t23 
*7 
Not having received an acknowledgment of the receipt of mine of 
he 26th Jul} , 1 was induced to make inquiry at the post oiKce, wliere I 
foujid thattlie mail robbed near Lexington, in this state, about the 28th 
qf July, (an account of which I presume you must have seen in the 
newspapers) must have contained the letter in question. Apprehend- 
ing, therefore, that it was purloined by Mr. Hanover, alias Rees, I send 
herewith a duplicate, omitting the copy of a letter from Major O'Fal- 
lon, and that from Major Foster, the former having passed through 
the newspapers, with the substance of the latter. 
Deeming the subject to be an important one, I fortunately trans- 
mitted to he Department of War, on the 28th of July, copies of my 
letter and its enclosures, the receipt of which has been acknowledged, 
1 therefore send you tlie enclosed, merely to assure yoti that I had 
not omitted to give you e?irly information of my measures. 
Very respectfully, I have the honor to be. 
Your obedient servant, 
E. P. GAINES, 
Major Gen, by brevetf commanding. 
Major Gen. Brown, 
Washington. 
A true copy : 
ChS. J. NoURSE, 
Adjutant General^ acting. 
Head Quarters, Western Department, 
Louisvillef Ky. July 26^/«, 1823. 
Generai: The report made to you the 12th instant, by General 
Atkinson, that Gen. Ashley, with his trading company, had been at- 
tacked by the Rickaree Indians, ajid defeated, with the loss of four- 
teen killed and nine wounded, is confirmed by letteis received last 
night from Major O'Fallon and Major Foster, of which I enclose 
herewith, copies numbered l and 2, with copies of instructions to Gen. 
Atkinson and Colonel Chambers, No. 3 and 4. 
From Major O'Fallon's letter you will perceive that other out- 
rages, of a similar chai-acter, have been committed by the Blackfoot 
Indians, who have killed Messrs. Jones and Imnnl. (the latter late 
of the army of the United States) with five other perffons. 
It appears that, on the 22d of last month. Col. Leavenworth march- 
ed vvith 220 men, regular troops, and 80 men of the trading compar 
nies, to be joined by a large party of Sioux warriors against the Ri- 
caras, who, being strongly fortified, the colonel took with him some 
cannon. 
