The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1867-05-25

II
January 2lst, 1851. (
ny Dear Friend-Since writing you my last
communir alton from Fort Laramie. D. t.. there
Cured one of those terrible and appalling casual
ties to human life that make the heart stand still
and benumb the faculties with horror. On New
Years evening. and while enjoying the pleasures
of military bali scout from this post Fort Phil
kearny D. T.) came dashing up to Gen. Palmers
head quarters with dispatch from Cen Caring
ton, that the Indians had massacred ninety four
officers and men ef his command.
Many present were personal friends q The saugh.
tered men and officers. Next day We wer. ordered
to proceed to the scene of bloodshed forthwith
Does any citizen soldier. unacquainted with
winter in the Rocky Mountains. know even
motely the literal significance of that order. to
march $50 miles in the depth of winter; TO leave
good quarters and comfortable fires for the bleak
mountain crest, the snow drifted gulches and gul
lies the abrupt precipces and obstructed canons.
| fear not. Well, we started from Fort Laramie on
the Sd of January, and after sixteen interminabe
days and nights on the route. arrived at this post.
To describe that March would be simply impossi-
BILE. Suffice it 10 say. that fifty or sixty men had
their ears, fingers and feet badly frozen, much
so that amputation will be necessary in many
1t took two days TO come the last twelve miles.
having TO shovel passages for the wagons through
snow drifts, from seven to ten feet IN depth. II
was intensely cold the whole time As for the road,
it was wholly indstinguishable and but for
three excellent guides should in all probability
have been lost, showed in and perished. After ar
irving here we were greeted by niue OF the hearti-
est cheers ever heard. Since the day of the mas
sacre no one had dared 10 20 outside of the stock
ade until our arrival. The scout who brought the
dispatch from Gen. Darlington to Gen. Palmer re
ceived 81 200.
For some time previous to the massacre the Indi
ans were prowling around the post barely out OF
rifle range and the troops had several pretty sharp
skrmishes with them. which did not amount TO
much. On the particular day OF the slaughter
wood train went out with small guard and when
~ t,i1a tha fort eaffl rtpf hy
the Indians whom after a brisk skirmish they rout-
ed. The troops at the fort hearing the firing,
detachment of ninety y-four men and officers were
ordered out by Gen. Darlington under the command
of Lieutenant Colonel Fetterman. to go ont as far
as the crest of the bluffs reconDoitre, but not to
60 beyond them he had reason to believe that
the Indians in large force on the other side
Col. Fetterman proceeded with his command to the
bluffs, and Immediately became engaged with about
fifty Indians who of course retreated. In their ar
dor troops charged. driving them over the blum
into the hollow. and out of sight of the garrison,
which against positive orders. As soon as the
were in the hollow, the fight became general and
terrific, those at the garrison could tell by the
ceaseess roar Of the musketry. which lasted about
two hours. When the fire had ceased about two
hours, and no sign of the troops returning the Gen
eial sent out thirty men and live ambulance> TO aS-
certain the result of the battle But imagine their
horror gaining the top of the bluff tn see the
last of the Indians going over the opposite bluff.
and on going down into the valley to find the still
warm bleeding and mutilaied remains OF ninety
four of their comrades every one scaped, and cut
and mutilated in the most shocking, revolving and
nhuman manner.
Not one solitary man who vert out armed TO the
teeth few hours before, left to tell the tale,
how il occurred. Col. Fetierman, Capt. Brown and
three other officers were among the killed. Even
u cavalrymen, well armed with Spencer seven
shooters, and brace OF revolvers, and well mount
ed, not one single individual escaped to give
count of how ii occurred; but it is supposed that
after our troops had crossed the bluff, that they
were surrounded by 1000 or 900 warriors, and so
massacred at once.
No trace of the Indians, except straggers, has
been seen since the massacre All the murdered
men were stripped TO a state of total nudity, and
cut and even auartered, and mutilated in the most
baibarous and shameful manner imag guable. There
was old guide and trapper who was dead shot,
and whom the Indians all knew we'll and he was
found scalpeG and two hundred and ffty->ix arrows
sticking in his body There not man but had
from thirty to one hundred arrows remaining in
his body when found Ii seems that they vented
their harbarous hatred on the leless bodies OF our
Men by shooting arrows irto them. One Indian
arrow on a calm day will do the business at $50 or
200 yards as etfectually minnie rifle ball. Tne
names of the officers were Lieutenant Colonel Fet-
terman Eighteenth L :. Infantry; Capt. W. Brown,
Eighteenth L. s. Infantry; Second Lieutenant Geo.
Grummond Eighteenth L. :. Infantry; Lieutenant
Bingham. Second L. 5. Cavalry. and one other
whose name do not now recoliect. The Indians
have suffered a terrible loss also, as there were
about seventy of their ponies found dead and strag
Cling about the battle ground; but, as the Indians
invariably carry off their dead. the loss cou only
he guessed at Ii is, estimated. however. that they
lost at least 500 warriors. Had they not been Grip
pied they would have assaulted the garrison the
same evening, which was very weak. The battle
field is only three miles from the fort. on the oppo
site side of the bluff. which faces ii on the west.