On board the Keelboat
“Rocky Mountain"
25 miles below the Rickara towns
June 4th, 1823
Dear
Sir
On the
morning of the 2d instant I was attacked by the
Rickaree Indians, which terminated seriously on
my part. The particulars of which I relate with
feelings of the greatest sorrow and
mortification. Previous to my arrival at their
towns, from information I received from some
gentlemen descending the river, I apprehended
danger from them, and used as much precaution as
the nature of my situation would admit. Not one
of the Rickaree Indians did I see until I arrived
at their towns on the 30th of May. My boats were
anchored about the middle of the river, and I
went on shore with two men, where I met some of
the principal chiefs, who pretended to be very
friendly disposed toward us, and expressed a wish
that I should trade with them.
Wishing
to send a party through by land from that point
to the Yellow Stone river, for which purpose
forty or fifty horses were necessary, and having
just received an express from Major Henry, sent
for the purpose of desiring me to purchase all
the horses I could on my way, I consented to send
some goods on shore to exchange for horses, but
proposed that the chiefs of the two towns would
meet me on the sand beach, where a perfect
understanding should take place before the barter
commenced. After a long consultation among them,
they appeared at the place proposed, to hold the
talk. I made them a small present, which appeared
to please theml very much. I then told them that
I had understood that a difference had taken
place between a party of their men and some of
the Missouri Fur Company, that in consequence of
which tbey might feel disposed to do me an
injury, and went on to state what I supposed
would be the consequences should they attempt it.
They answered that the affray alluded to had
caused angry feelings among them, but that those
angry feelings had vanished - that they then
considered the white people all their friends,
and would treat them as such.
A price
for horses was proposed by me and agreed to by
them. The exchange therefore commenced, and on
the evening of the 15th instant I had completed
my purchases, and all things prepared for an
early start tbe next morning. Late in the
afternoon the principal chief of one of the towns
sent me an invitation to visit him at his lodge.
I hesitated for a moment, but at length concluded
to accept it, as I did not wish them to know that
I apprehended the least danger from them. I took
with me my interpreter, and went to the lodge of
the chief, where I was treated with every
appearance of friendship by him, as well as by
several other chiefs who were present. The next
morning, just before day break, I was informed
that the Indians had killed one of my men, Aaron
Stephens, and in all probability would attack the
boats in a few minutes. Arrangements were made to
receive them. My party consisted of ninety men,
forty of whom were selected to accompany me to
the Yellowstone River by land, and were encamped
on the sand beach in charge of the horses.
About
sunrise, the Indians commenced a heavy and
well-directed fire from a line extending along
the picketing of one of their towns and some
broken ground adjoining, a distance of about six
hundred yards. Seeing that some of the horses
were killed and others wounded, as well as two or
three men, I attempted to have the horses crossed
to a sandbar about the middle of the river, over
which the water was about three feet deep, but
before any thing to effect that object could be
done the fire became very destructive, aimed
principally at the men on shore. I ordered the
anchor weighed and the boats put to shore, but
the boatmen, with but. very few exceptions, were
so panic-struck that they could not be got to
execute the order. Two skiffs which would carry
thirty men were taken ashore for the embarkation
of the men, but (I suppose), from a
predetermination of the men on the beach not to
give way to the Indians as long as there appeared
the least probability of keeping their ground,
not more than five of them made use of the large
skiff, two of whom were wounded, the other skiff
was taken to the opposite side of the river by
two men, one of them mortally wounded.
I
started the large skiff immediately back, but
unfortunately one of the men that worked it was
shot down, and by some means the skiff set
adrift; by this time the most of the horses were
killed or wounded, and about half of the men. I
continued to make every effort to get the boats
to shore but all in vain; although anchored not
more than ninety feet out in the stream the most
of the men swam to the boats; some of them when
shot immediately sprang into the river and sunk.
It was about fifteen minutes from the time the
firing commenced until the surviving part of the
men had embarked. The anchor of one of the boats
was weighed, the cable of the other cut, and the
boats dropped down the stream. Finding it
impossible to pass the towns in the then
situation of the men and boats, I directed them
to be landed at the first timber', for the
purpose of placing them and the men in a better
situation of defence, and to pass the towns,
which would have been done without much risk;
but, to my great surprise and mortification, when
my intentions were made known to the men I was
informed that (with but few exceptions) they
would desert me if I attempted it, and that
however well the boats might be fortified they
would not make a second attempt to pass without a
large reinforcement.
The
next morning they were drawn up, and a plan,
which I had during the.night thought of, by which
I supposed we could safely pass the towns, made
known to them, but the principal part of them
refused to assist me in its execution,
consequently I had to fall back to where we could
get some game and wait the aid of Major Henry's
party at the Yellowstone River, to whom I sent an
express.
My loss
in killed and wounded is as follows:
Killed
- John Matthews, John Collins, Aaron Stephens,
James McDanieI, Westley Piper, George Flager,
Benjamin F. Sneed, James Penn, jr., John Miller,
John S. Gardner, Ellis Ogle, David Howard
-Twelve.
Wounded
- Reed Gibson (since dead), Joseph Monsa, John
Larrison, Abraham Ricketts, Robert Tucker, Joseph
Thompson, Jacob Miller, David McClane, Hugh
Glass, Auguste Dufrain, Willis (black man)
-Eleven.
There
are but two of the wounded in the least danger of
dying, and I think with care they will recover.
Never did men, in my opinion, act with more
coolness and bravery than the most of those
exposed on the sand-beach. A constant fire was
kept up by us, but from the advantageous
situation of the Indians but little execution by
it was done. Five or six Indians were seen to
fall on the sand-beach; I suppose they lost six
or eight killed. The situation of their towns,
numbers, arms, etc., makes them a formidable
enemy to traders ascending the river. Their two
towns are situated immediately in front of a
large sand-bar, around which boats are obliged to
pass, forming nearly a quarter or one-third of a
circle, with a diameter of a half mile, partly
covered with willows near the water's edge; at
the upper part of the bar they have a breastwork
made of dry timber. The ground on the opposite
side of the river, about half-way round the
sand-beach, is from twelve to twenty feet above
the surface of the water, the balance of the way
high broken hills and the river very narrow. They
are about six hundred warriors; I think about
three fourths of them are armed with London
fusils that carry a ball with great accuracy and
force, and which they use with as much expertness
as any men I ever saw handle arms; those that
have not guns use bows and arrows, war-axes, etc.
Knowing that some of the trading companies
intended passing the Ricarees this summer, and
apprehending danger, will probably bring up one
or more six-pounders, I expect and hope they will
arrive about the time I receive aid from above.
Your friend and Obt servt
W. H. Ashley
|
From:
General William Ashley on board the "Rocky
Mountain"
General William Ashley
(1785-1839) born in Virginia, he came to St.
Louis in 1819 and was head of the Rocky Mountain
Fur Company and later became a congressman. 
Deceived by the
Indians of whom he is trading, and already
knowing there was an attack of Pilcher's men from
the Missouri Fur Co., General Ashley reports on
the attack of himself and his men by the Rickaree
(Arika) Indians.
