The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-04-20

dangerous Fort IOtten trail, II
the autumn Of 1870.
Marion, New York, December &c, 1870
While at Fort Berthold, Dakota Terri
tory in November last l received a lette,
the same morning from home. l haG
bsen there since September 1869 and IL
st. Rice for a year preceding taat, III the
employ of q company styled Durfee &
Peck, trading with Indians md military
| had intended to remain there another
year and should doubtless have lone Sc
but for this letter. II stated that NV
sister Kate was at the point OF Death and
that fathers health Vas poor. Mr.. Marsh
the gentleman in charge gave me permits
sion TO leove, SO having got the letter the
18th, ! settled up, packed my trunk that
in case did not go ba ok it should he
expressed to me-, o leave Of my friends
there and loft on Monday morning the
2lst. was compelled to remain at Ft.
Stevenson, IL miles below where l EN- ploy-
cd myself in taking care of Mr.. Jaaraux.
our agent then, who had been wounded in
Il quarrel a week or two before. Finally
having hired a horse of Brown, the mail
carrier, l started out from there on Sun
day the 9th, horse back with the mail
carriers, q white man, half breed and tive
Canadians five Of US in ali. The first day
ouS We rode 33 miles sndstopped at T. mail
sharty of Strawberry lake, | will here re-
mark that the last boat had gone down
moro than q nonth before and l intended
TO come overland via, Devils Lake and st.
Paul. We crawled into the shanty cold and
drcary; having a severe headache l felt
uncomfortable enough. Next morning
we passed the Dog Den a high hill about
20 miles from Stevenson. Riding about
40 miles that dny we encamped at all
other shanty at Buffalo lake. How good
our staple fare of bread, meat and tea
tasted unless they try it. From there we
got an early start and went INTO TT. Totten
~ %r:lilcs, before sunoown. On the way
w. saw no game; nothing but the rolling
prairie, liiloc after hillock varied
o:rasionaily when we crossed a small
stream or halted to breath our horses.
80 we made the trip of 1875 miles in three
days and wore blessed with good weather.
Arrived at TT. Tosten o u DEVILS lake I
went to the establishment of Bremen &
Ie!GJ traders and was at once made to
.sel at home by Mr.. Bremen TO whom /
had n letter of introduction and bv Palmer
his clerk with whom I hud 4 previous
acquaintance. I..ouud it necessary to
remain there three days after which I
could BIZ kindness of Capt. Patterson ride
In the ambulance as far as Fort Aher.
croinbie. While ut Fort Totten Mr..
Bremen took pains to make my stay agree
able: drove out +, see the country around.
which is beautiful; boarded me for nothing
and altogether treated me as western men
how to treat their guests. He fur
me a man and team to go rs far rs
the S%heyenne river after which I was to
the mail CO.. veyance. We left Totten
Saturday morning. Three soldiers one of
the Fronchmen who came from Stevenson
man who drove me and myself, six in
rode 80 miles to q mail shanty on the
sheyenne. The boys having liquor aboard
of them got noisy but no disturbance
than IN their stomach. At the
was IN Indinn soldier belonging to
AMI his squaw. They have books
have been written IN the Sioux
language and they could read and write in
tongue. Next day Sunday our forces
reduced to two soldiers and myself
in all. We went to.Lake Jessie abont 20
This is another mail shanty on the
banks of a small lake surrounded by a
NAL forest; spent u pleasant half hour
II the woods and on the shore of the lake
which. however, was frozen over. At night
after going to bed, on the floor, tho Ind
an md his wife, who kept the shanty.
up and sang q few hymns in their
'wn language to familiar tunes. II struck
ne as rather odd hearing in this remote
pot, tunes known to my boyhood put to
words in an Indian language and sung by
hose people. In the morning one of the
oldiers and I proceeded to Sibleys cross
ng of the sheyenL.e where we met the
'ther mail carriers with whom in the
norning1 proceeded to Big Coulee station
:ept by q German. This was Tuesday.
hen we crossed Maple river and about
rundown we crossed the Sheyenne for the
tn time o quite a stream; stopped
hat night at Peter VANS a ranch kept
y a Canadian with bic. part Indian
Thursday We got to Fort Aber-
ronlbie about noon. The last two days
been quite cool. We we're six DAYS
mt from Totem. Fort Abercrombie is
'ot by any means as nice looking a post
5 Totten, which is built Of brick. 1t is
the Dakota side of the Red river of the
forth, which is here about 100 feat w,da