply interest
I'd in the correction and pacllicatlon of
The Rlcaras. Their zeal aud efficiency in
aiding 10 chastse those Indians We're con-
spicuous aud highly honorable,
We found the Rcara Indians in two vii
ages, the lower one containing II dirt
lodges, and the upper village 10 dirt
lodges Each village was enclosed with
palsadoes, OF pickrts, and a ditch, and a
greater part of the lodges had ditch a
works, however, had been represented to
be much stronger than what I've found them
to be.
During our operations, we sustained no
loss in men, aud had but Two wounded,
Hugh Johnson, of Gen. Ashlcy's com
mand, and Smith, a private of Major
kcichums company.
Our officers and men have returned in
fine health aud spirits, and it is well, for
those left here are near,y all sick Capt.
Fowle arrived here with 85 men, lrecruits,
on the cath instant
Our spring wheat has done well, and all
our crops are very good. No material
losses will be sustained by our abscuce.-
In ascending the river, we lost one boat,
and seven men drowned, and had another
boat sunk by storm. Welostone swivel
aud some ammunition, l. some provisions ;
particular account of all Of which shall
he soon forwarded, together with state
ment OF every item of expense.
| have been highly gratificd with the
officers aud men of tin regiment, and also
with Gen. Ashley aud his command of 80
men, and intend TO do myself the honor to
make a more detailed and circumstantia
account of all our proceedings, END of " hat
was done by each, and hope that what has
been done will meet the appreciation OF
our superior officers, and OF the govern.
ment
| have the honor TO be, respectfully, your
Ohedlent servant,
II. LEAVENW ORTIZ,
Colonel commanding 9Th regt
Brig. Gen. IL. ATKINSON,
Commanding West. Dept,