Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1854-09-21
Authentic Details of the Battle at sar-
py's Point-Defeat of the Troops from
Fort Laramie Government Goods Cap
tured-Bordeau' Store Pillaged.

Fort Laramie-Governme Goods Cap
tured- Bordeau's Store Pillaged.
SARpy's PoIsT, NEBRASKA TERMroRy.
miles E, of Fort Laramie Aug. 81, "a.
Editor of the Missouri Republican
SIR:-An affair has happened here be-
tween the soldiers and the Indians, which
ought to be properly noticed by the United
States Government. Having been an eye
witness to the battle, l consider it my duty
to furnish strict account of it and its eau
ses. In the first place, on the 18th of Au-
gust train of Mormons passed this place
The Indians, who were enoamped here wal
ting for their payment from Government,
had no provisions, and were of course anx-
i,us for something to eat. AS the Nor
mons were passing, lame cow, belonging
to a 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, q 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 18th, about o'clock
in the afternoon, Lieut. Grattan, with com
mand oftwenty-seven soldiers, and Auguste
Lucien, Interpreter, arrived here 10 arrest
the Indian who had killed the cow. l ac-
cordingly sent for the chiefs TO go with the
Lieutenant and make the arrest. They ac-
companied him, but the Indian was not will
ling TO give himselfup, saying that he would
die first. While the Bear Chief ofthe Wa
zazies was standing with three other chiefs
the Little Thunder, the Big Rlrtizan and
the Man who afraid This 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 oil 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, .he Lieu
tenant receiving twenty-four arrows, one Of
h'''h PNS'Nu tNAOuSh his Htuus AS SOUL
as the soldiers saw their commander fall,
they took to flight, but were all killed with
in half a mile of this place. The OgalaIah
camp was about one mile distant, and awhite
man named Seyfroy lott, was Staying there
a. the time. Being Sioux interpreter the
chiefs requested him to stay between the
camps to prevent the young men from CHAR
gng on the soldiers, but he could not sue
coed, and barely escaped with his life.
Al my house, we were placed in bad
situation. There were with me, Mr.. An
tome Reynal and Mr.. Samuel Smith, with
five others, and all we could do was to stay
in the house, and keep the Indians out
AS Mr.. R. was standing in the doorway of
the house, an Indian rushed on him. and
tried to 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 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, but
some of my friends, the Quick Bear and 9TH
ers stopped them.
After the battle, the chiefs came in nv
house, and said as the young men had killed
all the soldiers that had come to fight them,
they would now go 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 step them from so doing
assuring them that since the soldiers had
commenced the quarrel it would be over
looked by the Government. But they then
rushed in the house, and demanded Of me
to give them every thing that they wanted.
To save our lives, gaze them everything
that had in ny store, to the amount of two
thousand dollars.
The next day they went to the post of the
American Fur Company, took all the goods
that were sent to them by the Government
and pllagcd the store. The situation of the
traders and of Fort Larami is perilous in
the extreme. l was requested by the COM
mander of the Fort to bury the dead SOL
diers, since he had not men enough to de-
tach Torty for that purpose, and succee-
deed in SO doing.
As far as l know anything about Indians,
think that our Government ought to send
five hundred mounted men, veteran troops
to keep the Indians in subiection; 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 off their muskets and animals
AS for placing the infantry on prairie tc
fight with Indians, it is just the same as
putting them up as targets to be shot at
There were about one thousand Indians il
the battle. Yours truly,