The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-26

Cause of the Massacre at the BouVee
Ranch.

breed, and through him he called upon
the chief of the Sioux, a very old and
gray-haired man, for an explanation
OF the affair with the Mormon. Mind
you, this was going on in a camp Of
s, 900 Indians. The chief told him that
the Indians were much distressed for
want of food; that they offered the
Mormon all the ponies he could drive
away for the one OK. and that on his
having refused to trade, they had taken
the animal by force, but stood readg
to make good the loss as soon as they
received their money from the COM
missioners. He had barely finished
when Grattan, between hiccoughs,
said:
+" There. that'H do. We've heard
enough out of you. Now, old man.
you trot that OK out here purity ID
quick. or I'll turn my artillery loose
on you
THE chief replied that such thing
was impossible, as the OK had beer
killed, cooked and eaten some time
before. but his reply made no effect
on Grattan. Finally, the matter be-
came so ridiculous that's the chief
laughed in Grattan's face, whereupOn
the latter drew his pistol and shot him
dead. Then he gave the order TO ire,
but before the report of the thirty
rifles had died away the 5000 Indians
were upon Grattan and his command,
and in a few moments all had beer
killed.
1.-THE interpreter made his escape
but was captured, brought back and
ffayed alive. The Indians had an ides
that he was responsible for the whole
trouble. as they were unable to be-
lieye that any man could be so FOOL
ish as to insist on another producing
an animal when he knew that il had
been killed and eaten. Every member
of the command was killed except {
little drummer boy, who in fleeing from
the Indians. stumbled and fell 4
squaW TO whom time and again hs
had given food at the fort. fell uDoT
him and tried to protect and save nj:
life, in return for the kindnesseS sh'
had received at his hands, but the In
! dams dragged her away, killed the boy
and compelled the squaw to eat Graf
tan's heart as a punishment for hav'
ing tried to shield one Of the whites
well, instead of waiting for tn
commissioners the Indians went on tn
warpath and did considerable damage
until finally beaten by a force Of gov
eminent troops sent against them from
| Bridger. They could just as well hav'
taken Fort Laramie, but the compan,
surgeon, DR.. Snyder, dressed TIL
chambermaids. hOusekeepeTs and laun
! dresses of the fort up in soldiers cloth
iIlS, dfhlSu lIteLh anu hidue them per
! form guard duty during the day, Will
/ the few men left at the post went Of
as pickets during the night. In thi
way he fooled the Indians into think
/ ing that the fort was heavily garri
soned, and thus saved it from falling
/ into their hands.
When steps were taken to rewar
him, he said that all he desired wa
an extra allowance of whisky which
Of course, was cheerfully granted Thus
/ the story got out. which has been re
/ peated time and again in army circle
with all manner of Celebrations an
embellishments that for having save
Fort Laramie the government allowe
| Snyder drink for each and every sta
| in the flag every day in the week, OK
cept Sunday, when he got a drink no
c bot e~ery strip
in the American flag as we'll"