Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-09-27

near Fort Lssrnmie.
The 81. Louis papers contain the parts
culars of the terrible massaereof Lieut..
Grattan and twenty U, s. Soldiers by the
Indians near Fort Laramie. AS alrea-
dy stated, q Mormon enigrant had COM
planned that Sioux Indian had killed
0ne of his COWS, Lieut.. F. at once sent for
the head chief Of the Sioux Matte.i.ow-
an, (the Bear and demanded that the
Indian should be given up. Matte,i-
oMan informed him thatif he would send
afle of soldiers he would endeayor to
have the Indian surrendered. Lieut..
Grattan with twenty-five men, and the
q. s. interpreter ,Auguste Lucian. to ac-
company the Sioux chief to the Minecon-
gou vi lage, which was situated some nine
miles below the fort. The chiefs, how
ever, refused to surrender him, saying
they would rather be killed, when Lieut.
sGrattan 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
the same time, but the only result was to
knock the top off of one of the lodges, and
TO wound Matte-i-owan and his brother,
who were standing in front-the former
with three balls, the latter with one. So
coon as the troops fred the Indians return
ed it, and poured upon them shower Of
arrows. The first discharge killed Lieut.
Grattan, who was standing by the side of
the cannon. AS soon us he fell, his com.
mand at once lost heart, and attempted
60 ay-leaving their cannon. arms and
everything else. The Sioux then charged
upon the flying soldiers. apd shot and
tomahawked every man of them save one
who made his escape by taking down a
ravine. and thus getting out of sight. The
interpreter who wGs with the pyrty, Au-
gueste Lucien, who had married a Sioux
squaw, jumped upon his horse and at
tempted 10 make his escape. He succee-
ded in getting rid OF his immediate pur-
camp, but instead of striking for the prai
rio, Re very fooIisly attempted to run
through the Brulie camp, which was di.
rectly between him and the Fort, and which
was already alarmed hy the firing. The
result was that an Indian ran out and shot
his horse with his rife, and then came up
on him with his tomahawk. Lucien cri-
ed out to him not to kill him, as
he was Sioux b. marriage. but the on
" reply the Indian made was to bury his
Ratchet in his head. The soldier who es-
capped was found down the ravine by a
Sioux named (" Black Heart" and owed
his life 10 his assistance in getting him
back to the Fort during the night.
The tragedy occurred in the afternoon
Of the 10Th of August. and it was not un.
Ill the next morning that news Of it reach
ed 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 American Fur
Company, which WAS near their camp
and where the annuity goods (5O,OOU
worthy were in store and turned them up
on the plain, and divided them out. Lieut..
Fleming. uyon Consultation. sent some five
or ak OF the traders to see the Sioux and
bury the dead, but they told the traders
very simplicity that the quarrel was not
one in which they were concerned. and
they had better keep out Of it, and then
drove them back to the fort. The conse-
Quence was that when the messenger left,
the dead bodies were still living exposed
on the plains. only two, those of Lucien,
and another having been buried by two
returning Calfornians, who ventured 10
execute the hazardous task for S25 q
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
Al the last accounts Matte-i.owan, who
was shot in three places, at the FIRST dis
charge from the soldiers, was ut the
point of death. He is brave warrior,
and a great friend to the whites.
The St. Louis Republican says that
Lieut.. G, received g! g! arrows in his body,
one of which passed through his head
Two Of his men were killed by the same
discharge, Mr.. J. Bo-deau, in a letter to
the Republican, says he had succeeded in
burying the dead bodies of the unlortu-
nate men. The Indians subsequently
came to his store, and to save his life he
had 10 give them everything in it, some
$4,000 worth Of goods. MIR. B. adds:
AS far as know anything about In
dians, l think that our government ought
to send FIVE hundred mounted men, vete-
ran troops, TO keep the Indians in subiec-
ton. and one company Ofinfantry to guard
the fort. The Indiansin the recent bat
tie, after killing all the soldiers. broke
their cannon to pieces, and carried of
their muskets and animals. AS for placing
the infantry on the prairie to fight with
Indians, it is just the same as putting them
up as targets to be shot at. There were
about one thousand indians in the battle.
Recommendation. J. r. Chandler, a
distinguished Wing member of Congress.
and also we'll known in the world of let
tiers, being the author of a grammar of the
English language, and for many years the
ndiEnr of the leadinn ANhir nannr in Phil