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

THOSE who are familiar with the
/ history of the great west have
more than once had occasion to regret
the absence of any detailed and def
mite information on the subject of the
massacre Of BOuvee's ranch. Students
OF the history of that section OF the
republic have long suspected that at
the time of writing their work on the
western country, Mark Twain anu
other writers were unable to secure
sufficient information in regard 10 tllls
event. to give it more than passing
mention. and this conclusion IS borne
out in more ways than one, by GER
tain things that have occurred OF late
wears. and which nave tended TO throw
some light on the subject, says the
Washington Post. o,,
saw about the lack of historical infor-
nation on the subject of the massacre
of Rouvee's ranch" said an old IRON
tiersman to Post reporter. IL was
an event fully as important as that OF
/ the Custer massacre, yet Tor sum
reason which students or American
history have never been able 10 u,
vine not one of the authorities on
western history has ever been able 10
tell the cause of the trouble, or 10
state whether the Indians or the WHITES
were in the wrong. However, nave
! been more fortunate in this respect
/ than the general run of Americans, AoI
/ in 1855. / had the good fortune 10
1 learn the full and complete details or
/ the massacre. what caused 1t, To-
! gether with all facts as TO When anu
| how it originated. -.
| SIN 1883 ] was stationed at Fort
/ Bridger. Wyo., where 1 was a mem
/ Der of the Tenth infantry, forming q
part of the army of Genera Ato a.I
/ sydney Johnson, sent by the govern
ment to chastise the Mormons for the
mart they played in the Mountain
/ Meadow massacre of 1856. While there
/ formed the acquaintance OF an Ola
French Canadian half-breed, a trappeT
| of the name of Pinto, and in the course
| of time became quite friendly with
4 him. one day 1 happened to mention
the Bouvee's ranch massacre, Which
/ took place in 1854, the locality in cues
ton living at no great distance from
/ Fort Laramie. He replied that he was
on the spot at the time, that ne Kne"
all the facts in regard 10 the matter
and that if I cared TO listen TO him,
he would relate the story OF the mas
sacre Just as it occurred.
Early in 1854 he said, the Sioux,
/ Cheyennes and Arapahoes encamped al
Bouvee's awaiting the arrival OF COM
nnissioners from Washington to pay
them their annuities and dlstrlDute
( rations. The winter preceding mad
been unusually severe, and the IN
dams were hungry and on short ra-
/ lions. While they were thus waiting
/ a Mormon appeared on the scene IT
4 a wagon drawn by three oxen, Wh1ch
/ in the west, we used to call spiked
+; team. and the Indians crowded about
him eager to trade ponies for the ex-
ira OK. By means of their sign Ian
| euage they offered him first one, Their
J two. and then as many ponies as ht
liked, for the OK, but the Mormon was
obdurate and refused to part with I'M
animal at any price. Whereupon the
indians took the OK by force, giving
him to understand that they would re
pay him several times over as soon az
they received their money from the
| commissioners, and were able to buy
whatever they liked.
But the Mormon was not only un.
usually stupid, but unnecessarily pig
| headed as well, and instead of relying
on the honesty of the redskins, who
most assuredly would have repaid tbs
value of the OK several times over
he went TO Fort Laramie and there
laid the matter before Lieutenant
Grattan, who was then in command O
the small garrison at the fort, con
sisting of some thirty men under arms
together with about twenty others an
| pIoyed in divers capacities other thar
that of soldiers.
Now, if anything, Grattan was
twice as stupid as the Mormon, and
worse still, was a confirmed sot, on
of the class of officers who in thu
history of American and English col
| onization have been the cause of NOR
wars with the savage and aboriginal
races than all other things combined
With that Dutch courage which a mai
feels when under the influence o
liquor, he ordered out his small gar
! risOn. ana, taking the two twelve
Founders, the only artillery at tn
fort, marched down to Bouvee's rancl
to bring the Indians to terms.
He had as an interpreter q half