The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-18
THE FISK EXPEDITION.
Return OF Capt. Fisk... Failure OF the
Expedition...Twelv Men Killed
by the Indians.
Incidents Of the Journey, etc.

Capt. JAMES L. Fisk, commander of the
Government expedition to Montana, to
protect emigrants to that region, arrived
homo on Friday night.
The expedition, as is well known, was
organized here last spring under command
of Capt. FISK, and consisted of party of
emigrants, guard of soldiers, and corps
OF men to take care of the Government
property, drive teams, &c. The train
consisted of about 100 wagons.
The expedition reached Fort Ridgely
safely, and were here furnished with a
guard Of fifty cavalrymen, under Lieut..
PHILLIPS. They then went to Fort Rice
via Fort Wadsworth, and after a weeks
delay in ferrying across the Missouri, ar
rived there on August 18th.
Their guard from this post was de-
tachment of fifty cavalry under Lieut..
SMITH-convalescents drawn from various
regiments. They left Fort Rice on Au-
gust 21st, and journeyed up the Cannon
Ball River to the last crossing made by
Gen. SULLy, whence they struck in south
westerly direction over a fins country to
the Red Buttes, some eighty miles distant.
While passing through the Red Buttes
they first saw hostile Indians, the Unkpa-
pa Sioux. Mr.. Noudick of st. Anthony,
an emigrant, was killed while looking for
lost OK. The Indians then followed the
train for three days, their number appar-
emily increasing every day, three hundred
being counted at the last. 1t was con-
tinual running slzirmish. There were only
1913 armed men in the train. 1t required
about 100 of these to drive the train. The
train was arranged in five parallel columns,
forming square, and the guard formed
line of defence about it. Whenever knot
of Indians were seen together, they were
shelled with howitzer, and scattered, and
if charge seemed threatened on any por-
ton of the line, the guard at that point
was strengthened.
On the second day some of the emf
grants poisoned two or three boxes of
bread with strychnine, and lost them ap-
parently on the way. They were soon
afterwards gobbled by the Sioux, and as
was subsequently ascertained, 100 men,
women and children killed by this strate-
gem.
On the third day of this running fight,
Captain Fisk found a very fine naturally
fortified position, and constructed an en-
trenched camp, where he remained for ten
days, until relief came from Fort Rice, for
which he dispatched a messenger at once
The indians only remained three days
after encamping here. Before they left,
they made overtures for peace through an
interpreter, and by means of letters writ
ten by white female captive, named Mrs.
Kelly. They offered to sell this woman
for an czorbitant price, but as Capt. Fisk
had not the means to comply with their
demand, the negotiations fell through, and
the Indians left.
In these skirmishes twelve men were
killed and two wounded. Eight of these
were soldiers, three guards and one emf
grant before mentioned. The names of the
guard are as follows:
jeff. Diltz signal scout, residence, Anoka
Walter Fewer, st. Anthony.
Walter Greaves, White Bear Lake.
1t is estimated that over q hundred In
dians were killed, not reckoning those
killed by poison.
After the Indians had decsmped, Capt.
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 Gen. SULLY under
command of Col. Dill, with instructions
to bring back the emigrants and guard to
Fort Rice. Capt. FISK begged for an
escort of 200 men for two days, which was
denied him, and lie was therefore COM
PEELED to give up the Expedition snd re,
turn to Fort Rice
On arriving at Fort Rice, most of the
emigrants sold their outfits and separated
in various directions. Captain Fisk stored
his Government property, and left Lieut..
Johnson and his waeon-master in charge
of it.
We have thus briefly sketched the lead
ing events of the Expedition. Its failure
was no fault Of the Commander, certainly,
as he was anxious to proceed, and with
small guard would have got through safe
ly, doubtless, as he was only 100 miles
from his destination, the mouth of the
Big Horn River.
The health of the Expedition was good,
and they were successful in finding good
wagon-road all the way.
SERGEANT ARCHIRAID MoCnRKIR of