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14

American Fur Company had established a trading post. They never reached their destination and I presume they were killed by the Sioux Indians. We then began? our hunt, trapping the same streams that we had in the Fall. We travelled to the Yellowstone and up the twenty five yard river to the three forks of the Missouri and from there up the north fork of the Missouri. There we learned that the Smallpox had not killed all the Blackfeet but that there was a larger village full of them in advance of us? We travelled cautiously on their time till we found they were only one day ahead of us. Six of us then left the main party and pursued them, find out their strength the balance of our men continuing their march in our rear?. We discovered the Indians as they were driving in their animals and making preparations to move their camp. We then reformed our main party and gave them information about the movements of the Indians. We had come within four miles of them, and as we were determined to try our strengths and to find out the best sight to the country. I took forty men and set out for the villages. Sixty men being left behind to guard the camp so we soon reached them attacked them & killed them. The fight lasted for about three hours and we continued to advance as they retreated. Then our ammunition began to give out and the Indians were soon aware of the fact. Knowing that they had us at a disadvantage they turned upon us. We fought them as much as we could considering the scarcity of ammunition retreating meanwhile towards our camp. The Indians charged us often and obliged us to turn and return their fire. Then they would retire for a time and we would continue our retreat. During one of these sudden? assaults the horse of one of our men named Cotton tripped, fell, and pinned him to the ground by his weight, six Indians