Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1854-09-21

Details OF the Battle OF berpys
P~omt-DsfsEt oftks fruvps from Fort Lar.
annie - Govstnment Goods Captursas+-4ors
deau's Store Pillaged. .iIts5afa
Sarpy's Point. Nebtasks Territory,
: 8 miles eastFt. Laramies Aug. al
Editor of the Missouri Republican
SIR; An affair has happened here between
The solliers aud the Indians, which, onght to
be property noticed by the United States Cow
eminent Having been an eyewitness to The
battle, / consider II my duty 70 futnishG stfict
accounts OF it and IFS ceuses. In the frstpface,
on the nth If August u-trsin Of Mormons
passed through this place. The Indians, who
were. encamped here waiting for tber, pay
ment from the Government, had no. provisions.
and were of course anxious for something to
eat. As the Mohmons were passing q lame
COW, belonging 10 Q man in the rear Of the
Mormon train, became frightened and ran into
the Indian camp. The Mormon left The COW
behind, and so one of The Indians, a Minnee-
oha; shot it down; aud with bis companions,
ate it up. The Mormons. then went to the
fort and reported that the Indiaas had killed
one OF their cows. On the 10Th, about Q
in the afternoon, Lieut.. GFatisn, with
"a command OF twenty seven soldiers, and
August Lpcien, interpreter. arrived here TO
arrest the Indian who had killed the COW. |
accordingly sent for the chiefs TO 60 with The
Lieutenant and make the arrest. They .ac-
|companied him, but the Indian was not will
ling to give himself up, saying that he would
die first. While the Bear chief Of fhe6Wiza-
zies was standing with three other chiefs, the
Little Thunder, the big Pattizan, andthe Man
who is afraid Of his Hoses, among the soldiers
the Lieutenant ordered his men 10 fret They
did so, and wounded the. Bear chief and his
brother. But one round was fred, When the
Indians in turn charged, and succeeded in
routing the soldiers, aud killing an % Them
with the exception of one private; who lis. not
Expected 10 recover. Lieuiehant Grattan AMI
two of bis men were killed while standing Dy
their cannon, the Lieutenant receiving twen-
ty-four arrows, one Of which passed through
bis head. As soon ps the soldiers saw their
commander fall, they took 10 fight, but were
all ki ed within lalf q mile Of This place
The Ogaiallahs was about one mile distant and
a white man named Seyfroy lott, was staying
there al the time. Being a Sioux interprete ,
the chiefs requested him to stay between the
camps TO prevent the young men from cEarg-
ing on the soldiers, but he could not succeed,
and barely escaped with his life.
AT my house we were placed in a bad stu
alton. There were with me, Mr.. Antoine
Revival and Mr.. Samuel Smith, with FIVE eth
ers, and all we could do was to stay in the
house, aud Try 10 keep the Indians out. As
Mr.. R. was standing in the doorway OF the
house, an Indian rushed on him, ami tried 10
kill him, when another Indian, the Quick
Bear, tried to kill the first Indian for rushing
on a white man-bUt some, one caught Quick
ears gun and lis contents went into the
wall of the house.
BY this time o party had collected out side
the house, who tried TO force their way in, but
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 fight them, they would now 60 and slalghl+
Ter all the soldiers nt the fort, burn ell the
houses, and kill oil the whites on the fivef;'
but | told the chiefs to stop them from so do
ing assuring them that since the ~soliiefs mad
commenced the quarrel it would be overlook
ed by Government. But they then rushed in
to the house, and demandedof me to give them
everything that they wanted. To save our
lives gave them everything that had in my
store, to The amount of Two THOUSAND dollars.
The next day they-aent 10 the p6kt-of the
American Fur Company, took all the goods
that were sent TO them by Go eminent and
pilIaged the store. The situation OF the ira.
ders and Of Fort Laremis is perilous in the ex-'
IRENE. l was requested by the commander OF
the Fort 10 bury the dead soldiers, since be
had not men enough 10 detach a party for that
service, and | snccee ed in doing so. Po'
As far as | know anything about Indiana, T.
think that our Government ought 10 send
five hundred mounted meI, veteran troops, 10
keep the Indians in snUjection; and me com.
pany OF infantry to guard the fort. The lGdi-
ans, in the recent battle, after killing all the
soldiers, broke their cannon 10 pieces, and.
Carried off their muske;s and onimals. As tor
pla ing The infantry on a prairie to fight with
Indians, tits just the same os putting Them np
as targets TO be shot al. There was about one
thousand Indians in 10 battle.
Yours truly, JAMES BoRDEAU
Per SAMUEL. SMITH. y
Witness that the above is correct, the I'm
designed being eye witnesses:
(Signed.)
ANTOINE REVIVAL, SAM'L SMITH.
ToFiEL GRoPH, PAUL Vial, n
PETER PEW, AYToNIo LAnoNE.
Copy Of a letter from the commander of
Fort Laramie 10 Jamed Bordesu:
Fort Laramie, Aug 20, 1854.
SIR-Your letter Of The 18Th has been re-
ceived by me. and in reply ! soy that ! am I'M
able to take further notice al present Of this
unfortunate transaction, and | wish you ;ospeak
TO the Bear aEd other Chiefs with reference to
The mlttet. Make the best terms with them
You can for the present for your own safety,
and The safety of Others likewise unpro.
tecled IN the country. ] wish you 10 use all
means in your rover to procur: the restorra-
ton of the bodies OF those who have been kill
ed. '
Your obedient servant,
H. B. FLEMING,
Second Lieut.. Sixth Infantry, Commanding.
To JAMES BoRDEAU, Sarpy's point Nebraska.