Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-09-28
PARTICULARS OF THE TERRIBLE MASSACRE
NEAR FORT Laramie.

The 81. Louis papers contain the particulars
of the terrible massacre of Lieut.. Grattan and
twenty United States soldiers, by the Indians,
near Fort Laramie. AS already stated, Nor
mon emigrant had complained to Lieut. Fleming,
the officer in command Of the fort, that a Sioux
Indian had killed ono of his cows Lieut.. +.
at once sent for the head chief of the Sioux
Matte-i-owan Ithe Bear)-and demanded that
the Indian should be given up. Matte-i-owan
informed him that if he would send file OF
soldiers he would endcavor to have the Indian
surrendered. Lieut.. Fleming then ordered out
Lieut. Graltan with twenty-five men, and the
United States interpreter. Augusta Lucien, to
accompany the Sioux chief to the Minnccongou
village, which was situated some nine miles
below the fort. The chiefs, however, refused
to surrender him, saying they would rather be
killed, when Lieut.. Grattan Immediately ranged
his pieces of artillery and commenced firing upon
the village. The ST. Louis Democrat says.
Three or four muskets were also fred at tho
same time, bat the only result was to knock the
top off of one of the lodges, and to wound
Matte--owan and his brother, who were standing
in front-the former with three balls, the latter
with ons So soon as the troops fired the Indians
returned it, and poured upon them a shower Of
arrows The first discharge killed Lieut.. Grat-
tan, who was standing by the side of the cannon.
As soon az he fell his command at once lost
heart and attempted to Ay-I&ving their cannon,
arms, and everything else The Sioux then
charged upon the flying soldiers, and shot and
tomahawked every man of them save one, who
made his escape by taking down ravine, and
thus getting out OF sight. The interpreter who
was with the party, Auguste Lucien, who had
married Sioux squaw. jumped upon his horse
and attempted to make his escape. He succeed
ed in getting rid of his immediate pursuers and
in making circle around the camp, but instead
of striking for the prairie, he very foolishly
attempted 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 with his rifle, and then came upon him
with his tomahawk. Lucien cried out to him
not TO kill him, rs he was Sioux by marriage,
but the only reply the Indian made was to bury
his Iatchet in his head The soldier who escap-
ed down the rayine was found by q Sioux NAM
cd " Black Heart" and owned his life to his
assistance in getting him back 10 the fort during
the night.
The tragedy occurred on tho afternoon of the
10Th of August, and it was not until the next
morning that news OF it reached the fort. The
Sioux then sent word to the commandant 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 Ameri-
can Fur Company, which was near their camp,
and where the annuity goods (S50,Oo0 worthl
were in store and turned them upon the plain,
and divided them out. Lieut.. Fleming, upon
consultation, sent some FIVE or six of the traders
down to see the SinuX and to bury the dead,
but they told the traders very explicitly that tho
quarrel was not one in which they were concern
ed, and they had bellaf keep out of it, and then
drove them back 10 the fort. The consequence
WAS that when the messenger left, the dead
bodies were still lying exposed on the plains,
only two, those of Lucien and another having
been buried by two returning CaIifornians, who
yeptured 10 execute the hazardous task for S25
piece.
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 Matte
i-owan, who was shot in three places at the first
discharge from The soldiers, was at the point OF
DEATH He is brave warrior, and q great friend
of the whites
The St Louis Republican says that Leute-
nant G. received a arrows in his body, one Of
which passed through his head. Two Of his
men were killed by tie same discharge Mr.. J.
Bordeau, in letter to the Republican, says he
had succeeded in burying The bodies OF tho
unfortunate men, The Indians subsequently
came to his store, and 10 save his life he had to
give them everything in it-somc two thousand
dollars worth Of goods Mr.. B. adds:
As far Il. | know anything about Indians,
think that our government ought to eend five
hundred mounted men, veteran troops, to keep
the Indians in subjection; and one company of
infantry to guard the fort. The Indians, in the
recent battle, after killing all the soldiers broke
their cannon to pieces, and carried of their
muskets and animals. AS for placing the infan-
try on prairie to fight with Indians, it is uss
the same rs putting them up as targets to he
shot at. There were about one thousand lndl-
ans in the battle.