Freeman's Chronicle

St. Louis, September 26.

The following account of the attack on Fort Belle Vue, was handed to us by a friend who was at that post during the siege. The position is one of the most eligible on the Mississippi for a place of defence: as from an eminence their parade ground could be swept by small arms, and it is almost surrounded by chasms to within ten or twelve steps of the pickets and block-houses, from whence the Indians threw upwards of 500 pieces of burning timber on the roofs of the houses; and when the attack commenced there was no spot about the fort that did not emit a continued sheet of fire from guns, fiery arrows and brands, and did not afford the brave fellows within an opportunity of doing much execution, except now and then knocking over such red skins as had the impudence to peep over the bank—

Lieutenants Hamilton and Vasques have done themselves much credit in the defence of the post committed to their care.

September 16, 1812.

ATTACK ON FORT BELLE VUE.

On the 5th inst. at half past 5 p. M. this garrison was attacked by a party of Winnebagoes, the number not precisely known, but supposed to be upwards of 200. Fortunately there was only one soldier out of the garrison (John Cox) who fell a victim to the scalping knife. A constant firing on both sides were kept up until dark; early next morning they commenced again, and about 7 o'clock they set fire to a Mr. Graham's boat and loading, this man arrived on the 4th, they also burnt two boats belonging to the public: soon after they began to throw fire on the block-houses and stood near the bank of the river, but not sufficiently near as to command the space between them and the river, syringes being made of gun barrels, the roofs were wet so as to prevent fire taking; during this time, part of them killed the live stock, plundered and burnt Mr. Julian's houses, destroying the corn, and on the 7th they continued throwing fire on the block-houses and shot arrows in the roofs with matches tied to them. The morning being calm all their fire attempts on the block-houses proved useless. In the evening they burnt Mr. M'Nabb's house and attempted the Smith shop, and it was generally believed they were only waiting for a favorable wind to burn the factory, so that it might catch the garrison, which would have been the certain means of destroying us all, to prevent that, as the evening was very calm, the commanding officer, Thomas Hamilton, dispatched a soldier with fire to the factory; and in less than three hours that building was consumed without any danger to the garrison—during this day several Indians crept into an old stable and commenced shooting out of it, but a shot from the cannon by Lieut. B. Vasques, soon made their yellow jackets fly.

On the 8th we heard but little from them, several canoes were seen crossing the river, and on the 9th not an Indian was to be seen or a gun fired.

I am happy to say no lives were lost in the fort, one man was slightly wounded in the nose. The Indians must have had many killed, as several of them were seen to fall.