The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-03-10
fnm ,As 81. Lea,s Commercial Baiistia
SMALL. PoX AMONG THE INDIANS.

to hs.nc themselves aud attribute i, fault OF Tho
whites, Tneynow say they always thought the traders
their friends aisd hid they listened to their alsce
ther plains would not have been sroNn with the dead
bodies al their caicfs aud braves Tue Pipe stem
chIel OF great Influence, when dying called his people
around nun, aud his laS request was, Oh they Mo.ld
love their traders and be always governed by their sd
wee. :. imay." says one Of the traders, = be blamed
Tor not using measures the progress Of the dis
ease, but mnhout TO Oh the srrlsal OF the
boat With supplies, the Indians could not have been
driven from The fort. An express arrived two days IN
advance of tho boat, bringing the melancholy inelli-
cence that the small pox on hoard, and repre-
senlrd The Indians thai they woud u they near
H. infected hy II, bat might well have talked
the winds The Survivors, however sorry for
their ohstinas yand AS humble the poor dogs who
seek for their dead masters. Our trade N tins
utterly ruined for years come, nor all
The pegres pay the expenses Of the Fort The few
spryHing Indians have seen, beg OF to leave
them IN their calamity, and If we will have pity
lhea they pronse never again to act contrary TO our
Wishes"
From Fort Union the accounts from the Company's
Ageii. distressing A letter dated the Both Of
November. 1887. says IAN our prospects On the
Upper Missouri are completely pIostraed the trade
is rumed II not forever, at least for On
my arrival here she i0lh Of October, | found the
Snsll PoS. or whatever disease is, (and il appears
TO me TO he hundred fold more horrible than the
dnsry kindly had penetrated to the most distant part
OF the .Assnabon country, and that the poor Indians
when attacked, complained Of excessive pains ~ the
head aud lois, and IN few hours would fall down
dead. The body turned back almost immediately.
and sweed 10 nearly three times ITS ordinary size
Several hospitals have been erected by people. and
medicine stores we're exhausted, hut all IN ysin--
For many weeks my aud carts have been employ
ed in collecting The dead hodes aud bnryng them m
holes but since The earth has become frozen we have
been compelled TO cousIgn them TO walery grave
Many widows and orphaus are left IN state oil The
most appalling distress, They are wholly dependent
on the Fort tor Subsistence, and every ieehg o. hu-
manlty coinpels to support them lnough WIN my
limited means it is a heavy burden J should nave
been OF less than could have i,ehrld the
misery aud wretchedness around me- with Indifference.
Aud sir, | am ashamed to acknowledge, that
have shed tears Of batter anguish over the dying and the
dead"
The disease, as before stated has not as vet spread
among the Sloax and many vi them have been vac
cnated IL is hoped that the disease wll not prove
dsaserous II sho aid reach this numerous and
powerful nation.
From the great mass Of information with which we
have been furnished by friends. give the follow
ing summary, and feel confident that full credence may
be gwen it.
The Madans once great nation, but gradually re-
duced by various causes 10 about 1910 souls, living
permanent villages. some 1000 miles above st, Louis,
have all died but thrfy one.
The Mlnatarees or eros Ventres living near the
Mandans, numbering abuat 1000, were by our last
counts one half dead, and the disease still raging.
The Anckarees amounting 10 5000, who but lately
abandoned wandering life, and loned the Manddns,
about half dead, and the disease still among them
II is probable they have been reduced III proportion
the Maudsus
The Assinaboins, powerful tribe about 1900 strong,
living entirely by the chase aud ranging north Of the
Missouri, Oh the plains below the Rocky Mountains,
down towards the Hudsous Bay Company, the north
Red river, are literally annIhlated Their principal
trade was at Fort Union, mouth Of The Yellow Stone
Tho Crecs living in the same regions numbering
1900 nearly all destroyed The great nation called
Bla'kfee who wander and live by the chase, ranging
hrplgh all The region Of the Rocky Mountains dnld-
ed iuso hinds-Piegans, Gros Venres Blood ludlaus,
and B'dcktte amounting in all to $4,000 or 60 900,
have deeply suffered. One thousand lodges families
have been destroyed. and the diseases rapidly
spreading amoug the different bands The average
Der IN lodge IS from q TO persons
fps fearful and alarming disease will doubtless b..
communicated 10 all the tribes the Columbia rve
and IN all probability TO oil the tribes south of the Mis-
son. to the Mexican settlements These unfortunate
beings have been fast disappearing before advances
aud Providence has at last threatened 10 sweep them
from The earth leaving nothing but the graves
meu,os OF their former existence Oar country abolnds
with evidences oil having been occupied by another
and may they M, as these have fallen victims 10
such sconfge The ways of Heaven inst, yet
MYSTERIOUS and nations must bow before will, the
reed before the storm.
The following letter from gentleman now in the
Indian country gives Gas We have be-
liese) a. tre but startling account vi the rdVages COM
ntttd by The small pox We know the writer well.
aud whatever he says, may be relied on All will read
his narrative With interest. and can but sympathse
the misortunes Of those who have severely suf-
fcred
.FoRr UNioS, Nov 81, 1897.
DEAR STR Knowing that you feel deeply interested
in every thing relative Indian affairs the Upper
Missouri. feel that it is my duty make knowiAto
you the mighty changes which few short months have
brought about.
You will probably recolect that the small pox was
hoard of the boat the she UP last
iuer and that had all hstlered ourselves that the
Indians would escape the cunsglon. IL appears that
fate had decreed it otherwise lu spite Of all the pre-
cautions that used, the disease broke at the
Maudans about the 18th July. aud from thence If
borne the wings Of the wind spread throughout the
whole country u Incredible short space Of time
There is tribe above the Sou, except the Crows
but literally snnhilated The disease appears to
have been the most viruent that ever was heard Of
let few facts suffice TO show its character.
VIC know the population Of the two Mahdan Villa
ges-prohahly 500 souls At the time passed there
Csl Oct there thrty-one only remaining. The
eros Frnlres and Rces irlckareesl were about on
hunting excursion, took the disease month later
consequently not than one-half Of the tribes
hid persisted AT the time ! tiern-but the small
pox sIl raging in the camps, and great numbers
diving every day.
Some few, probably one in fifty, recovered from Sc
we're attacks bat finding that their relations were all
dead and seeing the dreadful ravages which the disease
had wrought ~ their handsome features life be-
borden them. AMI The greater part put end
To their w lNes-sone by throwing themselves from
the high rocky prcclpces which, yon recollec,, stands
the village, Others by shooting, stahbing, &c. The
whole Of the surrounding prairie has been converted in
to great grave yard and hundreds Of cacases which
had received the rights Of sepuchre lay scattered
aroind IN various stages Of dssouto eaittlny feted
exhaatois. which poisoned the atmosphere, aud made