The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-04-18

Resolped-That his Honor the Mayor b
requested to appoint Committee Of thre
from the Council to act in conjunction witt
q similar Committee to be appointed by th,
citizens of st. Paul at the meeting at tn,
Court House, this day at noon-to wait ulioI
the commanding officer at Fort Smelling ahe
see if he will supply ammunition and provis
ions for Volunteer Companies from st. Paul
and learn from him what action he propose.
to take in the matter of the Sioux outrages
and the said Committee to report to his Hon
or the Mayor, and the Pioneer Guard and
Shields Guard, and such other Volunteers
as may offer be requested to hold themselve:
in readiness for immediate service.
The Mayor appointed Aid. Chamblip
Kittson and McGrorty.
Fall Of Feathers.
After the Committees, as above provided
had departed for Fort Smelling, +. Steele
Esq, arrived in the city from the Fort, in
possession of facts which materially damp
ened the ardor of the military spirit aroused
by the Tines untimely declaration of war
against the North American Indians in gen.
eral, and the Sioux in particular.
The whole report appears to have origin
ated in confirmation Of the Spirit Lake
massacre, the news of which we had three
weeks ago. The perpetrators of that deed
proved to be band of Sioux from beyond
the Missouri, aided by some of the vagabonds
Of the Wapakatee band who had Joined
them. Capt. Bee, who commanded the de-
tachment sent out from Fort Ridgley to as
certain the facts connected with that massa-
ere, and to chastise the perpetrators, if found,
has returned, having left his command at
Spirit Lake. He reports that the news is too
true. Forty-two settlers were killed, five
women taken prisoners, and thirty-three
horses stolen. A merchant who was killed,
had all his goods carried of. The Indians
were said to number five or six hundred.
When Capt. Bees command arrived at the
scene of the murderous attack, it appeared
the Indians, who were mounted, had fed
aoestacard, and the troops, who were on foot.
could not pursue them with success. An
other report, however, states that party of
the Indians were overtaken by the soldiers,
and some halfdozen of them made to fall
beneath the visitation of the unerring Minnie
rifle.
Col. Smith, the Commandant at Fort Smell
ling, with that prompt alacrity which char
acterizes him as faithful protector of the
frontier from Indian depredations, felt it his
duty, however, to respond to the call of the
people of St. Peter, and yesterday morning,
at daylight, had three companies and twelve
wagons laden with supplies and ammunition,
on the march to the Southwestern border.
The Colonel is an old soldier and knows sail
about Indians" -perhaps as much as the
editor of the Times. We think he will "put
them through" most essentially, several
days before our fighting neighbor arrives al
the "seat of war;" particularly if the latter
marches with his usual supplies-a bottle
of gin and musty ham. Captain Gardiner
has command of the force from Fort Smell
ling. He is an able and vigilant officer; but
we are fully of the belief at this writing that
he will return without meeting single hos
tile Indian.