The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-07-10
Bad News from Gen. Sibley,s Indian
Expedition.

Capt. BAILEY, of Company G, Sixth
Regiment, Capt. MERRlMAN of the Sixth,
and Lieut.. McALExANDEn of the Sixth,
late of the Indian Expedition, arrived in
this city yesterday, direct from Fort Aber-
cronbie. Captains BAILEY and MERR1-
MAN, returned home sick, and Lieut..
MoALExANDER, has resigned, and his res
ignation has been accepted. These gen.
tlemen give very discouraging picture
of the condition of the expedition.
Lieut.. MoALExANDER states they left
the Expedition at Lake Traverse, above
Big Stone Lake, about sixty-fve miles
from Fort Abercrombie. They came to
Abercrombie with train of wagons, es-
corted by three companies of infantry and
three of cavalry, under Lieut.. COL AVER
ILL Of the Sixth, for the purpose of obtain
ing provisions, and the train was to return
to the Expedition as soon as possible.
Most of the provisions of the Expedition
were utterly ruined by the intense heat,
which also proved so destructive to the
wagons, that many of them had to be
abandoned
There was great scarcity of water, and
much suffering had ensued in consequence
The prairies were parched by the intense
heat, and nearly all vegetation shrivelled
up, and there were indications of extern
sive fires on the prairies above.
The ambulances were full of sick, as
we'll as some of the wagons, but we did
not learn of any deaths. The fatigue of
marching in the excessive heat over the
shadeless plains, scarcity of water, and
poor rations, told on the men very Sc
verely, and, added to the disheartening
prospects of the expedition, had produced
great dissatisfaction. A large number of
officers had rendered their designations,
which had not, except in few instances,
been accepted by the General command
ing.
1t appears that an abandonment OF the
plan Of the expedition had been under
consideration, but Gen. SIBLEY had deter
mined to proceed according to his first
intentions.
Col. AvERILL brought a mail from the
expedition to Abercrombie, which will
probably arrive to-day, when we shall
have more full particulars Of the actual
state of affairs.
Another Murder by the Indians.
We learn from Gen. MITCHELL, of st.
Cloud, that man named JAMES MCGAN-
NON. was killed by the Indians on Wednes-
day of last week, on the road leading from
Fairhaven, Stearns county, to Kingston,
Meeker county His body was found on
Saturday by Mr.. CHAs. LOWE. Mr.. LOWE
was passing along the road, which is the
regular mail route and much travelled
and his attention was first attracted by
tracks of the Indians, and subsequently
!y the effiuvium of the body of the deceas-
ed, which was found in the bushes few
rods from where the encounter took place.
Mr.. MCGANNoN was mounted on a very
fine horse, and it is supposed the Indians
shot him for the sake of the animal
McGANNoN was unmarried, but had
opened q farm two years ago at Kingston,
and during the troubles last year remov-
ed to the town Of Champlin, opposite An
Okla. This year lie had put in crops on his
place and was On his way to see how they
were getting along when he was killed.
He has father, two brothers and sisters
now living al Champlin.
Gen. MITCHELL believes that quite
large number Of Indians are now lurking
in the woods, and that it will be very diff
ficult, if not impossible to exterminate
them in any other way than by hunting
them down as wild animals are hunted.
He thinks the plan proposed by the State
authorities OF employing regular trappers
and hunters, with bounty for each scalp
taken, will work well.