, 1863-09-19
INTELLIGENCE from Fort BENTON.

were among those who left St. Louis on
steamboats,, May 9th. From this arrival
we obtain sundry items of news in rela-
tion to the non arrival of the boats at Ben
ton this year, which we believe are not
generally known here.
Four steamers-the shreveport" and
" Rob't Campbell" belonging to La Barge
& Co., and the ''Nellie Rogers" and
"Alone,' owned by p Chouteau & Co.,
started, well crowded with passengers,
some of whom were destined for the gold
mines on the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains some to make new homes in
the Deer Lodge and Bitter Root valleys,
and others for WaIla Walla.
The water in the Upper Missouri has
been unusually low this season but it is
the opinion of the gentlemen connected
with the American Fur Company that had
the steamboats, left St. Louis week soon
er than they did there was sufficient wa
ter to have rendered the trip to Benton en-
tirely successful AS at was, the first
named steamer-Shreveport-landed hel
passengers and freight below the mouth oi
the Judith river, some 200 miles below
Fort Benton the Nellie Rogers made the
mouth of Milk river, 500 miles from Ben
ton; the Alone landed at Fort Charles, q
post formerly occupied by the American
Fur Compa ny, about twenty y-fve miles be-
lew the mouth of Milk river The Rob-
ert Campbell was the least fortunate of all
She left st, Louis later than the others and
drew over three feet of water. It was
impossible for her to come further than
Fort Union, 800 miles below Fort Ben
ton. At this point she landed her passen-
gers and cargo, the latter being carefully
stored in the post. Many of the passen-
gers have already arrived at Benton
Among those who remain at Fort Union
are Col Vaughn, the former Indian Agent
who has resided in the Blackfoot county
for the past twenty-five years, and Mr..
Culbertson, of Peoria, Illinois, well known
on the Upper Missouri. DR.. Martin and
W. H. Gebhart, ESQ.,, Banker of New
York, were on board the " Nellie Rogers "
Both these gentlemen came out merely on
pleasure tour.
An unfortunate occurrence happened to
the 9" Robert Campbell" between Fort
Berthold and Fort Union. Those now en-
emies of the Government, the Sioux In
dians, lined the banks of the Missouri at
this point, armed with bows ard arrows.
They used the subterfuge of speaking the
Crow tongue, making believe they were
Crow Indians, and orderd the steamboat
to stop and small boat to be sent ashore,
that some of their head men might be con-
Quoted on board to have 'talk." A num-
Der of the passengers, knowing they were
in the Sioux country, and appreeiating the
fact that a Government expedition was
hunting them up to properly chastise them
for past hostilities, very judicously pro-
tested against Capt Labarge senGing the
boat ashore he however ordered the boat
to be manned By five men, who made the
shore, and no sooner had they landed thar
a body Of Sioux came on board, shaking
the hands of the boatmen, pretending to be
friends of the whites This gone through
they charged upon the men, killing three
instantly-a fourth was pierced through
the breast with a lance and mortally
wounded, and the fifth had the presence Of
mind to jump into the water and push the
boat off, thus making his retreat to the
steamer.
Mr.. Reed, Indian Agent for the Black
feet nation, seeing this evidence Of hostili
ty on the part of the Sioux, thought prop
er to have the annuity goods stored al
Fort Unien, and he himself returned tt
st. Louis to represent officially the state o.
affairs to the proper head.