The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-08-12
MISREPRESENTATION.
.sVl----' --Tr- 'r--7SD
Col. ! Thomas Command 'llall q
FOsrt1 Of Jaiy II Camp-Pscgrsss Of tie Kndiau
o Expedition - Fort Rice - De0A Of Crptin
Clark - Fut.re Mouensents- Good HeolM -
N;s,ino Hen, s7w Unt5T m 70 81 4 .,s7u

NORrHwEsrERN INDIAN EXPEDITION,
r...3 a.-- ,-fe ICAAp No. "a FORr RICE,
......r IA, -. July A, 1854.
II she Edaor a. tne Pioneer: '@,9,-iio i.o'i . I
The Fourth Of July is . great, glorious day,
. day long TO be remembered as the beginning
or advent Of one Of the mighriest nations; .
day made doubly dear to every loyal hearted
American, because On 1t our armies have been
crowned with their most brilliant victories.
And Why should It not be propitious point
from which to start . letter, and, like the rear
guard TO our train, bring up all the struggling
Information about the great Northwestern III
dian Expedition (as it has been lately named)
to the present date. <oi'l'i"4il blot
Let me say then to our dear friends 1t home.
that during the day Of the Fourth" while
they were enjoying orations, reading declara-
lions, going to picnics, and having the social
ovations incident to it In land of civilization,
we Of the Indian hunters we're marching with
proud step over the almost barren plains,
filled With kind of undefnable pride at the
thought that we were permitted to forego the
pleasures ofa Fourth, and instead have the
honor of marching in pursuit Of the savsge
foe that not long since spread desolation and
horror in the midst of peace and appa.
rent security. Our minds wandered out
into the distant future and side by. side
with the heroes Of Gettysburg, vicksburg and
other places, we saw our names inscribed as
the obliterators Of the last vestage of the Souix
race. However, . days journey and the labor
incident to camping brought US down peg
or two, and at shutdown we didn't think we
were doing such great things after all. Yet in
the evening we did have little real Fourth
OF July, :" speechifying, hurrahing and disturb
Ing the camp generally, which some up in this
part Of the world call q display of patriotism.
The Expedition was Ave days in making the
march from Camp No. 10, on the outlet Of
Swan Lake, to Camp No. %, on the banks Of
the Missouri, near Long Lake, where We ar
rived on the 9th, and have been three days
crossing the river; and the Idaho and part of
the c. 8, y 9. n. trains are not over yet. The
boats which brought up our supplies have
been used a. ferry boats. and three running at
time. still II Is slow work crossing such large
number OF wagons, animals, men and all the
other luggage connected with such An Expedi-
ton.
The river here is near half mile wide. The
current Is actually fearful. and. If We were GO
Ing to describe 1t We should call it an immense
torrent composed of . huge amount of mud
and sorss Uatsr- You viii perceive our let
ter is headed "Fort Rice" This, at
present. y only . fort in name, writ
ten on . board and nailed to an oak tree
near where the fertilization is to be. General
Sully camped upon the 7th inst, selected the
ate and named it Rice. In honor of Maj. Gen.
Rice, killed at Spottsylvauis: it is located on
the west side Of the Missouri, about two thou
sand miles from its mouth and about forty
miles below where the Indians crossed when
pursued by Gen. Sibley last year. Hardly had
the gro1nds been selected till that spot which
l. always near the abode of any number of the
human family received its first occupant. Al
most the first labor performed at the new made
post was that required for the burial of the
dead. On the morning Of the 9TH Capt. Chas.
Clark died on board one of the boats. He had
been spending the past six months in Mime
apolis for the benefit Of his health and came
out with the expedition for the same purpose,
On arriving at Swan Lake he felt that the trip
had been rather severe on him and concluded
to come up on q boat to this place and then
return home; but consumption Is treach-
erous disease and 1t took him off unexpectedly
to himself, If not to his friends. The
burial solemnities we're performed by the Free
Maeons OF the Expedition, of which body he
was member, there was also young Indian
buried the same day. somewhere near, which
belonged to some Of those connected with the
scouts.
Speaking of supplies.o on the banks of the RI
yer here you can see such pile of Commissa-
~, Quartermaster and Medical stores, as would
astonish any man not used to seeing what it
taSes to keep up an army, There is great
quantity of this marked Devils Lake, but we
hardly expect it will get there this year.
"Well," say you, "what is going to be done
and do you expect to meet any Indians ?" Be
low we give synopsis of an order issued by
General Sully. last evening, and after you have
read it you will know as rluch about the fu-
ture of this command as auy one I can find
here. General Orders, No 81 say we are to
move west in a few days, on our way to Idaho,
with hopes of meeting hostile Indian, about