The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-12-13


... NJ count. . Z
THE COUNTRY, THE INDIANS AND
THE MANNER OF PAYMIsNT.s y
NO. 8.
FoRT CLARK. on LIEoH LAKE, e.
Nov. 10th, 1866.
All things being in roadiness-the
baggage and, supply xagon,=-as Also
twenty mounted men from ,Fort, Ripley
with supply teams, having, been sent
forward in the morning our. party left
the Agency a, two O'Clock in the after
noon Of the 18th. We had; not gone
over one hundred yards, when the
spring of one of our wagons broke down.
This triaing damage was soon repaired
by block of wood and some cord, when
We proceeded without further Interrupt
ton. I must not forget to mention
here, that in addition to Drs. Knickcr.
hacker and Stewart as q visiting board,
Mi. A. D. Prescott, of Minneapolis.
one Of the very best f.llows it has ever
been my good fortune to meet with,
Joined our party as commissary for the
balance Of the trip, Il: ~.
AS We passed Gull Lake, we noticed
that the Indians had tried to raise some
corn there this season, but we're told
that before it Was .it for use by the In.
dams, the dogs set to work On it and
devoured the whole crop. These In
dian does:-pars wolf, part fox, part
dog, and part Iudian,-I do think are
the most contemplate, thieving, un-
calmly aud worthless uuisances that ever
disgraced, their species. 20, Nothing es.
capes their insiduous, prying.. search:
Our cook told me that they actually on
one occasion uuearthed his bean pot
from under bed Of live Goals; and
while at Mile Lac I remember that the
cook on one evening swung q camp ket-
tie full Of beef on "punk hupgen"
over the fire close BY, covered with a
tin lid, leaving il over night, intending
to have it for, breakfast, when to- his
great disgust in the I, morning her found
the lid Of bis kettle lying in, the ashes,
and tho meat gone, the dogs having
during the night appropriated every
morsel Of it. Yet detestablc as these
creatures are, every Indian family keeps
from one to half dozen around them.
At Mile Lac I saw,a pet skunk. 1t
reall y looked pretty, being 50 fat that
With its heavy coat of fine; fur it. ap-
peared almost as round as a rubber ball !;
and quite tame, running all round the
wigwam, playing with the children and
dogs, aud sleeping with the squaw who
owned it. I: was almost tempted to buy
it,; the price was three dollars. j So
much for dogs and skuuks.. Passing
our cavalry escort in camp towards
evening we arrived at Camp Barnard,
% Hay Creek, at seven o'clock, having
come distance. of twenty,eight miles.
After tho. "chuck-nogans''' had been
properly arranged and good camp: fire
built, under the direction of the indie
fatigable DR.. BARNARD, we were obliged
to do our own. cooking, as our cook had
deserted US It was really amusing to
see some with '"'punk hungens" and
camp kettles boiling tea and potatoes :;
some with pans trying pork, and pre-
pairing the indispensable gravy; whilst
others were spreading the table on the
ground floor bef:re the fire, and arraog-
'og the dishes. Supper being dispatch
ed with relish usual to csmp life, We
arranged our. beds and prepared for a
comfortable nights rest A somewhat
funny incident occurred about midnight
when DR.: Kuick erbacker, springipg, up
suddenly from his bed, ran to the front
Of the tent towards the fire, exclaiming
in loud voice and excited manner,
"Here, Here, Here !': All hands i'm
mediately looked up to see what was
the matter, when the Doctor in a very
subdhed manner returned saying, ooh,
pehaw! Twas only dreaming" You
may be sure we all enjoyed a hearty
laugh at his expense, and L am n. sorry 8
to say that one Of our party was va 50 80 rude
Is to remark that it was only the effects
Of bad whisky. >- 80 i: =,
Next morning We broke camp at five
o'cloek, stopping At: Fourteen-mile creek
to cool dinner and feed the horses. =:
We arrived at Fort Clark, on :Leech
Lake at Eve o'clock in the evening hav,
ing Travelled = distance Of seventy miles
in less than day and . half: 4 i:
Next morning, Nov t6tb, beinjg; cleo,
ton day, the polls were regularly open
cd At this place: by the white citizens
resident here, and an election held;
Thirty.three votes were jcast;, Il Hon.
lgn.tius Doonel)y' receiving 4 majority
Of three, and Mr.. RichaidsoB1two votes.
At about noon the. Indians, who by
this time had all come in and camped
near the rtding post on the. other. side
Of the peninsula, came. in cold, bo dy
and in regular order vitbedrums beat:
ing and colors flying, ,narshaled .by
their young head chief; Flat Mouth.
At the same time the cavalry, having
just arrived, came gallopiug in from the
direction Of the Agency, ard the scene
was quite exciting. The cavalry imne:
diately vent into quarters. The Indi-
ans halted outside, sent 10 a messenger sa:sa
asking, az usual, for apreliminary coun:
I'll vh;oL &c oo,.. LIZ. = ..ui!1 4