The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-08-03
Fort RICE, DAKOTA TERI

Fort RICE, DAKOTA TERRI
July 10th, 1864.
Dear Times:--After long delay proceed
to fulfill the promise made, and yet there is
so little of an interesting character on an ex.
petition of this kind, that newspaper cores
pendent is considered bore and his letters are
seldom read, and nothing but the inventive
genius of Washington Irwin can make one
readable. Nobody cares about hearing any
thing said of 1owa-it is too near homeland
yet we saw there the same that we saw here,
and much more for there we found cities, vii.
lagos, broad fields stretching over the fertile
prairies and more than all, the cheerful face of
the white-woman. And also to tickle the
fancy of such as hunger after Wilderness -
it can be found in the Northwestern part of
Iowa precisely as it is found in far of Dakota.
On one of those forty mile stages without a
house, we came upon herd of thirty Elk,
which is more game than we have seen in
Dakota Territory put together; and we are
good five hundred miles from Sioux City by
land and eight hundred by the river.
Speaking of Sioux City, the magnet that is
attracting the metallic steed which is painting
for race through the golden fields of Northern
Iowa, and to which the eyes of the "sporting"
men Of that region are directed, is worthy of
all that is claimed of her The beauty of
location and enterprise of its citizens far sur
passed my most sanguine expectations. 1t is
the head of trade on the river, no regular boats
running above that point. Mercantile houses
and workshops in abundance, which denotes
thrift and wealth. The Sioux City Register,
that sterling and fearless Democratic sheet, is
the only newspaper in the place, which speaks
well for the character Of the citizens and the
integrity of the publisher, who is gentleman
every inch of him.
From Sioux City we found an excellent
county until we passed Yankton, the capital
IF Dakotah Territory, and after that there is
,othing desirable until We reach the Yankton
Agency, occupied by some 1866 Indians, big
aid little, male and female, which some ct the
boys seemed to admire and met as old acquain.
ta,lces, but l failed to see any good points and
passed them by in disgust. Yankton is a city
OF town lots, containing few hundred inhabi
tans, is pleasantly situated and may, sometime,
after Indians are exterminated, become place
of Dme Importance. The Dakotaian is the
only paper published there, its politics dark of
coure, but an effort was being made to estab-
lish another of the same hue, but the wild
prairie of that country will hardly warrant it
| at present.
Fort Randall, on the west side of the river,
Is the pleasantest point on the river, and l
should think the most important as military
post 1t is lao miles above Sioux City, and is
virtually the only protection to the frontier
against the Indians of the whole Northwest
1t is now garrisoned by Co. X, 9th Iowa Cav,
and squad of the Invalid corps. Fort Sully,
l6O miles above Randall, was built last season
by the 9th Iowa, and garrisoned last winter by
portion of the 7th. It is situated on low
bottom on the east side of the river, and is
anything but desirable point to remain at any
length of time. 1t il built of logs, the inside
forming quarters after the fashion of the log
stables erected by the early settlers of Iowa
1t is now garrisoned by company of the Wis
ments composing the expedition. 1t is the pro-
lection to Grow Creek Agency, perhaps, but
more especially to renegade squads of the
Sioux tribe of Indians. This Crow Creek
Agency is the finest built place of all, and the
most desirable post to be stationed at. We
found an abundance of water and grass, the
hSEsyss hsE c" gfs Edges and bebc
lands where the snow was blown off during the
winter being mostly bare of vegetation, heavy
rains being unknown and showers of not yerv
frequent occurrence.
After leaving Fort sully the country i'm.
proves. The soil is more substantial, and grass
more extensive, but timber almost extinct
Last season the 9Th made the trip, but found
grass scarce and the water alkalied; this season
there has been rain, and alkai is scarcely trace.
able in any of the streams. Eighty miles
above Sully, Captain Feelinger, of the engineer
corps, was fired upon by party of three
Indians secreted in some bushes on a creek
and killed. The Indians were pursued by
company of Brackets Minnesota battalion,
overtaken, shot, scalped, beheaded and their
heads stuck upon poles near the place where the
Captain fell. 1t is said to have been done for
the purpose of striking tearor to the barbarians;
but some well disposed persons might fail to
see it in that light, and disapprove of Gen
suliy's course. AS revenge and retaliation are
the Unborn nature of the Indian, it would be
nothing surprising to see dozen or so of "pale
faces" similarly elevated and gazing at the un.
eomely features of the three heather.
Those are the only Indians that have been
seen except at the military posts, but it is ex.
pected that we will have another opportunity
of extending to them the blessings Of a chris.
tan and enlightened people. Sibley's Min.
nesota command, consisting of 1880 men, are
with us, making our force some 5000 fighting
men, consisting of cavalry, mounted infantry
and two batteries of four guns each, six noun.
tain howitsers and two twelve-pounders. Ac-
companying the Minnesota brigade are about
3oo Idaho emigrants, having an OK train of 1876
wagons, and large amount of loose stock,
who are to be escorted to the new gold regions
by portion of the command. They are most.
ly from Minnesota, but several teams from New
York and Connecticut .eg.,.
We have had no news later than the 10th of
June, and consequently know but little of what