St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-08-20
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iFtRlaom THE Dlil IDAnoo . aoLp a,ol11,la a1SNEs. i.

l. pr ;H5oytt,, of Red dWip Wins . who fs tbi. biz
State j., il the spring Of '62, for the Salmon
Kiyer rs + ';F country, by the Northern overland
route, has returned and is here, visiting
his relatives. The Doctor was ore Of q
s'uan party that started from St. Paul
'',! and went in advance Of Capt. Fisk's over.
land expedition. They procured a guide
lat Pembina and struck due west from,
the Red River for Fort Benton, on the
Upper Missouri River. HI reports the
trip complete success, and TIC rosutc d
good one: d ii Plenty Of water and feed for
stock, and an abundance of game. Their
cattle improved from the day they left,
and when they reached Deer Lodge, on
the other side of the mountains, most of
the stock would have made good beet.
(l.osI He reports the mines on the head wa.
tcrs Of the Missouri River, where he has
tbeen most Of the time since last: fall, as
fair ). says few make small fortunes in a
Eshort time, many are doing we'll, while
probably one-half at least Of the miners
|,:are making no more than living. ',":
The Doctor left Bannock City on the
10th Of May 1ast,: for home, by the way Of
the Missouri River; was three months
making" the trip. Came the first 800
miles in company with some fifteen sn others,
with dx teams, to Fort Benton: 80 Where
they remained some three weeks waiting
}1foor fer a q steamboat, but as no boat came and
the ivereeontinued to fall, his sparty, thir-
teen in all, constructed a MuckinawIboat
and started for the mouth Of the Yellow
Stone, some $50 miles below Benton
When 200 miles below Benton they met
the steamer Shreveport, from St. Louis,
on her way to Ft. Benton, They contip-
ued on down with the Mackinaw to with
in i:5 miles OF Fort Union when the boat
returning from above ovcrtaking them,
they left their small boat and were glad
to take passage on the. steamer, as the trip
on, the ,Mackinaw had been a tedious and
dangerous one. !! They were twice attack
ed willie on the small boat by war parties
OF Indians that would have; robbed them
Of everything, and in all probability have
:scalped the last ono of them if they could
have got to them. ,.. ::,u =. ..;, -:
=" After taking passage on the steamer
they came on down some five hundred
miles below Fort Uniorr, where they met
the t9s yE steamer u n7 Robert Campbell; from St.
Louis, with some three hundred tolls Of
Indian goods for the Upper Missouri In.
dlans. The river had falleu 80 much thai,
with their largo load they were unable to
go further, and the Shreveport took part
OF her !, load a. and the two boats started for
Fort Fort Union together When within 100
miles OF Fort Union they were attacked
10y some 700 Sioux warriors, who said
that they had them surrounded and were ci:
determined to have the boats as we'll as
the lH'el men on them, and told them, they
mig might as we'll surrender, This, of course,
they had no notion Of doing, as they had
two small cannon and plenty Of good acs
and any Quantity Of ammunition besides
having constructed breastworks of bales Of
buaplo robes, of which they had several
hundred. YdThec two boats landed on j., 4
small bar in the riyer,. some 1875 yards
from the. shore, where the Indians were ;,are
concentrating to give battle. They; made
the attack by c6ving the first guns, II mhe en-
the boats Immediately opened fire. with
bothteannon and lat, least one hundred ii ri. 1:
fies on'the red'devils9a' They returned the
Feonipliment with but; little effect, nns the
meniewere .conccaled behind = the, breast
works works The firing eo9tipued for some
three hours, when ,thos Indians were: driv.
en- from the river bottom and ,retseatcd
back among the bluffs. The Shreveport
| - 32
was completely riddled with shots from
the. Indians many Of the state rooms had
several balls through item! +. tThrye went
through the smoke stacks, high up, and
several struck the. pilot house: They
Eshoti badly and must haYe thought the
boat farther from chem than: it really was;
asa majority, oftheirq balls and arrows
went over the boats s.o,II In the. fight fhere
were, three white emen killed and two
wounded. The Indians reported their