The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-19

snSrxuSIIHLE Students of the history of
that section of the republic have long
suspected that at the time of writing
their works on the Western country,
Marx Twain and other writer's were I'M
able to secure sufficient information in
regard to this event, to give it more
than passing mention, and this conclu-
sion is borne out in more ways than
one, by certain things that have &C.
Cured Of late years, and which have
tended to throw some light on the sub
1ect.
you are quite right in what you say
about the lack of historical informa-
tion on the subject of the massacre of
BOuVee's Ranch said al old frontiers
man to a Post reporter, 1T was an
event fully as important as that OF the
Custer massacre, yet for some reason
which students of American history
have never been able to divide, not one
of the authorities on Western history
has ever been able to tell the cause OF
the trouble, or to state whether the In
dams or the whites were in the wrong.
However, | have been more fortunate
in this respect than the general run of
AMERICANS, for, in 1858, | had the good
fortune to learn the full and complete
details of the massacre, what caused it,
together with all other facts as to when
and how it originated.
I'm 1858 | was stationed at Fort
Bridger, Wyoming, where l was men,
her Of the Tenth Infantry, forming part
of the army of Gen. Albert Sydney
Johnston, sent by the government to
chastise the Mormons, for the part they
played in the Mountain Meadow mas
Of 7 Al ho
acquaintance of an old French Canadian
Ealf-breed, a traprer, Of the name of
Pinto, and in the course of time De-
came quite friendly with him. One day
I happened to mention the Bouvee's
ranch massacre, which took place in
1854. the locality in question lying at
no great distance from Fort Laramie.
He replied that he was on the spot at
the time, that he knew all the facts in
regard to the matter, and that if / cared
to listen to him, he would relate the
story of the massacre just as it oc-
CURED.
Indians Were Hungry.
EARLY in 1854, he said the Sioux,
Cheyennes, and Arapahces encamped at
BOuvee's awaiting the arrival of COM
gnissiOners from Washington to pay
them their annuities and distribute ra-
lions. The winter preceding had been
unusually severe, and the Indians were
hungry and on short rations While
they were thus waiting, Mormon ap-
peared on the scene in a wagon drawn
by three oxen, which in the West, we
used to call spiked team, and the In
dams crowded about him eager tC trade
ponies for the extra OK. By means of
their sign language they offered him
ArSt one, then two, and then as many
ponies as he liked for the OK, but the
Mormon was Obdurate and refused to
part with the animal at any price.
Whereupon the Indians took the OK by
force, giving him TO understand that
they would repay him several times
over, as soon as they received their
money from the commissioners, and
were able to buy whatever they liked.
But the Mormon was not only I'M
usually stupid, but unnecessarily pig
headed as we'll, and instead of relying
ON the honesty Of the redskins, who
most assuredly would have repaid the
value of the OK several times over, he
went to Fort Laramie and there laid
the matter before Lieut.. Grattan, who
was then in command of the small gar
TisOn at the fort, consisting of some
thirty men under arms, together with
about twenty others employed in divers
capacities other than that of soldiers.
Stupid and Drunk.
Nov, if anything, Grattan was twice
as stupid as the Mormon, and worse
still, was a confirmed sot, one of
class of officers who in the history of
American and English colonization,
niece IF the nOwprc that ho
The traveller in Russia soon becomes
have been the cause of more wars with
the savage and aboriginal races than all
other things combined With that Dutch
courage which a man feels when under
the influence of liquor, he ordered out
his small garrison, and taking the two
12-pounders, the only artillery at the
fort, marced down to Bouvee's ranch to
bring the Indians to terms.
He had as an interpreter a half
breed, and through him 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 camp of 5000
Indians. The chief told him that tie
Indians were very much distressed for
want of food; that they offered the Nor
mon 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, they stood ready to
make good the loss as soon as they re-
ceived their money from the commits
sioners. He had barely finished when
Grattan, between hiccoughs, said:
All Were Killed.
There, that'll 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 a thing
was impossible, as the OK had been
killed, cooked and eaten some time be-
fore, but his reply made no effect on
Grattan. Finally, the matter became
so ridiculous that the chief laughed in
Grattan's face, whereupon the latter
drew his pistol and shot him dead Then
he gave the order to fire, but before the
report Of the thirty rifles had died away
the thirty rifles died away the 5000 In
dams were upon Grattan and his COM
mand, and in few moments all had
been killed.
''The Interpreter made his escape, but