New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-22
From the Et. Louis Republican, 18th
Ths Late Msssacrs at Fort Laramie.

From The 81. Louis Republican, 18th.
The Late Msssacre at Fort Laramie.
POINT DEFEAT OF THE TROOPS FROM FORT
LARAMIEGo Coz ERNMEsF GOODS CAPTURED
BoRDEAU's STORE PILLAaED.
ssARrY's poIsr, NEanAsKA TERaIroRy,
miles n. of Fort Laramie, Aug. q, 1854. m
Editor Of the Missouri Republican.
9 SIR An affair has happened here between
the soldiers and the Indians, which ought to be
properly noticed by the United States Govern
ment. Having been an eye-witness to the bat
tie, consider IT my duty to furnish . strict
account Of it and its causes In the first place,
on the 18th Of August q train Of Mormons passed
this place, The Indians, who were encamped
here waiting for their payment from Govern
ment, had 10 provisions, and were of course
anxious for ONE thing to eat. As the Mormonst
were passing, lame COW, belonging to man
in the rear Of the Mormon train, became
frightened aid ran into the Indian camp. The
Mormon left the COW behind, and SO one Of the
Indians, o Minnecosha, shot it down, and with
his companions ate it up. The Mormons then
went to the Fort and reported that the Indians
had killed one Of their cows On the 10Th,
about o'clock in the afternoon, Lieut.. Grattan,
with command Of twenty-seyen soldiers, and
Auguste Lncien, Interpreter, arrived here to
arrest the Indian who had killed the COW. I
accordingly sent for the chiefs to go with the
Lieutenant and make the arrest. They accom-
panied him, but the Indian was not willing to
give himself up, saying that he would die first.
While the Bear Chief Of the Wazazies was stand.
ing with three other chiefs, the Little Thunder,
the Big Partizan and the Man who is afraid of
his Horses, among the soldiers, the Lieutenant
ordered his men to fire. They did so, and
wounded the Bear Chief and his brother. But
| one round was fired, when the Indians in turn
| charged, and succeeded in routing the soldiers,
and killing all of them with the exception Of
| one private, who is not expected to recover
Lieut.. Grattan and two Of his men were killed
while standing by their cannon, the Lieutenant
| receiving twenty four arrows, one of which
passed through his head As soon as the
/ soldiers saw their commander fall, they took to
fight, but we're all killed within half a mile of
this place. The Ogalallah camp was about one
mile distant, and q white man named Seyfroy
| lott was staying there at the time. Being q
Sioux interpreter, the chiefs requested him to
| stay between the camps to prevent the young
| men from charging on the soldiers, but he could
| not succeed, and barely escaped with his life.
At my house, we were placed in bad situa-
alton. There were with me, Mr. Antoine Rey-
nal and Mr. Samuel Smith, with five others, and
all we could do was to stay in the house, and
4 try to keep the Indians out. AS Mr.. r.. was
stHuuiAS IL pnS eeOuEW VI bu0 uOuScs oil AAuidu
rushed on him, and tried to kill him. when
another Indian, the Quick Bear, tried to kill
the first Indian for rushing on q white man
but some one caught Quick Bears gun, and its
contents went into the wall of the house. BY
this time party had collected outside Of the
house, who tried to force their way in, put some
Of my friends, the Quick Bear and others,
stopped them After the battle, the Chiefs came
in my house, and said that as the young men
had killed all the soldiers that had come to fghl
them, they would now 60 and slaughter the
rest Of the soldiers at the Fort, burn all the
houses, and kill all the whites on the river: but
told the Chiefs to stop them from SO doing
assuring them that since the soldiers had com.
menced the quarrel it would be overlooked by
Government. But they then rushed in the
khouse, and demanded of me to give them every
thing they wanted. To save our lives, gave
them every thing that had in my store, to The
amount of two thousand dollars
The next day they went to the post Of thu
American Fur Company, took all the goods tina
were sent to them by Government and pillagec
the store The situation of the traders and o
Fort Laramie is perilous in the extreme wa
requested by the Commander of the Fort tt
bury the dead soldiers, since he had not mer
enough to detaeh party for that service, and
succeeded in doing so.
As far as know any thing about Indians,
think that our Government ought to send fv'
hundred we'll mounted men, veteran troops
to keep the Indians in subsection; and on,
company Of infantry to guard the fort Thu
Indians 5. In the recent BATTLE after killing al
carried off their muskets and animals As fol
placing the infantry on q prairie to fight will
Indians, it is justine same as putting them VI
as targets to be shot at There were about on'
Thousand lndlansln tne 9atte.
\ Ao1As " 4 nar samna1 smith
4 Witness that the above is correct, the under
signed being eye-witnesses:
paui Vial. Peter Pew. Antonio Labone
Copy of a letter from the commander of For