Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-21
A Trip Across the Rocky MOnntnins-Fighi
with the Indians.

In August, 1853, party of twenty.on
young men, mostly lumbermen, started from
Falls of st. Anthony, Minnesota, for the
Frazer River Gold Mines. The party was or
ganzed as follows
Albert Henshaw, Captain J. A. Robinson,
Clerk; j. G. Johnson, Baggage Master Shu-
beal Bohanan, Cook
Cbas w. Montgomery, B. Y Smith, D W.
| Howarl David HenshaW, James WindIe, Jas
Kerr, VIM Sweeny, A. c. Foster, r. Graham,
| Thomas Campbell, Aiming Harding, Dwight
Harding, Z. b. Brown, II. s. johnson, James
/ Dillman.
The Company was provided with thirteen
carts, somewhat resembling the Red River carts,
but much better made, drawn by thirteen single
oxen. They were proyisioned for nine months,
and well armed and ammunitioned, and propos-
ed to winter 200 miles beyond the Selkirk Set
tlement, on the hunting grounds of the Hud-
sons Bay Company. The Company only
reached Sekirk Settlement on the Red River of
the North before winter set in. They were
Joined in the Spring by party of twenty three
others, making in oil company of forty three
resoute men, each armed with a double barrel
gun, and two of Colts six shooters, and took
up their line of march for the then New Ell.
dorado
letter has been received from ono of the
party, now in Oregon, to his friends in this
city, from which we are permitted to make
the following extracts;
"Alter forty five days travel we hove in
sight Of the Rocky Mountains, and began to
think our fears concerning Indians were un-
| f)unde1, when one morning at early dawn our
camp was aroused by the near approach Of
Indians, apparently about 400 We seized our
guns and made read, for action. When they
approached within about two hundred yards
we raised our guns and commanded them TO
stop, which they Immediately did. On inquir-
/ ing what that meant, we told them we wanted
an interview with their Chief, before we allow,
ed them in our camp.
He Immediately came forward and demanded
/ to know what countrvmen we were. We tod
| him We were "Americans." He replied that
be was an American, at the same time giving
us shake of the hand, and pulling out a
medal with Frank Perce's' name on il, said
he was our friend, and desired 10 smoke the
! pipe of peace with u.s. which we did. After
/ friendly interview with him and his men, we
traded off all our tired horses for fresh ones,
and took our departure, he cautioning us TO
look out for a large party Of Indians belong
ing to the Slave tribe, who were hostile to
! Americans.
After three days more travel we lay by one
day on account Of rain. The next morning our
horses came running into camp badly Tighten
| ad, with arrows sticking in them, which alarm
gave us TO understand that Indians were near
by.
We arranged our carts, and placed our
horses behind them as much as possible, and
made ready for action. Alter a little time, a
large psrly, apparently about eight hundred,
were seen approaching on either side OF us,
about four hundred on a side. This was a
critical hour with u.s. a most fearful odds
forty-three against eight hundred. 1t was life
or death, aud every man felt that he must do
his best. Accordingly we met them with such
we'll directed aim that it made sad havoc among
them. After one hours hard fighting, they
were glad TO retreat, with loss Of twenty six
killed, and sixty horses; while we only lost
four horses, and one man wounded.
This ended our troubles with the Indians. -
But we had one far greater to encounter in the
mountains, that of starvation. We lost our
way and wandered about for thirty days with
out food except the flesh Of our horses and Che
few berries we could find among the noun.
tains.
Hearing frem Frazer River we found II all a
humbug. and shifted our course for Oregon.
whore We arrived, mere skeletons, after a
journey Of one hundred and twenty days from
SslkiFk N.