The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-10-10
STANDING BuFFiLGS BAND AGAINST HIN
NAMES OF CAPTIVES



CHIPPEWA RivER) Sept. q, 1862. !
GENERAL: * Yesterday | came
to this place with my command, having
been met by several halfbreeds with a flag
of truce | encamped within five hundred
yards OF large camp of about one hundred
and fifty lodges of friendly Indians and half
breeds, who had separated themselves from
Little Grow and the miserable crew with
him, and had secured from them most of
the white captives, awaiting my arrival.
About two o'clock in the afternoon /
paid formal visit to the camp, attended
by the members Of my staff and the COM
handing officers of corps, with two com
panies of infantry as an escort.
Leaving the latter on the outside of the
line of lodges, I entered the camp, where I
found that regular rife-pits had been con-
structed, in 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-breeds assembled accord
ingly in considerable numbers, and I pro-
ceeded to give them briefly my views of
the late proceedings, my determination that
the guilty parties should be pursued and
overtaken, if possible, and made a de-
mand that all the captives should be deliv-
cred to me instantly, that | might take
them to my camp.
After speeches in which they seriously
condemned the war party, and denied
any participation in their proceedings, 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 deliver
ed them up to me to the number Of nine
ty-One pure whites When taking the
names of such as had been instrumental
in obtaining the release of the prisoners
from the hostile Indians, and telling the
principal men would hold another coun-
ell with them to-day, l conducted the
poor captives to my camp, where l had
prepared tents for their accommodation.
There were some instances OF StOlidity
among them, but, for the most part, the
| poor creatures, relieved of the horrible
suspense in which they had been kept,
and some OF the younger women, freed
| from the loathsome attentions to which
they had been subjected by their brutal
captOrs, were fairly overwhelmed with
joy.
| am doing the best can for them, and
will send them down to-day, together with
a large number of half-breeds, who have
been also 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 hay
| ing been killed a list of them will ac-
company this communication.
After the disastrous result to himself and
the bands associated with him, of the bat
| tie of Wood Lake, the halfbreeds report
! that falling back to this point, they hastily
| struck their tents and commenced retreat
ing in great terror *
| have issued an order appointing a
: Military COIllIulSSiOll, tOllSlSGlIlS Vi tWO
field officers and the senior Captain OF the
Sixth Regiment (Col. Crooks, Lieut. Col.
Marshall, and Capt Grant,, for the exam
nation of all the men halt-breeds, as well
as Indians in the camp near us, with in
structions to sift the antecedents Of each,
so that if there are guilty parties among
them, they can he arrested and properly
dealt with.
have no doubt we shall find some such
IN the number. will report the result in
due time. | have Il wounded prisoner in
my camp.
The number of halt-breeds who were re-
tanned by the hostile Indians as prisoners,
and now under my protection viii consid-
erably exceed one hundred, but the exact
number cannot now he sven. .
am. General, very respectfully.
Your obedient servant.
II. II. SIBLEY,
Colonel Commanding
CAMP RELEASE NEAR Lac Orr y ,nft,