Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-10-01

HEAD QrARTEN N. W. INDIAN EXPEDITION, !
Fort Union, Idaho, Aug. 18th, 1854. {

lnoian nght, aud now l propose to tell you
what We have seen and done, since leav.
ing that point. The entire command
immigrant train and all-lest Heart river
on Wednesday, August 81, and marched
two days up that stream, on which we
found good grass and water, with an abun.
dance of coal, in beds from two to eight
feet thick; and on the fifth crossed the
dividing ridge between Heart and the Lit.
tie Missouri Grovant. Reached the high
table lands at head of the most easterly
branch Of the latter stream, where we
camp at 4 o'clock p. NJ, and came in
sight of the most awfully grand spectacle
ever witnessed by me. Looking down
from our elevated position, we saw on an
extensive country, as far as the eye could
reach, countless pihnicles Of all conceiv-
able shapes and sizes crowded together in
so compact form that 70 pass with our
army and it's supply train, with tina. ever
lasting incubus-the emigrant train of ov.
er $50 wagons, With families-seemed to
all who looked at it, an utter impossibility.
But Little Black Foot, an Indian guide,
and the only person in the entire com.
Inand who had ever been through the
country, said he could find path over
which we could work road-and General
Sully having good reason for believing
him, from his good and safe conduct so
far, orders US forward the next morning.
and down among those heaps of lava,
without: particle Of Vegetation. But
scattered everywhere were forests of large
petr'hed trees, and stumps of trees from
four to eighteen feet in diameter, with
those high pinnicles covered oil over with
specimens of volcanic action glis,ening in
the hot sun. Over deep chasms which
We are obliged to bridge o. fill up. we toll
for fifteen hours, when we reach the river,
having marched twelve miles, only five
however, in direct line. This next morn-
ing looking across the river, we behold
what seems to Us, an impossible perpen-
dicular wall Of several hundred feet high.
But as before, our guide says we will get
through. He takes US up the river, cross.
ing it three times in as many miles, when
the command halts, while detail of four
companies, under Lieut.. Col Pattee, guild.
ed by Little Black Foot, undertakes to
work passage out. They return at sun.
down, having made three miles-and the
next morning all march in one column,
following the dry bed Of creek between
high perpendicular walls, for about two
miles, with dismounted Aankers and ad.
vance guard, clam5ering over high cliffs
and through deep gorges, when the al.
vance is attacked by an immense number
Ct Indians concealed behind formidable
breastworks, and are driven back With
several wounded, and among the number
is our (st presently most valuable guide,
Little Black Foot, who is shot through
bis right shoulder, making troublesome,
but not dangerous wound.
With great labor the General succeeds
in getting forward over this ground few
pieces of artillery and reinforcemen;s,
when We disIodge the Indians and advance
again, fighting, climbing up high cliffs,
sliding down sleeps and crawling over
chasms for three awfully no. days and
nights, the Indians on Gil yfdss of US
doing all in their power to harrass US, yet
at the saue time keeping out of range of
our rifles, so that the greatest execution
was done with our artillery. Every officer
and man did well and all they could. We
finally reach the open plain, and came
upon the site of their late camp which was
situated upon beautiful creek and extern
ded three or four miles along it, and at
!eas. one mile in width, which verified the
Indian statement that they were in sutfi.
Gent numbers to annihiate our little
army, which no doubt they could have
done, had they the courage to take adyAn.
tage of our em5arrassea situation while
passing through the country just dsscrib.
ed. We lost none killed, but several were
wounded, and several horses were killed.
Of the Indians, we killed at least one
hundred and fifty, besides quite large
number Of Of their ponies.
From this point the country presents
more pleasing appearance. Yet no grass
is found. We reach the Yellow Stone
river on the l2tb, without further incident,
findind coal in great abundance on all the
s,resms-having marched AS miles since
leaving Fort Rice, and for several days
past without. grass or grain for animals,
and only one half ra.ions for the men-so
you can judge that we we're very much
exhausted. But while some Of our men
were bathing in the river they discovered
fresh chip, which the Indians said was
made by white mans axe, which indi.