Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-12-30

| Are but sunbeams lifted higher
| -LonafelloW
| Correspondence of the Sioux City Register.
Trip to the Rocky Mountains.
MR.. EDITOR The good steamer "Twi
light which passed your city early las,
spring, had on board many of the employee.
together with the supplies of FRosr, ToDr
Il Co., Indian Agents and their attaches
pleasure-seekers, and molly crowd gen.
orally, some Of whom have but lately re.
tsrned from "seeing the sights" above.
The trip up the Missouri was quite mo.
notonous, though occasionally en.ivened
by our arrival at the various trading posts,
together with the melodious strains from
the " Caftope," convincing me Of the fallacy
of the saying, "music hath charms to
soothe the savage breast" and that i,
rather has tendency to excite emotions
ofmirth. Ourprogress after leaving Sioux
City was quite slow, owing to the innumer
| able bars, the low water, aud great draugh,
If the boat, giving good opportunity to
see the country at least so one
imagines by the grave assertion of pas
senger IN an article to an eastern paper
that all the country above Sioux City was
barren waste, and proposing, if he had
his way, TO draw line from Sioux CITY
due west and appropriate all north of the
line and east of the Rocky Mountains to
the Indian and the buffaloe, all he having
seen of the country being passing glimpse
! of the bluffs on either side of the Missouri.
AT Ianeton village the Indian Agent
distributed the annuties. The Yanctons
being the first Indians many had seen,
excited considerable interest. The goods
delivered were under treaty made with
them at Fort Laramie in 1852, and not,
as many supposed, in part payment for
their lands.
From Fort Randall we took with us a
detachment of L. S. troops, forty in num-
ber, under the command of Major II. W.
VESSELS. These troops were packed
within small space On the lower
| deck, furnished their own rariions, and
paid Ten Thousad Dollars for the ride
As "cabin passage, everything furnished" !"
from st. Louis and back was but $3.50,
there evidently is discrepancy, explained,
however, by the fact that the orders from
the War Department were peremptory to
send company of troops with and for
the protection OF the Indian Agent, leav-
ing the officers of the boat to charge $50,
900, if they chose, and thus exculpating
the officers at Fort Randall.
At Fort Pierre six different bands OF
Sioux were paid their annuities-- the Bru.
lies, Two Kettles, Meneconioux, Sans
| Are, lanetonees and Blackteet SIOUX
the above named bands being represented
by some four hundred lodges. Some dill.
Guilty was apprehended with them, and not
without cause. There was general dis
satisfaction felt by the upper bands in
relation to the Dakota treaty effected by
the Government with the Yanctons last
winter. The Arickarees had stolen many
of their horses, and one Of that tribe had
been killed the night before our arrival
while in the act. They refused at first to
receive the goods or sign the receipts
Finally, after picturng their wrongs and
various grievances, the articles were ac-
cepted. At Fort Clark the hrickarees,
the most troublesome tribe on the river,
were paid their annuities. The Agent
found more difficulty with them than with
the Sioux. Both, however, had the same
story to tell, but in the one case the Sioux
were the aggressors, and in the other the
Arickarees.
At Fort Berthold the Grosventres and
Mandans received their annuities together.
At this point FRosT, ToDp & Co. have in
process of erection new and capacious
fort to be called Fort Atkinson, in honor
Of the junior partner Of that firm, deser.
vedly one of the most popular men that
ever visited the upper country.
At Fort Union, eight miles above the
mouth Of the Yellowstone, the freight des
tined for the Crow Indians was discharged,
and at Fort Stuart, eighty miles above
| Fort Union, the Blackfeet annunies and
the balance Of the freight Of FROST, Tom
& Co. were left to be taken up to Fort
Campbell in Mackinaw boats. Colonel
VAUGHN, the Agent for the Blackfeet hs
attaches, clerks, one hundred voyageurs.
hunters, &C., also got off at this point
This party would leave for Fort Campbell
in charge of Mr.. ATKINSON AZ soon as
their boats were built. This country is
inhabited by the Assnaboins Indians, by
far the most lazy AID degraded Indian on
the Missouri river.
The party intending to 20 up the Vel.
lowstone soJourned at Fort Union, waiting
for the preparation Of their boats. The
Fourth was celebrated here with all
| 1un hamar aad was c.r o,n.. ..t..a.t.