The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-08-14
THE INDIAN WAR.

Our Dakota Territory Corrsspondence.
KETTLE LAxEs, CorxAu DEs PRAlRIEs D.
July 26, 1884 !
Northern Overland Expedition Kontano for Protection
of EmiUants cc
BY scout returning TO Fcgt Ridgey. Mnn.. am able
70 send you few hurried nnes, giving the progress Of
the above expedition TO this place.
We left Fort Ridgey on the 18th Of July. having IN
charge three hundred and eighty emigrants-two hun
dred and eighty and about hundred women and
children. We hear that between three hundred and
four hundred more emsran waiting for near the
Missouri.
The following are the officers OF the expedition
Can't J. L. Fish assistant quartermaeter, commanding.
Lieut. s H. Johnston first assistant and journalist
Mr. +. y. Mitchell officer OF the guard.
Dr. W. D. Dibb, physician
Mr.. W. Fills smith, engineer.
Mr.. A. Cbemidein, commissary.
Mr.. Van II Fisk, train master.
Mr.. G. W. Marsh, assistant tram master.
The guard consists OF forty men. we'll mounted and
armed.
Company I, Second regiment Minuesots cavalry, also
accompanies 70 the Missouri river 10 protect the train
and scout the country From the Missouri river to the
mouth OF tho Big Horn, tina Yellowstone river -four
escort to the expedtin Our train consisted A. start
log hundred emisrant wagons. fifteen vernmen,
wagons and twelve FOUNDER mountain howi,zer
soon after leaving Fort Rdgely met with traces n
tho Sioux OF 1902 The scene was most mean
ctoiy; deserted aud pundered houses, manv OF them
burned broken fences arms fast relansng into prairie
not human being TO be who're once were Hour
ishing settlements
Near our nrst evening camp was farmhouse, where
the entire family Of Ave persons had bssn murdered BY
Sioux and their maugled bodies cst INTO tho we'll
At the Redwood or Lower Sioux agency all the build.
burned, nothing but the walls rcma ming The
schcohorse and pretty little Gothic church, erecsd for
these Indians were DESTROYED.
The story OF the has been requcnty
Told th,t u Ia utterly unnecessary 10 repea u nere sui
fee " that MAJOR ,aibrnh the Indian Agent AZ
the above sgeucy OF the largest MINDED pob ct and
honorable that lived and who had becn
truly kind and iath nj to the SIOUX one OF the rs
attacked By them, aud received several wounds. The
evidence of the treschery and inarattude OF tne
character II that they murdered those who bad been
their best friends.
The government provided schools and churches bwi
and furnished bouses enclosed and broke up land
bought seed aud farming mlemenss, gave tho lndian'
clothing money N iacs did every hing TO them
into civilized habits with as little trouble 10 themselves
as possbic and TO make them prosperous and happy
Their all this kindness Is seen In the horrbl,
mutatrd and abused bodies Of the mothers and daush
ters the crushed heads OF tho little nnocenls
fouliy slaughtered by these heuds.
We pssseA the old battle ground OF Wood Lake and I'M
Yellow Medicine Agency. Here again churcn, schoo
aud good brick farmbouses u The annuity Indians wer
destroyed The agency n situated . lofty teninsu
overlooking the valley Of the Minnesota and Yellow aed
cre rno valley Of the Minnesota Ia we'll woodct
throughout. possesses rich sol, and every iniuse
rncnt for snisrrs, ioubtess beIorc many years wi
all bs eet ed Big stone lake. the source Of the Mime
so.a GDe sheet az water about dfty miles ~ length
with = brssdth " from two TO four mixes. N deep
with good shores we'll tmbered. 1he soil In The botom
" ar exceedingly rch black loan.
Quo OF our party, wolfe vsewing tho lake sp is sur
! resadDss, exclaimed, ~ ihY coSla ony Ga ns