, 1866-06-22
ExoIrrNa RUMoR.-A gentleman Just

EXCITING RUMoR.-A gentleman just
down from Colville, brings a report that the
Indians had attacked Fort Benton aud cap
tured the town. Further, that there had
been general massacre of the immigrants,
large Numbers of whom had just arrived
from St. Louis by steamers. The r1nor is
said to have been brought to Colville by an
expressman in the employ of the Hudson
Bay Company. The report is scarcely cred
ible, and we take it to have originated in a
series of Indian disturbances, particulars of
which we find in the Montana papers of the
9th. A correspondent of the Post, writing
from Fort Benton, under date of May 2Sth,
has the following, which no doubt affords
clue to the origin of the rtmor:
The most exciting topic Just at present Is the
murder of Little Dog, the head chief of the Pei
gans a great friend of the whites, aud Of his
SON by Il party of drunken Indians Of his own
| tribe The following particulars we obtained
| froui the principal interpreter of the tribe 1t
appears that quite a number of the Peigans were
in and around the Fort on the 9th ult., their
east from Benton Having finished their bus-
ness, they soon started for their wakiups in
small parties. little Dog himself left only
| few minutes before his son, who was-the last of
the party. On the road to the Marias river, at
place about three miles east from the Fort, the
chief, who was on foot and accompanied by one
of his squaws, was overtaken by half-breed
| named lsidore, who was ON horseback, and rein
ing up asked to see the old mans revolver,
which was at once complied with by Little Dog
without any suspicion of danger. On receiving
the weapon, Isdore told the poor defenceless old
man that his party had whskey in little ra-
vine short distance ahead of them, aud as they
were afraid of their Chief he would keep the pis-
tol Little Dogs remonstrances were unayail-
ingi the half-breed coolly riding off, followed by
Little Dog, whose squaw, more suspicious than
her lord, recommended hasty retreat to Benton.
The old man aquiesced, but fatally for himself,
said he would get his pistol frst and instead of
beating hasty retreat to the Fort, followed the
thief until he came up with the drunken and
still carousing savages, and demanded his wea-
pom. They told him that he had no need of it as
they were gong to kill him anyhow, aud with
out designing any reason for so doing, they all
fired upon him, killing him instantly. Not sat
iShed with simple assassination, they mutilated
the dead body in the most horrible manner, with
butcher knives. The dead Chiefs son hearing
the firing and attributing it to some quarrel, ran
up, and oveItIking the squaw was told that the
| sayages had killed his father Being totally
fearless of danger, the young warrior rushed up
to the scene of the bloody debauch and asked
g who killed my father ?" These words were
his last, for another volley from the party
stretched him lifeless beside the manglcd re-
mains of his father, and in few seconds he
was as savagely mutilated rs the old Chieftain
had previously been.
Pour days after the massacre we have describ-
ed u large number of Peigans came to the Fort
and the next day. in council assembled with
the acting Indian Agent, Mr.. Upham, express
ed the deepest sorrow 1T the death of their Chief
and declared their continued frendlness to the
whites. The most notCd Of tire Chiefs Big Leg
Little Wolf, Big Nose, Mountain Chief, Heavy
Runner, Bird Chief, Cutnose, Thunder and Long
hair, were pointed out to us in the group
These chiefs known as medalmen among
the mOuntaneers, from their wearing the silver
medals given them last fall. Mr. UphAm express
ed his own deep regret at the death of Little
Dog and his son, and gave assurances of the
amicable feeling Of the whites towards the tribe.
|. The Radiator says that five of the Indi-
ans who murdered Little Dog and his son
had been caught and hung by the whites It
further reports the KILN: of three Blood
Indian spies, in the vicinity of Benton, by
whites and half breHds who discovered their
presence and surrounded them. It is possi>
bic that more serious disturbances occurred
subsequently, but for this we have only a
rumor which we trust may prove uniounde }.