Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-27

| some twelve buildings. One large dry-good:
store, two or three doggeries, and one bakery
the other buildings belong to the government
There is now stationed at the Fort as soldies on
ly, small force, considering the thousands oil
Indians by whom they are surrounded. But they
are afraid of the American so ldiers, as the fol
lowing circumstance would seem to indicate:
Last spring while the officers and soldiers oil
the different Forts on the Platte river valley were
treating with the Indians of the same, small
party of Indians robbed one of the traders of his
provision. When the troops returned from their
treaty meeting, they marched TO the tribe, took
their Chief and carried him to the Fort for safe
keeping. On the following day another chief
came to Laramie and demanded liberation OF
the one they had in custody, threatening at the
same time if they did not liberate him they would
come on the following day with force of over
two thousand and take the Fort. They told him
to come on, that they would be ready to give him
warm reception. And sure enough he came
with about the number above stated, h allied
about one mile from the Fort, came and made a
second demand for the prisoner. They not only
refused to deliver. him up, but took the chief who
made this demand, and also shut him up. And
now they would not liberate either one except
on condition the Indians payed them one thousand
dollars for robbing this white man, (Lndian ira.
der) which was finally acceeded to. This &C.
Cured when there was but 81 soldiers, and four
pieces of artillery at the Fort, the others were
out on detached service.
| am informed, credibly too think, that the
cholera has ragged to some extent on the south
side of Platte, six having died out of one "tran"
The Small Pcx is on both sides the river;
witnessed, personally, several cases at Kanes-
vile, which has, and is scattering the seeds of
death among the emigrants.
The old adage is "no great loss without some
small gain" think it holds good to some extent
in this case. The Indians have been informed
of this fact relative to the cholera and slnal
pox among the emigrants, (and you know they
hate small poX like "pi2en," and well they may
because it is "death on EN-" as they have no
intelligent physicians among them,) and have
retreated back some fifteen or twenty miles
from the great thoroughlare of the emigrants.
We lef. Loupfork more than.fve hundred miles
back and the above explains the reason why.
We now arc, June IL, at the upper ferry on
the Platte, | saw nothing worthy of note since
left Laramie, but popularity of this river and
road, which, like some mems moral character, is
extremely crooked. The latter is so crooked
that part Of the time we. seemed to be on our
return home. To this following this road)
felt like demonstrating, not wishing to return,
as had not seen the elephant yet.
Grass, water and wood, from Laramie up to
this point, We found tolerably abundant.
AS to the amount of emigration there is no pos
sib,2 means of ascertaning correctly. There
has crossed by ferry, from the south side TO north
side of Platte, up TO this date, 800 wagons, it is
supposed that about that number have forded the
river just below here; | was informed (by one
coming from Salt Lake TO the states) that about
that number were in advance Of US previously
to any crossing from the south side of the river
This would make total of 2 400 wagons in ad-
vance Of us. In my opinion this constitutes
about one third of the entire emigration to Cal
tornia, Oregon and Utah. This 2,40o wagons
added to the 1880 tina, are probably in the rear
of us, gives total of 1900. Now let us sup
pose that there are five persons to every wagon,
and the footing up will give US total of SO, 900
souls on their way to the "far west" l think
that the true number will neither greatly exceed
nor fall far below the above estimate.
Now, Mr.. Editor, as my pen is weary | shall
have TO let it rest awhile but permit me to state
that if | should happen TO see the "cIephant' or
any Of his progeny before get to California,
cat Salt Lake for nstance) would like to give
your readers a description of him.
J. T. MORSE, NJ. d.