Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-09-20
WHOLE NO. 2Ol.
TRAvERsE DEs Sioux. ;
August &c, 1914.

y
DEAR SIN: It becomes my duty 10 in.
form you that on Saturday evening was
sent for by Sleepy-Eyes, Dacosah chief,
whose camp is now at Swan Lake. about
twenty miles distant from this place. to
see an American who had come 10 them
| in very distressed circumstances. found
the young man reduced to the shadow Of
a man by famine, and brought him home
with me this morning. His name, he
says. is Motley Bennett. Some eight
weeks. or more. since. he says. he and
two other young men. started with Mr..
Tarasr, of Giaseow, Mi.sonri, 10 assist
in bringing drove of l04 cattle to the
garrison, Of which you have the command.
lie saws they crossed the ST. Peters river,
between this and De,,it Rochelle, thinks
ing i. to be Turkey river, and pursued
north west course until thirteen days ago,
when they were met by party Of Daco-
tab Indians, who, it seems. were out on q
Wac expedition. from Lake Traverse
The resul, of this meeting was. that they
took from them their horses. guns. money
and clothing, TO shirts and drawers. vest
and ha. killed one and beat the remains
der. They killed also number Of cattle
Bennett thinks nine-the remainder
were scattered abroad-Indians then mount-
ed the horses Of their prisoners and slain.
and taking one Of the young men, went
to br,ug back the cattle. bu. they did not
succeed-,he young man being permitted
to make his escape. They then sent the
said Bennett and Turner, on horseback.
after the cattle, who soon left their horses
as unable 10 ,ravell. and made their es.
cape by the way which they had gone
Bennett says he travelled with Turner 4
days. when they met at a stream which
was too deep to wade; they were then
both weak, having eat nothing for three
days Turner could not swim--Bennett
attempted to swim with him on his back.
bu. could not succeed, and Turner.
the owner Of the cattle was drowned
Bennett came out alive. Two evenings
| before this, lie had seen the cattle not far
! from The trail made when going. evident
" coming this way. This was two days
after they had made their escape from tho
Indians. Turner was drowned four days
after that event. Alter he left Turner.
Bennett travelled five or six days, and then
came in sigh. of The Indian lodges Of Slice.
py -eyes aud others. He hesitatrd whe.h-
er to 90 to them OF not, but concluded it
was only death if he went not-he mpss
shortly die of famine and if he went he
supposed they would kill him. He chose
the latter. Blu. they received and treated
him after the manner Of the good Samari-
tan Of the great teacher. They cid only
what was>,heir duty to do but gold med
ais have been, la,,erly. given by the Queen
of England, in circumstances. where they
were not more deserved than in the pres
ent. b@
But what will the United States Gov
eminent do with Indians who commit
such outrages! They say they Thoughts
they were Red river people. But they
could no. have had any conviction of this
kind. Bennett says they were with Them
probably as much as three hours before
ttey killed The man.. In the mean, time.
they were told by signs, and a map Of the
country. where they were from aud where
they had wished to go. ~.
Il seems 10 me that The Garrison, which
is kept up al no small hxpence to the gov.
eminent. ought to be able 10 do some-
thing in this case. which will have d ten
dency to protect, lives and property in fu-
,ure. AS it respects the cattle. your con
nexion with them is only a pecuniary af-
fair, and perhaps, none at all. | think.
however. tina. they will be within fifty
miles Of this place in few days. and
might, in that case. be secured with q Ill
tie trouble. Yours, truly.
We learn that instructions were sent
from here on the 9Th inst, for the dra-
goons from Fort Atkinson. and the infan-
Try from For. Smelling 10 march into tho
country of the Sisi.ons, 10 ap2fehend tae
murderers. &
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