Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-04-28
SATURDAY, APRIL %, 1889.

The following letter from Maj Dougherty, one
az the Indian Agents, relative to the small pox
am,pp the indians, will show the necessity for the
bill that has recently passed the Senate. relative
70 the supply Of Vaccine Matter to these unfor-
,unate people. II strikes US that the disease de-
scribed below, must be worse than the Cholera.
about which we bear so much.
CASroSMENT LEAvENwoRTH, Jan. Is. 1882.
Dear Sir Your esteemed and very accepta-
Sic letter Of 22d Nov. last, transmitting guam
ty of Vaccine Virus, with the printed directions.
reached me about month since, IN st. Louis,
from which place returned few days ago.
Ii is much to be regretted that did not receive
X two months sooner. previous to visit made
20 the several Pawnee, and other Indian tribes,
.monu NJ arIy all of whom the Small PoX was
racing in all its terrific sradations. Since my ar
rival here, however, 1 have distributed to seve-
raj tribes Que half the quantity you forwarded,
and have no doubt your kindness will be the means
of saving hundreds Of these poor and unfortunate
children Of nature from an untimeiy grave.
1 sent a portion of the matter. BY express, to
Mr.. Cabanne, Agent for the American Fur Com
pany, with request that he would disseminate 1t
among the various tribes within his reach. tie
resides near 200 miles above this place. and is a
gentleman Of great humanity, and will doubtless
take pleasure in doing so.
All the Indians with whom have had an op-
por,unIty of communicating the interest you ma
nifest for their welfare, seemed much surprised
that man living at SO great distance should
concern himself for people he never saw. In
return for your consideration, they desired that
would say to YOU how much they were grati6ed
and that. if the Great Spirit should ever send You
to visit their country, they would seize you by
the hand. take YOU to their lodges, and feast You
On The latest meat.
Y,u request some information relative to the
Small Pox 10 this country. wish was caPa
BILE Of describing to you. in its true coors, even
half the wretchedness which witnessed during
q few days spent with the Pawnees, IN the latter
part vi September last. occasoned by this pest-
ience; but this would require the pen OF Coo
Der or Scott will therefore only attempt an
oatiine.
At the time reached their towns, they had dis
continued either to number or bury the dead,
whose bodies were to be seen scattered in every
direction around their villages, and in the shallow
waters &c the Platte, lodged along the sand bars
Others again were dragged OF by the hungry
dogs, into the prairies, and there torn to pieces
by the more hungry wolves and buzzards. Their
distress was SD great and so general that they
seemed unconscious Of It, and TO look upon the
dead and the diving as so many wild beasts. Sc
yeral of them. on discovering they had taken the
disease, put an end Ia their own existence by
sabbing themselves with knives. Some, during
the fever, threw themselves into the river Some
would bury themselves IN the wet sand, and
cthers when their necks were swollen almost to
sufncatron, would insert long, narrow, hard
piece OF dried buffalo meat into the throat, and
rasp it until it streamed with blood. The con-
sequence in all these cases was immediate death.
The chiefs told me there had not been single
instance Of squaw taking the infection while In
a state Of pregnancy that survived.
The Pswnees are located on the great river
Platte. $50 miles above it's junction with the
Missouri about $50 miles from this post and 200
wes, Of the State of Missouri They reside in
four towns, or villages, all within the space OF
twenty miles. They were estimated at 10. 900
souls, and from the best information have been
able to procure, from the Indians themselves and
from our fur traders, there remains scarcely
doubt on nv mind that they have lost one hall
their number, CARRIED off in few days by this
cruel distemper They Informed me that 1t was
communicated to them BY the Pawnee Picsk,
who brought it from the Spanish settlements.
The Olmchaw and Pankaw tribes have also
suffered severely since visited them.
Fortunately the Otoe tribe were all vaccinated,
with the exception Of three young men, who re-
fused to be operated upon, having, as they said,
no faith in it. These three were taken with the
ANAL pox. not long since, and died. As yet no
other case has appeared among them. This cir
cumstance is well calculated TO give confidence
TO the neixhborlng tribes in the efficacy of vacci-
nation.
Should you have any more Of the vaccine mat
ter to spare, and will forward It to me at this
place, you will not only be fsvorinS the cause OF
humanity in which you are so earnestly engaged,
but will confer an obligation on
Youe obediept servant.
John DOUGHERTY. Indian Hgent
To DR.. SYLvANUs FANsHER. New-H Haven, ct.
Thunder Storm at Sea The ship Dromo, ar