Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-11-26
CD o
THaEG EHASHa klNEoEissHVHNN.

The Fish expedition returned to st Paul
on Friday night, 18th inst. 1t was organ
lied at st. Paul last spring, and consisted
of cmigrants, a guard of soldiers, and a corps
of men to take care Of the Government pro-
perty, drive teams, &c. The train consisted
OF about one hundred wagons. The expe-
dtion reached Fort Ridgely safely, and were
here furnished with guard OF fifty cavalry
men, under Lieutenant Phillips. They then
went to Fort Rice via Fort Wadsworth, and
after a weeks delay in ferrying across the
Missouri, arrived there on August 18th.
Their guard from this post was a detGch-
ment OF fifty cavalry under Lieut.. smith
cUava.escents drawn from different regi-
uenJs. They left Fort Rice on August 2lst,
and iJurneycd up the Cannon Ball river to
the last crossing made by General Sully,
whence they struck in south-westerly Gi.
rccton over a fine country to the Red But
ties, some eighty miles distant. While pas
sing through the Red Buttes they first saw
hostile Indians, the Unkpapa Sioux. Mr..
Nendick, Of st. Anthony, an emigrant, was
killed while looking for lost OK. The In
dians then followed the train for three days,
their number apparently increasing every
day, three hundred being counted at the
last. 1t was Il continual running skirmish.
There were only l6S armed men in the train.
1t required about 100 of these 10 drive the
train. The train was arranged in five par
allel columns, forming square, and the
guard formed n line of defence obout it.
Whenever Il knot of indians were seen to-
gethcr they were shcilcd with a howitzer,
and scattered, and if charge seemed
threatened on any portion of the line the
guard at that point was strengthened.
On the second day the Indians were about
three hundred stronger, while Fish had only
seventy five available men, and harassed his
camp on one side with II strong party, while
/ they enGeavored to break through his line
on the other. They were repulsed with the
/ i3ss OF number of braves, and finally
! gathered together on an eminence, and sent
a flag of truce, asking a council with Cap
tain FISK. This was refused, after which
they demanded large quantity of supplies,
ammunition, beef cattle, and iron Cor arrow
heads, upon the reception of which they
modestly agreed to raise the siege.
The next communication was n letter
written by a white woman, Mrs, Fannie
Kelley, who they held captive The head
men dictated wha. she was to write hnt ot
thee Of each sentence she appealed for
| aid to secure her release The Indians he.
ing unable TO read she was in this broken
way enabled to inform the Captain that she
was captured on the 10th Of July, near Fort
Laramie, with a large emigrant train. The
truce ground was maintained for two days
, in order to secure her release. CAPTAIN Fisk
/ offered them his saddle horse and span of
I horses harnessed to a wagon loaded with
( provisions, if they would surrender her. and
, they agreed to do so the next day but du-
ring tne night they moved their camp, and
sent word they would carry her to some
! fort and got provisions enough for the win.
: ter. She wrote Captain Fisk that he had
| killed large number with bullets, and that
/ Others were very sick and dying. The sick
ness was readily explained, as quantity OF
hard tack with little strychnine mixed in,
I had been left where the Indians could cap.
| ture it and their indisposition followed. IL
was subsequently ascertained that one hun.
/ dred men, women, and children were killed
! by this stratagem.
On the third day Of this running fight,
/ Capt. Fisk founo very fine naturally-forti-
T ned position, and constructed an entrenched
camp, where he remained for ten days, until
relief came from Fort Rice, for which ,he
despatched messenger at once. The In
dlans only remained three days after encam-
! ping mere. Alter the Indians had decamped
! captain Fisk made preparations to proceed.
They were near the Little Missouri, over
which they constructed a road and ferry.
and had gone ten miles when overtaken by
600 troops sent out by General Sully, under
command of Colonel Dill, with instructions
70 bring back the emigrants and guard TO
Fort Rice. Capt. Fiske begged for an es.
cort of 200 men for two days, which was
deried him, and he was, therefore, compel.
led to give up the expedition and return TO
Fort klce. The emiprantg Teturned N.i.b
MN, sold their outfi's, and peTsrstei,