The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-10-03
PAUL MINNESOTA TERRITORY THURSDAY. OCTOBER 1850


senger, to raise party to hunt the ldians,
| rs they had killed two men, several mules
and oxen, besides driving off others aud
wished me To assist him IN raising
company We soon succeeded in raising
quite party-appointed Pleasant Valley
a rendezvous; next morning mustered anu
marched, equipped with bedding and weeks
provision, reached the place of appointment
about sunset, and hefore dark were joined
by several more. We here learned that
the Indians numbered some four or five
hundred. and had driven off several hun
dre,i head efca,te which were carrailed At
the Indian settlement, and that a guide
would meet u> in the morning. Morning
came, a,ri with it several more volunteers;
our number now amounted to forty mine
men, aud ten or dpzen fresh animals
The guide we were TO have seeing there
WAS far prospect of real fight, showed
the white feather and refused to 90, aud YET
It WAS to his parry to whom the cattle be-
lOnged, and his companions that were kill
ed, for whose sake we had mustered =
However, we organizrd, getting what in
formation we could as 10 the route and SD
on, and started. Three hours travel brnugh,
us to The first fork of The Consumes river,
generally called Merkisiney, or 50 pro-
nounced
The melting of the SHOWS had raised the
the river 50 that ii was inpossible to cross
our ANIMALS. Leaving II party to watch
them, we Shouidered our BLANKETS and car
rying what provisions we could, Crossed
over on stones, drilt-wood, and frlled trees;
the river at this place WAS wide hut NOT
deep, excepting uear the South bank,
where it roarrd and toa,ned in a trghttui
manner, aud over this for a crossing was II
small tree, under which the water ran like
mill race, and many of the party who were
mot l,>-ed with Strong nerves, auii a clear
head eco aed tn. Ipg rather than walk il; that
Is Il safe but not fashto able way of crossing
such tr,dge---one poor teeliow hah the
misfortune IL get IL tunihle in, hut having
the Presence of mind Ia hold on to Il limb of
which he had hulI, WAS hauled out with
loss of har,* good durk,n2, and awtuily
skeered. A hearty laugh passed the utnttrr
over, 10 whrh The victim had The good ma
ture 10 JON; had he have lost hi hold that
moment would have been his last. as unIh-
ing could have saved him from being dash
cd To pieces against the rocks below, among
which The waters ieaped aud toaned in fu
ry. Soon after croS>ing the bail, up winch
we toiied from the river. We found The IN
dian trail, as also the foot prints al the stock
winch they had driven off. Sending our
scouts ahead we foliawtd on; about Nv" -
clock reached the SECOND fork, the river here
was deep and rapid, tut not more than two
hundred feet wide, large ,irltt log furnish
ing us with Il CROSSING, with The usual ac-
c0mpan,tnent Of cuoniug. After crossing
The uall hecane quite faint, and at times
entirely running out, occasionally frding
Yhk, .f fh., II no
trail, we pushed on until sunset, wh-u some
of the huy>, getting discouraged, or fright
ened, turned back We found the trail and
fresh signs of Indians, so much SO a sharp
look out was deeued necessary. Ascend
ing lpug aud hard hill, We found ourselves
on the banks of the third fork. Ii was now
getting du>ky, but aS no good and secure
camping place presented itself, we follnwrd
the lrail some way down the river, when
darkness coming on, we catnped, set the
watch, and turned IN, without building II
fire, or making any noise, to give the lnII-
ans any clue TO our whereabouts. Ii all
proved useless, as we had been >een, and
our errand suspected. About midnight,
beacon fires were blazing upon the bills OPP
po>lte, the usual Indian signal of warning,
and by morning, every red skin who might
have been within our reach the night be-
fore, hal crossed the river, over the hills
and away. We were up before daylight,
eat the balance of our provisions, and half
allowance at that, shoulierrd our packs,
looked carefully to our rifles, and started,
an hours tramp, and we were at the river
where the Indians crossed the night before.
Here the river was wide, rapid, aud during
the night had risen as to make II Rdanger-
Gus crossing. The Indians bad crossed
part way on grape vine. which reached to
q driit leg, reac"ing to the opposite bank.
Even such trail structure, IL was unsafe
for uS tu cross ehcunli,+red with arms, and
and having left uur axes, and having no
provisions. we called n council of war, and
tierihed I" return; instead Of taking the
roundabout way W. can,r, we took straight
course up over rough rugged hill. some
two thousand feet high, covered with loose
houIder> of granite, aud thick with chap
pPral. When about one third the way up,
the Indians show ed themselves on the oppo-
site side of the river, Slappiny their pOSte.
riors and raising their war whoop in deris-
ion, hIrh so sxa>prraf"d the boys that they
let drive a v.dty of rifle balls which stop
iped their yelling and set them dodging for
the shelter of th- trees in hurry, aud then
they kept out of sight until we were over
the hill. the distance was so great that our
shot fell far short of fthen. We now tramp
ed back aS fast rs our empty >tnnIarh~ and
weary legs would carry us. Reaching our
camp where we left our mules and getting
n hearty meal, each man shnullrred H., own
kit and started; we reached Hangtown at
night, some tired, assure you, and so end
ed my first Indian hunt.
LOUIS PHILIPPE.
! The most interesting item of intelli-
raoco rncoivnI hv tho ci, =, ha