The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-14
THE INDIAN MASSACRE.
D,.xraeerul seensolat Fort Laramie
saTase MutII ibn of the Dead.
FORT LARAN1E, D. T, Dec. %, ls66-

AAVAlEe
FTora TIE C6lE1sbtts Journal.
FORT LARAMIE, D. T., Dec. 20, 1866
DRUNKENNESS IN CAMP.
Ezi!gor JourndL:-Christma has come
and gone, and we are heartily glad of
it. Never during our course of human
events have we been blessed with the
liberty of viewing so much obsceni,y,
debauchery and drunkenness. The
whole garrison was on a "bust." With
one or two exceptions, every officer,
non-commissioned officer and private
were more or less under the influence
of liquor yesterday, The scene beg
CARED description, and even did it ad-
init of miaute record, pen and ink
would rise in revolt at such atrocIous
application. Last evening. the officers
resolved to celebrate" the event OF
being Christmas night, and right mer-
rily did they do 1t, too; in a measure
eQuaIing, or rather re-enacting the
days gIories," and the night was
made "hideous" by many a jest and
song" of intoxicated officer and soldier.
Fighting was the order Of the day, and
the unemployed "bullies" were in all
their glory. At all hours of the day we
might see some disgraceiul bTawl going
on-no effort on the part of the proper
authority to restrain them. In fact, but
re-enaction OF the New York riot oil
1865, on q small scale, and the fact OF
there being many of that honorable
fraternity present (still unhung,l rem
dered the simile semi-uerfect-
INDIAN oUTRAGEs.
And vet, while all this was trans
piring, we hear the rumor-which we
dare not doubt-of a bloody and san
culinary fray at Reno, resulting in the
loss of life of many of our fel.
low-comrades and soldiers. The ru-
mors are conflicting, yet at least fifty
men are the victims of the Indian mas
sacre. Yet later reports even exceed
this. So soon as full particulars are
received, I will transmit them to you,
Lieutenant II. S. Bingham, of the
Second Cavalry, was killed some two
weeks ago, near Fort Phil. Kearuey
Sergeant William Bear was also killed
at Reno, by the Indians, who came
boldly up to within twenty yards of the
outer stockade, and attacked, killed
and scalped him. Lieutenant Bingham
was calamity leading his men into {
charge, when, by some unaccountablC
means, he became detached from his
command, some fifty or more yards
(owingt to the timidity of his men, it i!
presumed,) and, as a natural couse
quence, was taken and killed. ThreI
| (3) scalps were taken from his head
| This may seem ineXplicable to SomC
readers of the journal, but, however, u
is true. An Indian takes scalp from
| the immediate top of the head, which
is about equal in size to Il silver dollar
or the circumference of an ordinary
watch; thus, you see, when n very de
sirable Paleface, or ''wasichi," (wau
su-chee,) is killed, and scalps are scarce
| the whole scalp, or hair of the head, i:
taken and cut into smaller scalps fol
judicious distribution among the ad
mirers of the article. I have the scalI
of Red-skin, "Dacotah," Sioux In.
dian, which was given me by the 'vete
ran hero" Jameson, better known as
Jim Bridger''-the Oldest "Plainer'
alive.
The weather continues cold-freeZt
one day; thaw another; snow in the in
term. Skating has become quite a pas
sion with us Mt present, and the fortu
nate ones who possess "a pair of the ar
ticles, derive quite a benefit from lend
| ing them out, &c. SAM.