The Goodhue volunteer., 1864-02-17
COMMUNiCAJED. .
PEMD1NA, D. T. Jan. 10Th 1864.

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thought would sit down and write you a
few lines, deeming that word from this re-
mote region of the world would be Of some
interest to you. Well, here we are at lastt,
l suppose settled for the winter, but the Ma,
jor claims that we are still in the field.
40 not know what being in winter is, il
when q Command has orders to build log
huts and more into them, is not. Imme-
idiateiy aftsf oas rsssai herr We were. Or.
dered to put up quarteas, and still the Ma
jor claims that we are in the field, We
have at last got them up, and you can bot
we are all glad oft. We have had hard
job oft, haAing to draw our logs and
miles, with teams that were hardly able to
drag themselves along. Our miniature fort
covers space Of ground over 234 feet square
built Of logs. We had very severe time
in getting here. We started from St. An.
thony with about 500 horses, 60 or 20
: mules and long train of OK teams. Our
stock was compelled to go on half rations OF
grain and hay from St. Anthony to George
town, and from there to Pembina, dis.
tance Of lGO miles they received none. We
would turn them out, cut down trees and
bronse thers every night as the only resort
to keep them alive. But this failed, and
our herses and mules were strcwn all along
the road. We had on our arrival here but
2oO horses, and like diminuaton of the
rest OF our stock. We were compeliad to
march on foot from Georgetown through
snow and incLes deep. We have now
fifty horses left:
When started for Pembina I expected
we were going to quite smart place, that is
a village of some two or three hundred in =
habitants, having heard, for years, a great
deal said about i5. You cau imigare our
surprise, when VIC arrived there, to find on
ly three houses, one Of them occupied by
Mr. l'emoy, U. S. Custom House officer,
one occupied as store and another by Cant.
Donaldson. When we got whiting few
rods OF Pembina, We were ordered 10 halt
and preparations made for a grand entrance.
When VIC were ordered forward, kept on
the lookout, anl never knew that we had ar
iIiv4a at our place Of destination until told
So
Pembina in Dakota is situated on the
west bank Of the R'd River and at the
mouth Of the pembina river. 1t is abou,
thirty miles from st. Jo., at the foot of the
penbIna mountains. and seventy-fiye miles
from For, Glra!, in the Selkirk settlement,
L. Is nued as a place of entrance, and an old
trading post. The Hudson BAY Co.'S, old
fort is about one and half miles down the
Red river, where you can invest green banks
at 80 per cent discount.
The Inhabitants, who are sparcely settled
about here, arc mostly French and Half |
breeds, but there are few Of all nations
mixed up with them. They seem to be
very steady and Industrious We have
lot Of them at work on the quartermaster
and hospital buildings, and find them very
handy IN buidins log buildings. They are
strict adherents to the Roman Catholic faith
and you can see their little chapel standing
out alone on the prairie, where they acsera-
bic every Sunday. 1t is beyond possibili. |
ty 10 get them to labor on the Sabbath
They are very clanish and effectionate. to
each other, and sometimes live three or four
families in house. We are told that If
man marries one of them. he can count onl
thousand relations who will call on him
so ottea that it is impossible for man toI
lay up a cent. Stone is very scarce in this
country, in fact we have not seen a pieco
large enough to kill a Bird. They have
kind Of clay that is very usefu. for building
purposes. It is as good as lime mortar for
p'asteriEg. and they build FIRE places and
chimneys with nothing else. They have a
big time during the holy days, singing and
dancing. But New Years is the day. 1t
is the custom to visit every one on tha: day
and when man goes into house the wo.
men and girls walk up and kiss him--be
must return it. They live By hunting and
farming VERY little ofthe latter) in the sum,
mer, ard trapping and trading in the win
ter, They live mostly on Buffalo aid elk
meat which they capture on the plains west
of here. It is p'ocur.d in the summer and
dried for winter. #
| The climate il cold, dry and unchanged.
bile, which makes it ssry healthy. We
have had bat one AL Of snow, and we still
have excellent sIeishing. IL. ..I q
! We have had but two expenditures since
swe arrived here. Shortly afteT orr Arrival
there Major Hatch 'esrnd that there was :
ismaII encsupmsnt Of Sioux at st. DO. He
'immedi.sely called for vo.unseeD to go Ard
,Icsp,ure them He received about one hum
.Idred velunteers. and with the Bastsry stas
lied II shout si1 z. H. for said caup- When