New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-04


party consists of four men, together with sucn
persons as are going 10 the States or 20 Santa
| Re, and who take this means, By paying from
800 10 1920, 10 travel with expedition. these
mail carriers are all well armed, and can ar any
moment deliver, say, fifty shots. without stop
ping 10 reload The mules move IN a trOt ali
day long, and. instead of stopping over night on
the Travelled road are invariably driven on
some distance from il, without looking TOR wa
ter-continuing the journey until some time al,
ter nightfall 40 as 70 prevent their camp-grOund
being known 10 Indians. Here they remain IN
Ill, perhaps half or three-fourths of an hour be-
fore daylight, when they harness up and recon-
mence the journey This, YOU will see, sets the
efforts of Indians 70 modest them by night COM
pletely at defiance; for after dark of the even
ing, il is impossible for any hostile party to End
them, except By accident; and If, by chance
they should discover the party, and should lie IN
wait for them, on the road, for the purpose OF
morning attack. their intention is frustrated oy
the early start before day.
You NAV be sure we were gratifed 70 arrive
at FOrt Atkinson. There was then stationed az
that post company OF the Sixth Infantry, I'M
der Capt. Buckner Our eyes were first greeted
some ten miles distant from the post with
sight of the stars and stripes, waving over and
among what appeared 10 be a close encamp-
ment Of huge tents, but on nearer approach
proved 70 be buildings of earth, the roofs OF
which were covered with tent canvass or duck,
TO keep out the drifting snow in winter and the
dust in spring and summer All the buildings at
this post are constructed of heavy sOds laid
carefully with mortar OF common surface SOIL
and are substantial and comfortable All the
defensive arrangements are constructed OF this
rude material, which gave it at first the name OF
Port Sod" The site of this post struck me
as being exceedingly dreary and desOlate
scarcely tree is to be seen near il; all the
! fire-wOOd for the troops, and timber, are cut
upon the upper branches of Pawnee Fork,
| twelve miles north of the Fort. Three-ourths
of mile below Fort Atkinson are still seen the
ruins of old Fort Mann, which was also built of
sOds, established during the Mexican war by
command of Missouri volunteers.
Here was enacted strange scene During
the Mexican war detachment of about eighty
men of Missouri volunteers were stationed here.
They were continually surrounded by Pawnees,
who cannot at any moment be depended upon,
whatever protestatiOns of friendship or peace
they may make. A party OF Pawnees hadcOme
within the walls of the post with sincere wish
and intention OF making peace, and for this pur-
pose had entered one of the houses. A suspl-
ciOn of the sincerity of the Indians had uniortu-
nately taken possession OF the minds of the vol
unteers, and the belief that it was their intention
70 seize the occasion to destroy the command.
Some movement on the part OF the volunteers
at last awakened in turn a suspicion in the
minds of the PaWnees one of whom made an eff
fort TO rush from the hOuse-this act at once
seeming TO cOafirm the suspicion of hostility.
The volunteers fired upon the band thus Gagged,
and killed one statement says thirty-eight, but
the probable truth is, that not over eight or
ten, if so many, were killed.
Whilst encamped at the Fort, we were visited
bythose hot parching winds, SO peculiar to the
plains at this season of the year lt blew with
great violence and shOwered upon the troops
suilOcating clouds of dust; in fact il was a per-
feet SirOccO. ItisweIl understood, that no mat
ter with what care light wagons have been built
in the States or of wood ever so well seasoned,
the journey over the plains may loosen every
tire and disable the wagon unless great atten-
ton is paid to its timely repair This extraor-
binary shrinking of wood, find, is due not ex-
| clusiyely 10 the exposure TO the sun, but in
measure also to these dry and parching winds.
And forthis reason you will see the proprietors OF
vehicles driving them into everypuddle of water
in the road or dashing basins and buckets of
water upon the wheels, at every convenient OPP
pOrtunity To prove the extreme heat with
which these winds were accompanied, | Will
merely state that on the llth of June, the mer
curry in thermometer and in the shade, at
Capt. Buckner's door stood at 1902
am told that one of the Officers at the post,
(Lt H-h, who has taken warlike trophies in
fights with Pawnee Indians, uses the bow and
arrow always in his buffalo hunts in preference
tOrifle OF pistol. All the prairie tribes are at
war with the Pawnees, who are the most constant
and expert horse thieves. Lieutenant HI,
the Officer above mentioned, happened at one
time to be present at dance and festival OF
some portion OF the prairie tribes. In this in
stance, an efiigy OF a Pawnee Indian was set up,
around which the dance was held. Each In
dian who has killed Pawnee is allowed TO go
through the representation of insulting, striking
and killing the effigy, and Lieutenant HI,
who had the reputation among them OF having
killeda Pawnee, was urged TO go through the
ceremony; all expostulations on his part were
vain. and he was compelled 10 do his share OF
this species of entertainment. During May
and part of June there have been at least from
two TO three thousand Indians of the Camanche,
KiOway Auapaho, and other tribes, assembled
in the neighborhOOd of Fort Atkinson, and the
commanding officer found himself not little
embarrassed with the presence OF these hordes
Of savages. The Camanches had assembled
under the promise of their agent, that this sea-
son the Government would distribute its prom
ised presents TO them. In this promise the
Government has violated its faith, and fears are
entertained of hostility on the part of the In
dians. saw here in our camp two Chiefs, one
named Ses-ko-tah, Camanche, AMI the other
an Arrapaho chief named Wah-Jo-yah, both
protesting great friendship for the whites. The
Camanche Chief before this spring had never
been in the dwelling of awhile man | am told
that Young Raven, an Arrspaho, is most court
" and ceremonious young Chief-in fact, per-
feet gentleman.
Twenty-Five miles beyond Fort Atkinson Is
the old and main crossing of the Arkansas
. River 10 take the Cimmarron route. Although
! x,o laarnad thar there WAS an unusual supply OF