The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-08-01
THE LATE MASSACRE.

The LATE MASSACREs.
The account we gave last week of the
Indian Massacre in the upper country is
confirmed by the arrival of the Malta
from St. Peters. Our fellow citizens,
!. Col. NEALLEY and JEREMIAH LAMsoN and
lady, visited the battle ground few days
after the fight, and have furnished us
with the following additional particulars,
which in their details, do not essentially
vary from what was before stated:--It
appears that three or four hundred Sioux
were encamped near fort Smelling; and
while there, about the same number OF
Chippewas came to the fort on business.
During the time they were thus near
each other, it was proposed that they
should enter into Treaty of Peace; one
condition of which was that all hostilities
between these two tribes should cease for
one year. To show their good viii, the
Chippewas made feast, at which they
invited the Sioux; at this feast a number
of their favorite dogs was served up,
which, although it may not be considered
very palatable dish to the white man,
is nevertheless looked upon as mark Of
the highest respect and confidence on the
part of the natives Of the forest, and is
set down as one of their greatest Injuries.
After smoking the pipe Of peace, and hav-
ing settled their business, the Chippewas
made preparations to leave. The Sioux
then escorted them a few miles, and be-
fore separating some of the Chiefs of the
Chippewa tribe informed q few Of the
head men of the Sioux, that they had a
few bad men in their tribe, for whose con-
duct they could not be responsible. They
separated in apparently good faith. Soon
after, one Of these bad men, or pilferers,
as they are called, in the Chippewa tribe,
fell in the rear. On the prairie he discov-
cred a Sioux, who was hunting with a
boy; the boy was by some means upper
ceiyed by the Chippewa; the latter then
took aim and shot down the Sioux, and
Immediately ran up and scalped his vic
Tim. In the mean time the boy hid him
self in the grass, and after the Chippewa
had gone, he ran 10 the fort and gave the
alarm. The Sioux then mustered and
pursued the main body of the Chippewas.
They soon came upon their rear, which
consisted mostly of women and children
the warriors being on hunting excur-
sion, considerably in advance--and the
work of death commenced. This was
near Rum river, about 90 miles from Fort
Smelling. At this place they killed about
ITO without much resistance. In the
meantime, they had sent an express to
Crows village, about nine miles below
fort Smelling, where there were about Sc
venty Sioux warriors, with orders for
them to pursue smaller band Of Chippe-
was who had gone towards the head Of
Lake St. Croix, which is about twenty
five miles in length. This party arrived
at the head Of the Lake that evening, but
perceiving two white men among the
Chippewas, they concluded not to make
an attack until morning, at which time
they hoped to show the white men that
it was not them whose blood they craved.
In the morning, having ascertained at
which end Of the camp the white men
were stationed, they commenced their at
tack at the opposite end. The white men
Immediately ran out of the range of the
slaughter and became passive spectators
of the fight. Here the Sioux met with
greater resistance than was experienced
by their other party at Rum river, hav-
ing to carry off the ground about fifteen
or twenty of their warriors who had been
killed or wounded in the ARRAY. The loss
of the Chippewas at this place amounted
to about thirty. The Sioux are now maxi
ing preparations to receive visit from
the Chippewas Of warlike nature
Should these tribes come into general col
ision as combatants, the conflict will be
dreadful, as they are both powerful, al
though the Chippewas, including the Ca
NADIA tribes, are far more numerous and
powerful than the Sioux.
The description of the appearance Of
the ''battle field eight days after the
slaughter, is, as all such descriptions must
oe' most revolving to the sensibilities Of
humanity. Although the fox, and the
crow and the yulture had all had their olrt |
OF human flesh, the blood, and the split
skulls and the carcasses were there f. te,l
the terrific story. Many of the ornaments.
tomahawks, &c. Of the slain were brouobt
away from this scene Of carnage by these
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