[2] 
95 
the mean time, busily engaged in gathering and carrying off the corn 
ofthe Ricaras. 
At eight o'clock, Major Ketchum was also ordered to the upper 
village with his company. Between three and four o'clock, the six 
pounder, and tlie troops opposed to the upper village, were with- 
drawn, and our whole force concentrated below the lower village, 
and the troops ordered to form for the purpose of collecting corn for 
their own use, as General Ashley's men had then been destitute of 
provisions for two days. 
At this time, a party of Sioux and a party of Ricaras, both on 
hoi'seback, were discovered holding a parley on the hill beyond the 
^jpper town. It was also discovered that the Sioux were going off, 
though they had given no intimation of an intention to do so. The 
liicaras sent out and begged for peace. They said that the first shot 
from our cannon had killed the celebrated Chief, called *'Grey 
Eyes," who caused all the mischief, and that we had killed a great 
many of their people and of their horses. They were evidently very 
much terrified, and completely humbled. Being convinced of this, and 
supposing that the government would be better pleased to have those 
Indians corrected than exterminated, and, as the Sioux, amounting to 
about seven or eight hundred warriors, had left us in a very strange 
and unaccountable manner, it was thought best, under all the cir- 
cumstances of the case, to listen to the solicitations of the Ricaras 
for peace, especially as it was understood that our round shot were 
neady all expended; consequently, a- treaty was made with them, a 
copy of which is enclosed. In making this treaty, I met with every 
possible difficulty which it was in the power of the Missouri Fur 
Company to throw in my way; and, as Mr. Pilcher, their acting 
partner, had been appointed as special Sub-Agent, to raise the Sioux 
against the Ricaras, he was able to give me great trouble. 
In restoring to General Ashley the property taken, it was thought 
that the Indians did not perform their engagements on that subject 
as well as they were able to do, and they were threatened with an 
attack. Their principal Chief, (The Little Soldier,) came to us, and 
begged permission to witlidraw his family from the village before 
we attacked, and he gave us the most conclusive evidence of his 
friendly disposition towards us. It was now late in the afternoon 
of the 12th. The 10th and 11th having been spent in action and in 
negotiation and interchanging visits, our men frequenting the towns 
for thepurposeof trading for Mockasins, &c., and the Indians man- 
ifesting every symptom of having been thoroughly brought to a sense 
of their interest and duty, it w as concluded to postpone the attack 
until morning, and the troops were dismissed from parade. 
It had been ascertained by me, that the Indians were so much 
alarmed by our threatening to again attack them, that they would 
probably run away and leave their villages. This, it was thought, 
would have an unfortunate effect upon the Indians, and make them 
more inclined to commit depredations upon the traders; and, as the 
Little Soldier soon after sent out for General Ashley a few more 
