Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1854-09-28
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AulhenIc-BattIo at sarpy,s Point.
sAAPY's POlSr. NEBHAsKA TrRRrrORY.

sARPY's POISr. NEBRAsKA TERRrroRY,
8 miles E. OF Fl. Lsrmie. Aug. 81, '54.
Editor Of hs Aiss0uri Republican: ......
sIR; An affair has happened here between
the soldiers and the Indians, which ought 10 be
properly noticed by the United States Govern.
ment. Having been an eyewitness to the bat
tie, consider it my duty TO furnish street ac-
count Of it and It's causes. In the first place.
on the 18th Of August train Of Mormons pas
ed this place. The Indians, who were encamp-
ed here waiting for their payment from Govern
ment, had had no provisions and were Of course
anxious for something 70 eat As the Mormons
were passing, lame COW, belonging to a man
in the rear Of the Mormon train, became fright.
ened and ran into the Indian camp The Nor
mon left the COW behind, AID so one Of the In
dians, Minneeosns, shot il down. and with
his companions, ate it up. The Mormons ;Shssn
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,seven soldiers, and
Auguste Lueien, interpreter, arrived here TO ar
resi- the Indian who had killed the COW. ae-
cordingy sent for the chiefs to 60 with the Lieu.
tenant and make the arrest. They aceompsni-
ed him, but the Indian was not willing to give
himself up, saying that he would die first
While the Bear Chief of Wazazies was sand
inc 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 che Bear Chief ard his brother. But
one round was fred, when the Indians in turn
charged, and succeeded in routing the soldiers,
and killing all Of them with the exception ol
one private, who is not expected to recover
Lieut. Gratlan and two of his men were killed
while standing by their cannon, the Lieuien'
ant receiving twenty four arrows, one of which
passed through his head. As soon as the sol.
diers saw their commander fall, they took tC
Aiaht, but we're all killed within half mile o.
this place. The Ogalallah camp was aboutone
mile distant, and a hite man named SefroJ
Lott, was staying there at the time. Being 8
Sioux interpreter, the chiefs requested him tC
stay between the camps TO prevent the young
men from charging on the soldiers, but he coo
not succeed, and barely escaped with his life
AT my house, We were placed in bad stu
alton. There were with me Mr.. Antoine Rey
nal and Mr. Samuel Smith, with five others, AM
all we could do was to stay in the house, an
try to keep the Indians out. AS Mr.. R., wa
standing in the doorway Of the house, an In
dian rushed on him, and tried to kill him, ,whe
another Indian, the Quick Bear, tried to kill th
first Indian for rushing on white man-bu
some one caught Quick Bears gun, and il
contents went into the wall of the house. B
this time party had collected outside of th
house, who tried to force their way in, bu
some of nv friends, the Quick Bear and other
slammed them. After the battle, the chiefs cam
in nv house, and said that as the young me
had killed all the soldiers that had come to fgt
them they would now go and slaughter tn
rest of the soldiers at the Forts, burn all tn
houses, and kill al! the whites on the river, bU
| told the Chiefs to stop from so doing-ass'
ring them that since the soldiers bed CONNER
r. ced the quarrel it,would be overlooked by Co
ernment But they then rushed into the hou
and demanded of me to give them everythr
tn at they wanted, To save our lives, gay
them every thing that had In my store to I'll
amount Of two thousand dollars.
The next day they went to the post OF II
American Fur Company, took all the goods tn
were sent to them by the Government and pill
ped the store. The situation Of the traders VI
Of Fort Larimie is perilous in the extreme.
was requested by the Commander of the Fo
to bury the dead soldiers, since he had not nj
enough to detach party ior that ser vice, al
succeeded in ioing so.
AS far as know anything about Indians
: think that our Government ought to send ii
sr hundred mounted men, veteran troops,to Le
N them in subiection; and one company of lntaI
re nv to guard ahe fort. The Indians in the
cent battle, after killing all the soldiers, bro
; their cannon to pieces, and carried off tn.
> muskets and animals. As for placing the
o fantry on prairie to fight with Indians it
Just the same as putting them up as targets
be shot at. There were about one thousa
Nv Indians the battle.
4 Yours truly, JAMES BoRDEAU'
IS. Per SAMUEL SM1T
iy. Witness that the above is correct, the und
signed being eye Witnesses:
'' (Signed)
q .