Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-10-16
G9e yntellioenttr.
The Indian War in Minnesota.
REPORT OF COL. SHELLEY.

REPORT OF COL. SHELLEY.
tfrom the St PaulPrcss, 5thl
CAMP RELEASE, OPPOSITE MorrH or
CHIPPEWA RIVER, Sept. 81 1862. (
~ GENERAL:-* Yesterday came
TO this place with my command, hav
ing been met by several half-breeds
with flag of truce. l encampcd
within five hundred yards of a large
camp of about $50 lodges of friendly
Indians and half.brecds, who had sep.
arated themselves from Little Crow
and the miserable crew with him, and
secured from him most of the white
captives, awaiting my arrival.
ann. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon |
paid a formal visit to the camp, at
tended by the members of my staff
and the commanding officers OF corps,
with two companies of infantry as an
escort
Leaving the latter on the outside of
the line of lodges, l entered the camp,
where / found that regular rife.pits
had been constructed, by anticipation
of an attack by the hostile Indians
told the interpreter to call the chiefs
and head men together, for | had
something to say to them. The In
dams and half-brecds assembled ac-
cordingly in considerable numbers,
and proceeded to give them briefly
my views of the late proceedings, my
determination that the guilty parties
should be delivered to me instantly,
that | might take them to my camp.
After speeches, in which they seri-
ously condemned the war party, and
denied any participation in their pro.
ceedings, and gave me assurance that
they would not have dared to come
and take my hand if their own was
stained with the blood of the whites,
they assembled the captive women
and children, and formally delivered
them mp to me to the number of nine.
ty-one pure whites. When taking
the names Of such as had been instru-
mental in obtaining the release of the
prisoners from the hostile Indians, and
telling the principal men / would hold
another council with them today,
conducted the poor captivcs to my
camp, where | had prepared tents for
their accommodation. .......
There were some instances Of
stOlility among them, but, for the
most part, the poor creatures, rcliev-
cd Of the horrible suspense in which
they had been kept, and some of the
younger women, freed from the loath-
, some attentions to which they had
been subjected by their brutal cap
tors, were fairly overwhelmed with
joy.
am doing the best can for them,
md will send them down to day, to-
gether with a large Number OF half.
!, breeds, who have also been kept in
restraint here. The first mentioned
are pure white women and children,
, two or three of the latter being very
small orphans, all their relations hav-
waving been killed. A list of them
will accompany this communication.
After the disastrous result to Little
Crow and the bands associated with
him, of the battle Of Wood Lake, the
halfbrceds report that falling back to
this point, they hastily struck their
tents and commenced retreating in
great terror.
have issued an order appointing
a military commission, consisting Of
two field officers and the senior cap
tain of the sixth regiment Colonel
| Crooks, Lieut. Colonel Marshall and
Captain Grant, for the examination of
all the men halfbrccds, as well as the
Indians in the camp near us, with in
structions TO sift the antecedents Of
each, so that if there are guilty par
ties among them, they can be arrest
ed aud properly dealt with.
have no doubt we shall find some
such in the number. l will report the
result in due time have wounded
prisoner in my camp.
The number Of half-brecds who
were retained by the hostile Indians
as prisoners, and now under my pro-
lection, will considerably exceed 100,
but the exact number cannot be given.
! am, very respectfully,
eel. Your obedicnt servant,
q III IT Srp,rv