Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-01-16
Letter from Capt. Meacham.
Interesting Particulars concerning the
Indians in Dacotah Territory.

We make the following extracts from LIT
ter from Capt. MEAcHAM. Co. X, 30th, TO his
father in this city. After describing the ter
rible snow storm about the last of October
and speaking of the subsequent fine weather,
he says:
This fine weather is extremely fortunate for
us All OF our Quartermaster and Counts
sarv stores are draw from Sioux CITY. which
is $50 miles from here. The cost Of trans-
poriation from Sioux City to Fort Sully is
81 per hundred. Everything is transported
Nv citizen trains. Oxen are used altogether :;
horse or mule teams could not make the trip
Is is astonishing how much cattle will endure.
The. have 10 hay, and there is no grass
They are fed sulv small amount of corn.
vet they make the trip and look better than
most cattle that are used by the farmers III
Wisconsin. The Minnesota train came in on
the 2d-l50 wagons III the train. Mondi Y,
the 7th inst, Col. Thompson enrolled the
WnuebagO Iudlaus, preparatory To making
tie payment. There were ,365 here. The
balance of them in the vicinity OF Fort
Randall. They have been getting one pound
OF flour aud three pounds of meat head Ter
week and of course many of the m have died
by starvation. Their condition has been mis-
cradle eueu. n. There was large amount Of
Condemned meat at Randall, which they have
been giving tC the Indians. There must be
at Randall seven or eight hundred of the
WnncbagOs. There was IN all, when thew
left Minnesota 2.400. and | suppose some 800
have died since they We're landed here -
/ Tu, sday the Goods payment WAS made, and
o-day the Money payment is being made.
which is in gold aud silver. There are, or at
least TIA re were when they left Minnesota,
! lGD [in-v Il cuuau.e aud Chi .lrar, bs,f ~
bucks Their husbands and brothers are in
prison q: Davenport. The Sioux have not
been enrolled, amt do not know how many
there are here now. They receive no Money
payment, bui there is a Goods payment 20 be
niadc Ia them wlen their goods arrive. They
are coming By the way Of Sioux Cly. Iwil
give you list 81 the Indians in this section
of the county. and their locality. / will
commence win tile Ya'ctons, which are loca-
ted near Fort randall. Dacotah Territory =
They are friendly. Number OF lodges, $50,
giving them Il ndmber OF 2.400 souls.
Oncssassas, friendly. Number Of lodges,
-.
Santecs. hostile. Number of lodges, 500
Yanctuuais, hostile. Number OF lodges,
500.
Seveuty-Gye LODGES of these Indians are
friendly. III, three bands last mentioned are
on the y est side OF the Missouri river.
Sans Ares, hostile. 200 lodges. Sioux; be-
tween Missouri and Platte Rivers.
Brulcs, hostile. 100 lodges; same locality
as the Sans Ares
MiGreconssons, divided part friendly and
part friendly. 500 lodges West Missouri
River.
Tive Kettles. friendly. 1875 lodges near
Fort Pierre.
Ogolalas friendly. 400 lodges on Platte
River.
Grosventres, friendly. 400 lodges above
the y ellow Stone River.
Black Feet. friendly. 200 lodges West
Missouri River
Arricaraws 200 lodges near Fort Berthold.
Mandairs. friendly. 80 lodges; location
same a \ rr,oara VS.
Black Feet proper. hostile 2,5OO lodges in
the uneXplOrcI region near the rocky Noun
tains.
Crows, hostile. 400 lodges on the Yellow
Stone River.
The above bands are all Sioux.
Thee were Il largo party OF the Yanctons.
I25 lodges. passeA By here. on their gay to
F,rt Suily They are on hunting expedi-
ton, and expect 10 be out until next spring.
Buffalo are plenty about 10 miles from here
The lanctOns stopped here part of enc day,
and five or six Chefs wanted II pass to cone
inside the stockade and talk with me-
wrote pass and they called on me. They
were big inins TO look addressed up in the
most fantastic manner imaginable. | asked
them where they were going. what was their
object in going above, how long they intend
ed to remain. de- They said they were
friendly 10 the whites they were goirg 10
Sully and thar to the Cheyessue. and perhaps
above they were going ON buffalo hunt f;
a thew had "A children that Gen. Sully
took prisoners, which they were to exchange
for white prisoners, If the Indians had any
if not. they were To give them to their friends.
I hey then told me they had but little TO eat,
and gave me the strongest kind of hint to
show my generosity. by feeding them Lbs rail-
ly-which hint | did not take. They were
the clsanest, best looking. and best dressed
indians nave seen. ! allow no Indians to
come inside the stockade without pass
We have had no deaths since we left Wis
consn. We have at present six men sick !;
none of them dangerous.