St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-06-13
Correspondence.
GEORGETOWN, D. T., June 1, 1861.

EDITOR OF DEMOCRAT Rcd River
intelligence has found little place in the
columns Of Minnesota papers of late. It
is remarkable that, visited as we have
been with one of the most destructive
floods which has occurred in this valloy
tor years, that tho fact should not have
been chronicled in the newspapers long
ere this j.! TO say that we have had a
high frcshet expresses but weakly the OK
tent Of the inundation. From the mouth
Of the sheyenne to Lake Winnipeg, the
valley at one time resembled an immense
sea, to which, looking! from any point On
Red River, no boundary could be defined,
excepting, perhaps, to the eastward, in
which direction the heights of the Missis-
sippi could be family discerned. The
long black lines of timber marking the
course of the river, and. its, tributaries
stretching out into the plains, were the
only land marks. = .>:' .~." .
This vast body OF water remained above
the: level Of the prairies nearly two weeks,
subsiding slowly until confined to its prop.
er channel, when it fell more rapidly
During the continuation of the food the
steamboat .Anson Nor'Arup rode quietly
at anchor to the lee of the heavy timber
joining the Red River. The boat has
now been fully repaired and was launched
yesterday. Expecting high water ways
were constructed previously, the boat
broug ht into place, and when the water re-
ceded it was in a position to re-botttom,
caulk, pitch, &c., all of which has been
done, and she struck the water yesterday
a new boat almost. The boat will start
for Fort Garry this week.; quite num-
Der of passengers are laying over here to
take passage.
The settlers at Fort Garry or near the
mouth of the .Assioiboine, have suffered
severely by this food. 1 was told at
Pembina Mountain (from whence I re-
Gently returnod) by halfbreed who had
just arrived from the Fort, that most of
the horned. cattle had persisted; having
been driven to rid es as the water gained
the level of the prairie, which was either
entirely covered Or else, surrounded by
deep water and no heritage to subsist them
any length of time. I shalt learn the
particulars Of the effects of the food, soon,
and will try to forward them to you
Pembina Mountain or St. Joseph, has re-
ceived the bulk of the Pembinaj popula-
ton, who have all fled at the approach Of
this tremendous flood. = Farming in the
Red River Valley below: the Red Lake
River is utterly impossible this season,
and the mountain people are putting in
an unusually large crop-this they will
certainly need. The. brigades of Plain
Hunters will be increased by the, addition
of most of the farmers at the settlement
as buffalo hunting will e'more profitable
than cultivating Red River mud x<*''
Forty-6ye lodges of Assiniboines are en-
camped6 at the village of St. / Joseph..--
They are on friendly visit assisting their
Ojibwa and halfbreed peighbors TO finish
up their last years pemmicaa! This they
have nearly accomplished, and the price
Of :pemmican has risen as: a consequence.
I would add, however, to relieve the anxii.
ETY. of those Who intend visiting that. re-
ginn this summer, that fish are: going
do,on:" I hope it is understood that fish
are a never-failing resource Is satisfy tho
cravings Of hunger in that region: How:
ever the: !Fbon temps diendra" are several
halfbreeds who haveobeen lin fthe emplooy
of the fur companies On the Mi souri, Riv-
81, have lately returned and report in n
'mensc herds Of buffalo on ths. Cotenu ;du
Missouri moving eastward ',Thcyocrossed
the Missouri on the ice in Immense mum
b s There remains na dt9aaHt but that
the. eastern plains Of Dakotah Will be; SOY
cred with buffalo this season. i A hunting
brigade has gust arrived :at;the mountain
they were very successful, having filled
their carts in the vicinity Of, DEVILS
! Lake.