Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-02-02
VOL. XE--No. E54
THE MANDAN INDIANS.

'cp"'J OF inc mclanCnoiy late OF the Mar
dams be true" | am sorry to reply that tn,
account you gave of them few days since
was literally correct.
Several letters have just been received
from the Upper Missouri, written BY zen.
'ieinen n' unqnc-tlouaDle voracIty. iarepts
OF tie American Fur Company To their
principals - this cty.) giving a most mel
anch"Iy account of the tayares of the
smallpox among several Of the Upper Mis-.
souri, tribes of Indians. By the latest
accounts from them. It seems hat the
disease was raglug with the most desola.
tog eHecl. among>t the Assnebolnes. the
BIacki'"t, and other tribes IN tha, vicinity.
several Thousands had already been de.
stroyed' and of the interesting, friendiy,
snd geaHemqn'y Mandans. nothing remains
"ut lew Struggling individuals, who
mus, from necessity and the custom Of
country, merge into the ranks of their
surrounding enemies, where they will be
used as slaves, 50 terminates the exist.
encc OF ladian tribes, who, from want Of
! numbers, become unable 10 stand against
the assaults Of their enemies. Such il
unqnestlonabIy the result to which the
Mandan nation has arrived. and their race
(with their interesting, pecutinr customs
th"ir religion and social bapplness) NAV be
aald to be extinct. Poor noble and gallant
fellows there are but few Of the cvili-
zad world besides myself who know their
virtues, and we alone well know how to
extend our symp0thIes to them.
The Mandans. when | was in their
country, lived all in two villages. in sight
OF each other, on the west bank of the
Missouri, 1900 miles above St. Louis.
fhey formerly lived further down the rv-
or, and, then. in eight or ten villages. the
marks Of which saw, and closely examln.
ed, while descending the Missouri river.
ihey mad suffered immense losses from the
hostility OF the Sioux during the last forty
years, and their numbers and strength were
very much reduced.
The American Fur Company. not manv
years since, erected formidable fort bv
the side OF Their principal village on the
0anH OF the river, and probably had been
the means fpreservlng them thus tar from
the destroying hands of the Sioux, as their
village and the plains about it were under
the complete protection of the guns of the
tort. They have fallen victims, however,
to an enemy that was ruthless and irrasls.
hb'e, and 1t Is probable that little else Of
nee" Is 'ett 'pr tHr worlds instruction than
the memorials which made and collected
OF them whilst living with them.
| became more charmed with this tribe
IMAM dld with any other and, consequent.
~ TOOK more pains 10 portray their Gus.
toms and pecuiarl'ics of character.
have views of their villages, (as those will
attest who have visited nv rooms.l their
lodges, their festivals, their games. their
'e"3 'ouS ceremonies, together with great
"u''Oer OF portraits OF their principal men
and women, and also full collection of
their Costumes and other manufactures.
/, IS source OF great satisfaction to me
(and should be so 10 The uOrM also) that [
was lucky enough to snatch such memori-
ais OF these unfortunate people from obliy.
ION at The time that I did and their
melancholy tate is one more (sudden) ul>
hlment IT the prophecies which | have
Deen making to the world that these noble
Ie""Ws are soon to be swept, nation after
nation, from the face of the earth.
You ask me chow this disease was
carried among them :" | cannot tell.
There Is no doubt, however, that its cerme
was, IN some way or other, communicated
from the civilized borders; for, although
ne sma IIpoX has been The greatest DESTROY.
er OF the indlan race, it Is fact thai il
never had IT'S origin amongst them. AL
most every tribe Of Indians that now exist,
pr ever have existed east Of these poor
fellows, who are now taking their turn with
t. and as far east as the Atlantic coasts
nave successfully sutf red under the DESC
a''ng ravagos Of this civilized scourpe.
but lew years since the Pawnees lost
'ne'haIt OF their natlon the Puncahs lost
Wo-thirds the Omahas and Ottoes, Mis-.
ourlas and Kanzas lost one half, at least.
u their numbers by it. Only one wear
nd half ago | was at Prairie du CHEN.
N the Upper Mississippi where witnessed
Is frlghtuI effects amongst the Winneba.
'oes and SiouX--every other man amongs.
hem was slam by 1t; and O,wa pe-shaw,
he greatest man of the Sioux, with half
Il his band, died under the corners of
'nces' IN httle (horrid) groups, to which
Indred ties held them IN ghasly death,
'Ith their bodies swollen and covered with
uStnIes--theIr eyes bllnded-- hideousy
owing their death song 10 utter despair
unfortunately cnging to each others
ecks with one hand, and grasplng bottles
nd lin pans of whskey IN the other!
'ul' LEI me stop. The actual ravages of
bis deadly disease (which, like other eau,
eS that have led to he rapid demolition of
he numerous tribes of the West, and of
Inch | shall give some more definite
ccounls ere long, have heretofore been
tile known to the civilized world, and for
ne reason solely that these benighted
eople have bad no proper vehicle of know.
'dge or information that could reach be-
ond the oral legends of their wigwam
resi,dieS-aey hare had no newspapers.