The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1864-11-25
FlSK,S EXPEDITION.
Official Report Of Col. Dill. Com
mander of the Party sent
to it's Relief.


CAPTAIN: / have the honor to report
for the information of the General COM
manding, that in pursuance to instructions
from Headquarters Northwestern Indian
Expedition, dated Sept. 10, 1854, left
this post Oh the morning Of the / 1th of
September, with 6 command of eight
hundred and fifty men, viz: FIVE hundred
and fifty infantry, three hundred cavalry,
and one section of artillery, and followed
the trail of the Northwestern Indian Ex-
pedition for five days. / then bore to the
left going a very little south of west, on
the trail of the emigrants, (seeing but two
or three small parties of Indians), until the
tenth day out from this post, when we
reached the corral of the Emigrant train,
after marching a distance of one hundred
and eighty miles.
They had fortified themselves, and were
in a condition to resist any attack made
by the Indians The emigrants stated
that the Indians had left some days previ-
ous to my arrival at the corral, evidently
satisfied that they could not take it, and
that no Indisns had been seen since they
first lefo.
think there is no doubt but that the
Indians moved forward into the bad lands,
(Which were close by), thinking perhaps
the train would commence to move when
they disappeared, when they undoubtedly
would have captured the whole train, as
hor Id <ho
short enopgh to have protected it with the
force they had.
Capt. Fisk told me he had been trying
to get the emigrants, for some days to
break the corral, and move forward, but
he could not get them to do it. The emf
grants told me they never intended to
move one mile forward without strong
escort. They appeared to be fully aware
of the danger Of gcing forward into the
bad lands. l think Capt. Fisk deserves
censure, at least, for trying to urge the
emigrants forward under the circumstan-
ces, and knowing as much as he should OF
the Indian character.
Informed Capt Fisk and the eInigrants
that | had come to relieve them, and es-
cort such as wished to go back to Fort
Rice, to that point.
Capt. Fisk requested me to send two
companies of cavalry to escort him and
the train for three or four days, which he
claimed would put him beyond danger,
when, as he stated, he could 60 through
without an escort l, Of course, refused
to grant any such a request, knowing the
folly and madness of such a move as that
] informed the emigraHts that my cCln-
mand would march at nine o'clock the
next morning for Fort Rice, on it's return,
and any that wished the protection of the
command could have it by being ready at
that time.
Capt. Fisk made another and last eff
fort to get the einigrants to 20 forward
with him without an escort, calling on
them to divide and show by that their de-
cision in the case: at the same time fault
ing them for what he termed backing out
They divided, and about twenty decided to
go On with Capt Fisk, the rest to 20 back
with me, saying they would never 60 for
ward without heavy escort
Fisk declared his determination to 20
forward with the twenty men, and even
less, but after sleeping on the matter, and
finding in the morning that a number of
and were going back with my command,
he concluded to return with them. left
the corral at O'Clock on the 2lst of Sep
tember, with the whole train, arriving at
this post on the afternoon of the sOth,
without meeting With any Indians, and
seeing but one or two small parties
| crossed q number of trails of small
parties, and one OF large party appar-
emily going south towards tho Black Hills.
also saw fresh tracks and evidences of
small parties on the Cannon Ball River on
my return, but saw but one small party of
six or seven Indians on the river
The losses in the command were one
man and fifteen horses and few oxen.
The man obtained liquor from some of
the emgrants and became intoxicated the
morning We left the carol, and is supposed
to have lain down and been left behind.
He belonged to the Eighth Minnesota
Volunteers. On the sixth morning out
from this post, at your fifth camp a small
party Of Indians charged through the
picket lines just at the break of day, and
stampeded about thirty horses and sue
ceeded in getting fifteen. We were COM
PEELED to leave about fifteen or sixteen
oxen, they being completely worn ont.
As before stated arrived at this place
on the afternoon of the 3Oth and the fol-
lowing day ordered the troops of the COM
Inand to their several destinations as d.
rected by you, viz: the detachment Of
the Second Minnesota Cavalry to Mime
sofa via Fort Wadsworth, escorting such
of the emigrants as went that way, and
the detachments, Brackett's Battalion,
Sixth Iowa and section of artillery to
Fort Randall and Sioux City, escorting
government train of wagons and those
of the emigrants train going that way,
which was the larger majority of the emf
grants. But few vent across to Mime
sofa. The detachments of the Eighth
Minnesota and the Seventh Iowa Cavalry
ordered to report to Lieut. COL Pattee,
who took boats and left the evening of the
1st inst. for Sioux City.
l am, Captain, very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
~ w DANIEL j. DILL,
Col. 30th Wisconsin Infantry, Commanding
Expedition.