The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-20
From the 81. Louis Democrat.
Full Particulars Of the Terrible Massa-
Gks1t Fofs .Laramic.

We have Revived, through the medium, of
Mr.. IAs;roy Lott one of4he Sioux interpreters,
who cat,c ASIAN express messenger from the
scene of the disaster. the full particulars of the
lite massacre of United States troops at Fort
present 'ortragc ->in.cvenl
more glaring cOlOrs than could have been an
ticipated from the brief notice we lave already
published. They are briefly as follows
Mormon cmigrant who was travelling the
read, it seems, left lame COW which was una
lille to trasei, land an old Sioux Indian. belong
Ing to the band of M;nnccongous, found it up
on she road and killed it. The Mormon stopped
with his wagons Mt Fort laramie, and so soon
Us he learned that it had been killed he made
complaint to the officcrsa at the Fort and de-
manded redress. The officer in command,
Lieut.. ,Flcmming. when the story was told him,
at once sent for the head chief of the Sioux,
Matteiowan, (thc Bcar,) and demanded that
the Minncc oagou Indian should bc delivered
up. Matteiwan informed him that if he would
l send file of soldiers, he would cndeavor to
have the Indian surrendered. Lieut.. Flem-
ming then ordered out Lieut.. Grattan with
twenty-five men, and the U. s. Interpreter,
Auguste Llcien, to accompany the Sioux CHI ief
to the MinnecOngOu village, which was stua-
ted some nine miles below the Fort near "BOr-
deau's House," The Lieutenant with his COM
mand marched down, taking with him two six
Founders, and planted them in the Wa-zha-ze
camp, where the Indian in question was lodged.
Mattciwan then went into the village and de-
manded the Indian, but the chiefs would not
listen to him. They told him that they would
pay for the COW, or they would replace it, or
would leave the matter to be settled by the
Agent when he came; but they would rather
be killed themselves than give up the Indian.
Mattciwan returned, made his statement to
Lieut. Grattan-told him that if he wanted
the Indian he would have to 60 and kill him,
as he was unableto get him, and then returned
to the Sioux camp.
Lieut.. Grattan had replied that if there was
any killing to be done he would attend to that
matter and accordingly Immediately ranged his
pieces of artillery, and commenced firing upon
the village. Three or four muskets were also
fired at the same time, but the only result was
to knock the top off of one of the lodges, and
to wound Matteiowan and his brother, who
were standing in frOnt-the former with three
balls, the latter with one. So soon as the
troops fired, the Indians returned it, and pour
ed upon them shower of arrows. The first
discharge killed Lieut.. Grattan, who was stand
ing by the side of the cannon. AS soon as he
fell, his command at once lost heart, and at
tempted to fly, leaving their cannon, arms and
everything else. The Sioux then charged upon
the flying soldiers, and shot and tOmahawkcd
every man of them save one, who made his cs-
cape by taking down ravine, and thus get
ting out of sight. The interpreter who was
with the party, Auguste Lucien, who had mar
ried Sioux squaw, jumped upon his horse and
attempted to make his escape. He succeeded
ip getting rid of his immediate pursuers and in
making circle around the camp, but instead
of striking for the prairie, he very fOOlishly at
tempted to run through the Brulie camp, which
was directly between him and the Fort, and
which was already alarmed by the firing. The
result was that an Indian ran out and shot his
horse, and then came upon him with his tOma-
hawk Lucien cried out not to kill him, as he
was Sioux by marriage, but the only reply
the Indian made was to bury his Ratchet in
this head. The soldier who escaped down the
ravinc was found by a Sioux named Black
Heart, and owed his life to his assistance in
getting him back to The Fort during the night.
The tragedy occurred on the afternoon of
the 18th Of August, and it was not until the
next morning that news of it reached the Fort.
The Sioux then sent word to the Command
ant to send out some more of his men to bury
his dead, and they would serve them in the
same way. They also went to the depot OF the
American Fur Company. which w:'s near their
camp, and where the annuity goods t$3S, 600
WORTH were in store, and turned them upon
the plain, and divided them out. Lieutenant
Flcmming, upon consultation, sent some Ave or
six of the traders down to see the Sioux and
to bury their dead but they told the traders
very explicitly that the quarrel was not one in
which they were concerned, and they had bet
ter keep out Of it, and then drove them back
70 ho Enrf 40 hot vhanl
the messenger left, the dead bodies were still
lying exposed on the plains, only two, those of
Lucien aud another, having been buried by two
returning Californians, who vcntured to exc
cute the hazardous task for twenty five dollars
apiece.
Nothing further has been heard from the
Fort at the present time, and it would seem
that the report that the Sioux had surrounded
Laramie is not confirmed.
At the last accounts, Matteiowan, who was
shot in three places, at the first discharge from
the soldiers was at the point of death. In
even this brief notice of him, We cannot forbear
speaking word in his praise. We knew him
well, and better friend the white man never
had. lie was brave and gentle, and kind, q
much wise ruler, skilful warrior, and respec-
ted chief.
Even in accepting his position, assigned to
him some four years ago at the treaty of Lara
mic, he only consented after much persuasion,
and then remarked when he did so, that he
"gave his life to the Great Spirit" So far
from any charge of treachery attaching to his
conduct, his own fate is sufficient proof of his
fidelity, and in recording it we feel like inscrib-
ing a worthy memorial of one of the most
high-toned and chivalrOus of all the Indians
whom we have ever known.
Auguste Lucien was also one whom all who
knew him will deeply lament. A Frenchman
by birth and feelings, yet an American in bis