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71 
ineti killed, four wounded, the entire loss of all our horses and equip- 
age, traps, beaver, and every thing. The balance of the party suc- 
ceeded in escaping, by making a raft, and crossing the Yellow 
Stone. This took place on the 31st of May, just below the Moun- 
tains, on the Yellow Stone. Not knowing to what extent the 
loss of the horses, traps, &c. might effect [affect] any future plan of 
operations I came with all possible expedition to this place, to ac- 
quaint you with the circumstance. I left Mr. Keemle and the party 
near the mouth of Pryor's Fork, making skin canoes to bring down 
the Fall's hunt, amounting to about . Four of Mr. Henry's 
men have also been killed near the Falls. It appears, from informa- 
tion derived from the Black Feet themselves, that the British have 
two trading houses in their country on the American territory ; and, 
from some Snake Indians, we learned that they have several on the 
South Fork of the Columbia. Something decisive should be done. 
Believe me to be. 
Your sincere friend, 
WILLIAM GORDON. 
From the foregoing letter, you will perceive, that the commerce of 
the Missouri, under existing circumstances, however valuable, is truly 
precarious. This, our second adventure to the mountains, had surr 
passed my most sanguine expectations; success had been complete, and 
my views fulfilled in every respect, Mr. Immel and Mr. Jones had 
conducted those expeditions with the greatest skill and ability, and 
proved themselves worthy of my confidence. The loss of property is 
severely felt, yet it is little, compared to the loss of those valuable 
men to whom I stand indebted for the accomplishment of my views. 
In consequence of their late departure, last summer, from the Council 
Bluffs, it became necessary for them to confine their operations last 
fall to the Yellow Stone and its tributary waters, and winter at the 
mouth of the Big Horn. The party originally consisted of forty-three 
persons, including themselves and Messrs. Gordon and Keemle, two 
young gentlemen attached to the expedition, and to Avhom I am much 
indebted for their activity in bringing off the remainder of the party, 
and vsecuring the property of the expedition, which had been left on 
the Yellow Stone at the time the expedition moved to the Three Forks 
early in the spring. The party had been reduced to thirty, including 
all; a part of the men having deserted from their wintering post at 
the Big Horn. With these, they penetrated the country as mentioned 
in Mr. Gordon's letter. I am happy to say their defeat is not to be 
attributed to negligence, mistaken confidence of their own ability, or 
the good will of the Indians. Three hours more would have taken 
them to the Crow nation, where they would have been perfectly se- 
cure; this tribe being at war with the Blackfeet, and much attached 
to the whites. But the Blackfeet had marked their route; they knew 
their country and advantages of the position selected by them for the 
attack: there they intercepted them, and awaited their arrival. 
Nothing but defeat could be expected under such circumstances, and 
it ig wonderful how any should escape from such an overwhelming 
