Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-08-27
COPPER FERRY, Platte River, }
NahYasEo Tayyitoyy limo II t60

| Nebraska Territory, June ii, 52. !
Notes and Comments by the Way, by one pho
IS in pursuit of the great Pacific "Elephan.."
Mr.. EDITon:
In my last gave you an outline OF Missouri
river; in this purpose to give few facts and
conjectures relative to Platte river, and jour
ney up its valley.
| / started from Council Bluffs on Saturday the
18th of May. About six miles out, met two In
dams who came to pilot US round their cornfelds.
The emigrants who had preceded US had, princi-
paly, driven over them (their fields) and very
much offended them. These were of the Oma-
lave nation, the first we met. They desired US
to pay them for passing through their country
Bnd killing their game-as means of collecting
this tribute, they had built bridge across small
creek and demanded so much pay per wagon for
crossing, which not being exorbtant, the emf
grants generally paid, thus obviatng difficulty.
We passed through the territory of the Oma-
lawes without any serious difficulty, but with
considerable annoyance from their begging for
bread, tobacco, &c.
The next Indians we had to encounter were
the Pawnees, a large and wurlike tribe, who,
by-the-by, never have entered dixie the other
trbes) into treaty Of friendship to the emf
grants, but avow themselves the white mans
"friendly enemy" AS we passed through their
territory we came to dry creek, over which
they had built a bridge (Which needed none) for
the cypress purpose of collecting tribute of the
emgrants, but their rates Of charge neither pos
sessed the principle of uniformity or equality
They eXacted of those having team and wagon
little money or corn; but those havinga drove
of cattle, OF them they would demand "critter"
to eat. For instance: q man just in advance of
US, before we reached the creek above alluded to,
was forced to fall back Il5 or 90 miles or lose
his cattle. As our company passed him, he fol-
lowed on Immediately after We crossed with
out difficulty, but had no sooner passed over the
bridge than the Indians closed in upon those be-
hind evidently with the determination of sec u
ring one or more of their cattle. They despatch
ed a messenger to us for immediate assistance.
One of our company armed himself with sword
and two pistols, went to the bridge and ordered
them to disperse-they reluctantly did So
The drove then came on without further diff
Guilty. A few days previous to this, | was in
formed both by Indians and whites, that on a
similar occasion, because the emigrants would
not concede to their demands, they shot at the cat
e,the cmigrants then fired at the Indians, killing
four. The Indians then returned the fire, kill
ling one and wounding one. | ascertained at
Fort Laramie, that, since passed there, the In
dams had murdered q man AMI robbed him; and
were still perssting in their demands for cattle
This occurred on north side Of the Platte. about
opposite Fort Kearney. The news of this sad
occurrence reached the troops at Fort Kearney
q few days after the event The officers and
troops went over the river and demanded of the
Indians the corpse, together with the stolen
property, which they refused TO deliver mp; the
troops then fred into some three or four hun
dred of them, killing sixty and wounding about
one hundred These Indians, remember, be-
long to the tribe (the Pawnees) who refused, on
any terms. to become friendly TO the whites, pre-
ferring to remain the white mans "friendIy en-
emy" Friendly reader, permit me to digrcss
little while. and put to you the interrogativc: Is
there not in their demand for tribute for passing
through their territory and killing their game
almost their only means Of maintenance, af-
fording food and clothng) the elements of Jus
tice? | think you will all respond yes, to this
and so would every lover of justice and fair dea-
ling. But the manner, or mode, of compensa-
ting them for these fayors and privileges, which
would be equal and just, am incapable of point
ing out.
Timber is very scarce in the valley of the
Platte what little there is, is principally cotton
wood OF plants, saw several fine specimens
of the Cactus, also the wild sage and onion
The soil of Platte river valley is very poor, and
the more so US we neared Fort Laramie Ii con-
sist mainly of sand and clay. Nebraska Terri
tory, on either side of the Platte consists of one
vast inclined plane, descending from the Rocky
Mountains TO the Missouri river, at an average
of some 10 or II feet per mile. Consider that a
large volume of water, with tremendous veloci-
ty and force, passes over this extensive plain
annually, and has for many centuries, what wo'd
you conceive to be the effect of this annual eff
fort of Natures own industrial arm Simply
a transportation of vegetable earth CHE strength
of the soil) from Nebraska Territory, and the
Rocky Mountains to the great Mississippi val
ley, thus concentrating in the Mississippi valley
the strength of soil Of many millions of acres of
land over which the arm of the white man has
no control.
The water is generally very poor in the val
ley of the Platte, however, on the latter half of
our distance to Fort Laramie, we fonnd some
good springs. | well remember the first 10 which
we came, about 200 miles from Missouri river,
and as drank Of the pure, sparkling and un
odulterated beverage and was refreshed. my bo-
som heaved with emotions Of gratitude TO the
great author Of nature, that by His benifcense
he had prepared beverage so perfectly adapted
to the wants and necessities of man. Far bet.
ter was il, and infinitely less likely to derapce