The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-29

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Correspondence Of the Pioneer.
INDIAN EXPEDITION.
CAMP No. l8, July /, 1864 {
The commands of Gen Sully and Colonel
Thomas met yesterday afternoon on the outlet
of Swan Lake, four or five miles from the Mis-
souri, river. 1t was to US of Minnesota hap
py meeting for our dinner basket was well nigh
empty, and already there was strong talk in
camp of coming down to half rations, calam-
ity which soldier breads more than battles or
bullets. However, good fortune has attended
us ever since we sta, ted and our march from
Ridgely here will compare favorably with any
| fund in the history of wars. For an expedi-
ton of over sixteen hundred men to march
three hundred miles through an almost I'M
known country, and an enemy's country at
that. with nothing but grass for the animals,
and do it in twenty -four days, without losing
man or beast, deserves to be set down as ex-
traordinary. The general feeling throughout
the whole command is, that we had a good
time, because wood, water and grass were found
sufficient for all our wants. After coming into
camp the evenings were enlivened by the stir.
ring strains of two brass bands. Our Chaplain
has regularly, about sundowE, hung out his
| white flag in some conspicuous place as an in
dcation that those who felt like thanking or
| praying to Him who ruleth ala things, could
| have an opportunity of doing SO Our health
has been most splendid and but two or three
cases deserve mentioning. Lieut. G. Fisk,
| Quartermaster of The 9Th Regiment. who
ko, no fhu
pretty severely, but is now doing we'll it Is
now ten or fifteen days sinre he was tai en- and,
| as yet, there is not anO;he case. Melvin FOss
and Orville Straight. both Of Co. II. I'd Caval-
ry, are now quite sick in hospital; the former
| with typhoid fever, the latter with inflamma.
| tim Of the bowels
| Our tine will not permit US. even if we de-
sired, to give minute description of the coun-
| try through which we passed suffice 1t to say,
that the coil generally is good, and in ordinary
seasons there must he grass and water in abund-
| ance; but for TWO hundred miles we saw no.
thing worthy the name of timber,-and what's
| o county good for without wood or q good
substitute? Where the land is level at all, it is
too much so; and where rolling it is too billy
| to make it agreeable farming.
| The cOteaus or high prairies laying between
the Minnesota and James Rivers. and between
the latter and the NJ ssouri are very broken
and stony; and if those interested in the well
railroad across them, they will find it big job,
and have 10 bring Their ties long distance.
Although we raw sig-s of L dams oil along
the route and picked up pieces of blankets, In
| dian bows and arrows, war clubs &c, besides
seeing many Of their camping places, we were
n u fortunate enough to get our eyes on real
| live. hostile sioux. and night before last when
number of Sully's scouts anne i1tO our camp,
was the first positive information we obtained
of their beine in our immediate vicinity.
On arriving at our present camp we heard
the unwelcome news that Capt. Fields of the
LIST U. $. regular cavalry, who was sent out
| with Sully as top )graphical engineer, had
been killed the day before, under the following
circumstances: He with several scouts. had
gOue short distance ahead, and were just rid
ing up 10 clump Of trees to dismOunt and
walt Tor the command 20 come up, when three
Indians rose out of the grass, just across q
small ravine near by. and fired at them. shoot
ing the cap ain through the breast aud killing
him almost instantly. The scouts and Others
immediately pursued the scOundrels, ard after
chase OF about eight miles, killed all three,
Kidding them with fullets, cutting off their
heads and sticking them on stakes at the very
spot where they killed Captain Fields
His body is to be sent below to his
tr ends, On the same boat we believe
which carries out this letter. 1t is evident
ON all the infOi M uiOn on the subject that the
Indians intend to fight US and Gen. Snlly ex-
| poets to NEE them somewhere Oh the west
side Of the Missouri
We are to leave here on the 4th instant for
the loot of Long Lake, which lie five DAYS
march north of here and about thirty miles
south OF where Gen. Sb!ey fought the Indians
lst Year. At this point part of the Thirtieth
Wisconsin Infantry are to be left to build a
fort aud garrison it, the balance to 90 On, use
pack mules for transportation and pursue the
enemy TO his uttermo>t retreat, whereve: that
| lNn A Es,l ri oI loh<
| expedition whic. came across with US is to be
| LETT to take care of themselves. and whether
| they will advance. or retreat down the MssOu-
| ri, seems TO be with them an unsettled ques-
ton. -H
There is little bov along with Co. of the
"a Cavalry, the adventures of whom are
worth relating. He is between seven and eight
wears old his name Is William Henry Hines,
aud he came from La Crosse in the following
curious manner: Last spring the company he
is with We're sent to La Crosse to bring up
b 'rses; while there this boy made the acquain-
lance of some of the men. and when they
left he rec eted himself in the boat and came
| to Fort Snt Hing with them and staid With the
| company till they were ordered away when
like any other pec, public property he was
tu,n. Il over 10 other hands; but Willie did not
like. his new masters aud again hid himself in .
wagon going to Fort kidgely, and the boys
were much surprised 20 see him turn up among
them again al Fort Ridgely, but could not have
the heart 10 turn him away again, so they re-
modelled suit of clothes for him-wash,
ed HIM up aud adopted him as their COM
any boy and brought him along with the eX-
pedliun. He is remarkably good boy for one
il his situaliOn and gives as bis reasons for
leaving LONE that his father was killed 9
ye,r or two ago by Indians on his way 10 Fra
Ter river Hi, mother married again, and now
mother aud sttp-father both get drunk and
abuse HIM. What warning 10 parents -
There Is a fair stage OF water In the Missouri
river and steamboats, are expected to cary
much OF The transportation as far ~ opposite
Long Lake. u tt.4a ..ar ., t4r.s1I, b,a
A REPUBLICAN, OPINION OF SIaEL-The
New York Times, edited BY the chairman of