The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-02
Adventures OF a Party Of Canadians
...Thirteen Killed.

The Brechin advertiser publishes letter
from townsman who arrived in Victoria
in October last, latter thirteen months on
the plains among the Indians" The writer
says Fifteen of us left st. Paul. Mime
sota on the 10th of August, 1858, for
Frazer River, with horse each. The first
twenty days we got along pretty good, but
after that our trouble commenced. The
Sioux Indians came on us in the night, aud
took our horses and provisions, tied US hand
and foot, and commenced dancing around
us with their knives. One of our party
could understand little of their language;
he got them to understand we did not want
TO harm them-that we only wanted to
travel through their country, and that we
were going to pay them for it, but they
would not listen to him. They said that
some white men had killed some of their
tribe, and their friends were to be revenged
on the white men. By the time daylig ht
began to appear, they got up and loosened
our feet and made US walk to where their
camp was, and put us in wigwam, and left
two Indians to guard US.
The second night came, but it brought
an awful sight. They came and took us out
to the woods, and tied each of US to tree,
and stripped our clothes off They told us
that the chief was going to burn US. After
the chief came he ordered them to build
fire around the tree that John Fetch was
tied to. This was the man that could speak
to them) They burned him to death, and
killed two more, and the rest of US got away
with our lives, after they had kept us about
three weeks. We travelled on foot for about
forty days, and party of Blackfoot Ind-
ans came upon US, and wanted to take our
horses, but we could not give them, so they
went off in rage. We did not see any
more of them for three days, but on the
fourth about forty of them came down on
us, and fired at US, killing two and wound
ing three. We fired on them and killed
tour, and then threw part of our provisions
away to tighten our horses, as we could
travel faster, and trusted to our guns for
meat.
There is no danger of man starving
on the plains if he has good gun and can
use it. We travelled for fifteen days, at
about fifty miles day, and thought we had
got clear of the BIackfoot Indians but they
followed US till we came to large river,
and when we were crossing it they fired at
US from behind the trees They did not
hurt any of US then, but the next day they
attacked us in thcket, and killed four of
our party, and wounded one-that was my
SELF | got ball through my thigh. There
were now only six of us LETT, who got off
from them once more, and we had no more
trouble with them till we got to the Rocky
Mountains. Having got everything ready
ihp
Indians come down, and we made into the
woods. 1t was too late, however they had
seen us; but they happened to be Coutine
Indians coming to kill their winter provi-
sions. They were friendly to US, and gave
US several small things They gave us some
stuff for my thigh, and it got brtter.
1--WE started iHto the mountains and
travelled four days, and then about twenty
Blood Indians came on us and killed three
of our uumher and wounded the rest, so we
were not able to walk. They took US to
their camp and dressed our wounds We
there learned that they took us for Indians,
as we were dressed something like them, for
all our clothing had been worn out. They
took care of US, and doctOred US up as we'll
as they could, ard we got better again.
When they saw we wanted to 60 on, they
sent for our horses and guided us through
the mountain, and then returned back. AS
we came on, one man died, and that reduced
our number to two, out of fifteen. We got
on slowly, for we were poorly OF our wounds
and we have now got into civilized
country once more, thank God l have
commenced to work little, as much as
keeps me in lie until get we'll, and then l
ana thinking of going to the gold mines on
Frazer River"