The Wilmingtonian., 1823-10-02

Iparture last summer for Council Bluffs, !,
became necessary for them to eonfine tb4r
Operations last Fall to the Yellow Stora
land its tributary waters, and winter al IL.
mouth of the Big Horn. The party or.
Ignally consisted of forty-thrce persons
including themselves and Messrs. Gordon
and Keemle, two young gentlemen attach
ed to the expedition, and to whom an
much indebted for their activity in bring
ling off the remainder of the party, and So
curing the property which had been left
on the Yellow Stone at the time the ey
Ipedition moved to the Three forks early
lin the Spring. The party had been r.
Iduced to thirty part of the men havin.
deserted their wintering post at the BIZ
Horn; withthese they penetrated the coq,.
try as mentioned in Mr.. Gordon's letter.
am happy to say their defeat is not to be
attributed to negligence, mistaken con.
Ifdencc of their own ability, or of the good
will of the Indians.-Three hours more
would have taken them TO the Crow IA.
ton, where they would have been perfect.
Ily secure, this tribe being at war witt
the Blackfont, and much attached to The |
whites. But the B'ackfeet had marked
their route, they knew the country as
Of the position selected By
them for the attack there they intercep.
ed them and awaited their arriqtl--lO.
thing but defeat could be expected under
such circumstances, and it i, woaicrIul
how any should escape from such an over.
whclming force when attacked in such an
"a favourable p0sitioE--lnany circumstan.
CO. justify the opinions expressed in Nj.
Gordon, letter, which | will hereafter re.
late time will not allow me to do 50 at
present.
MIR. Kcemle arrived at the Mandans,in
IA short time after Mr.. Gordon left him
ON the Yellow Stone aud in letter 10
me under date Of the 10th Of the present
month, he expresses himself as follows
Permit me, sir, here to remark, that tle
present affair with toe ;iicarees is the su5.
ject of daily conversation with the Gros
ventrcs and Nandans; and | am Of apl.
Mon, from many remarks made BY the
Ipincipal men of both nations, that much
lnt the future welfare and interest Of per.
sons engaged in the business cf the Mis-.
-ouri, depends upnn:the course of conduit
pursued towards that hanl Of savage SlI.
.iains." In another letter from him on the
| lth instant, he gives me the following
information: A council wa, held by the
| Mandans on the 10th inst. in which they
have determined to send for the Ricaree;
10 enter their village, in order to protect
them las they say from the whites. A
similar proposition was made to the Gro"
Iventres by the former nation, but they
shut their ears against it."
The Arcarees opened fire upon the
men who came express with those letters;
and continued it till they had got beyond
their reach, though they did not succeed
in hurting either of them. From thea
circumstances you may suppose that the
future conduct and disposition of all those
upper tribes, even the Sioux. depends
much on the steps taken in relation to
the Ricarces.
There are many opinions respecting
the course the Ricarees will take; my
own impressions are, that they will not
abandon their own villages, but await the
arrival of the expedition and give us bat
tie: many things induce belief that they
will not attempt to go to the Mandans for
protection: about twelve days will decide
Iit. The expedition left this place early
this morning.
am, dear sir, &c.
IhNLIITA