i8o 



AUDUBON 



attempt to get in, but after a long and persuasive talk 

 they found that it would not do. They then crossed the 

 river and came on the high bank opposite to the fort, and 

 fired upon us, and while some of them were yet crossing 

 the river I let loose a cannon ball among them, which, if 

 it did no harm, made them move at a quick pace, and 

 after a while they all went off, leaving us without food of 

 any ' - ■; but fortunately on Monday the 30th, a party of 

 Blood Indians came in from the Crows with fifteen horses 

 and considerable meat. The Crows had taken all our 

 horses shortly before, and promised to return them in a 

 few days if I would let them in. I was also informed 

 that they had even brought pack-horses to carry off the 

 goods from the fort after having accomplished the de- 

 struction of the building and the massacre of ourselves." 



From these extracts the nature of the Indians of these 

 regions may be exemplified a thousand times better, be- 

 cause tnie, than by all the trashy stuff written and pub- 

 lished by Mr. Catlin. 



DESCRIPTION OF FORT UNION 



By EDWIN T. DENIG. July 30, 1843 



" Fort Union, the principal and handsomest trading-post 

 on the Missouri River, is situated on the north side, about 

 six and a half miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone 

 River; the country around it is beautiful, and well chosen 

 for an establishment of the kind. The front of the fort is 

 but a few steps, say twenty-five, from the bank of the 

 Missouri. Behind the fort is a prairie with an agreeable 

 ascent to the commencement of the bluffs, about one and 

 a half miles in width, and two in length, surrounded at the 



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