The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-10-27
Gen. stilly's Expedition.
From the Frontier Scout

Il . L 49, s>~~ sl~~sstSA S~Vot.l =
Since Tuesday the monotony Of quiet ga,
rison life has been broken. The whistle q
the ateasner, the shouting Of men, the pass
age Of boats, the fording Of men and Of an
mails belonging 70 the North. Western Indi
An Expedition has furnished sight neve
before witnessed on these shores.
The expedition left Sioux City on u
4th Of June, travelled 4S3 miles up the Mis-
souri,. laid out and comuenced Fort Ric
and left there on the 10Th Of July. On tn
oath reached point on the Heart Rive
nearly due vest and liz miles distant fron
Fort Rice, Here fortified camp wa;
formed; the supply wagons Of the command
and the emigrant train Of $50 wagon
(Which the expedition was expected to pro
tecD were correlled. and the larger part Q
the command started on. the 9ath With tw,
days rations in haversacks and in ligh
wagons. On the 2sth in lat Al deg. 81
min.lcn l03 they cams in sight OF the matt
camp ct about 10 A. NJ. Here the Indian.
had collected al their available warriors
numbering from 1000 to 1000 lodges, in
the full confidence Of whipping the whites
Their position was chosen with great skill
and judgement On the sides Of . lofty ridge
filled with pinnacles, rayines a1i almost
impentrable thickets; IN front the ground
Was . broken, rolling prairie; in the rear ol
the ridge Eve found the next day) was .
part Of the Manvais Terres Of the Little Mis-.
souri, Gros ventres, . succession of pima.
oles, ravines, butes and mounds of almost
every conceivable size and shape, where 10
living being unacquainted with the paths
could follow one that wss. @ 9,, u
Our forces we're mostly dismounted aud
thrown forward developed Is skirmishers,
one.fourth of each dismountel company
lesding the horses Of the others. These
led horses, with the train, followed near the
centre Of the line Of b,ttle Heavy reserves
of cavalry were held on either flank, and
the baterrits with three companies of cav
airy rs support, msrchei near the certre.
These Indians who were wild and untamed.
swarued on every side on their Rset little
ponies in their gaudy ornaments and paint,
with shield and lance as well as more form
idabls weapons, dashed wildly together or
dispersed on signals from their chiefs -
But the whistle Of the long raags rife and
the fate Of many Of their number taught
them that the white man hal weapon far
superior to any he had yet sold to them.
Time sad tiqs again was the eagle. .plumed
baton of the chief waved as signal for the
then dash would be made
that was followed by an equally rapid re.
treat in which they would be severely pun
ished, having inflicted but little injury.
One large party passed around undsr cover
Of high ground and made dash on the
train in the rear. A piece of artillery uu.
der command of Lieut. Whipple and com.
pany of cavalry were instantly ordered in
motion, and the first shell! fred killed five
men and ponies, three of whom mere li:ssai.
" torn in pieces. The right flank being
bya large body ofIndians. Ma
jor Brackett was ordered to charge with his
battalion which he did in god stvle. pur-
suing them about Ii miles and dispensing
them with the loss Of two men killed. Z
wounded aud l6 horses shot; leaving ~ In.
dians dead on the ground, IL of whom
were killed by the sabre alone. Space will
not permit me 70 mention the note worth in
cidents Of the battle, but sll the troops act
ed we'll without assign of Hinch,ng. and 1t
sunset nota solitary Indian could be seen
on the field Of Tah-kah.o-kusty. 81, n5e4l
Our loss was : killed and 9 wounded
Of the Indian loss it is impossible tospeak
with confidence. as according to Indian Gus.
tom they were seen to spdanger their own
lives and throw away all they had for the
sake of carrying off the dead; bat l5o is
probably very moderate estimate of the
number killed, and to this the artillery con.
trihutsd largely. m
At o'clock the merit morning Ne wsss
up and in pursuit but were stopped BY the
Muav ais Terrs of which I haze jVst spoken.
We then returned to their camp and spent
Ehe entire dU ia destroying il. ,dns lodges
Of skins, parAesches 6lied WITH dried buaa-
10 meat, brass kettles, mess and heusshold
furniture wore piled on their own lodges snd
Destroyed BY Are; the DESTRUCTION VA only
in the 4ssaisg BY, setting flts "a
the woods xud consuming I'll in . general
sonAsgratiou. !.
We again reached our corral on Heart
River on tho sist Of July, having travelled
$50 miles. fought battle and destroyed .
large camp in six days. On the Sd Of Au.
gust We took up, our line Of march In .
north westerly direction. On. the 9Th We
reached another portion Of Aauvais Tsrres
ofthe Little Missouri. From the edge .ol
the high liable land where we asst came up.
on the Mauvais Terae the scene utterly beg.
gars description; i is only such sesne Is
can be realized ia some Wild distorted night.
mare dream; Einnaeles, pyramids and butes
ofevery possible Shape, size. description
and color from grey to bright red and from
5 to 500 feet high piled in inconceivab;e
confusion BY patsrs ip one n hsr xildes'
fhsaks,
4 seemed . though 40 Sane man would
attempta passage through. yet by dint Of
numbers and hard work we succeeded 10