Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-08-09

conviction that they had shared the
same fate Of Lieut.. Hull and his men
we that night retired TO rest.
The Adrance Party---DescriptiOn Of
the Cayguas--PreparGtioHs For De
payturc---ArriuaI of Lieut.. Ham
and Party--- The March taken up
.ArriuaL at Summit ofthe Mountains
--Romantic VJetO--Ariuol at a Deep
Rapine---AwfaI Thunder Storm at
Night.
The party TO be sent on ahead was
under the command Of Capt. Sutton,
an excellent officer, and consisted of
eighty-seven officers and soldiers, with
merchants and travellers enough to
swell the number to ninety mine. Capt.
Lewis, 1t. Seavey, the adjntants, Its.
Lubbock, Munson and Brown were
along with this detachment; among the
civilians were Col. Cook, DR.. Bren-
ham, the Secretary Mr.. Van Ness, Ma
jor Howard, Filzgel aid, Frank Coombs
and myself, all well mounted and well
armed, and as we thought able to cut
our way through any body Of Indians
that mis- ht dare attack us. II was con-
sidered impossible to get away from
the main body without being discov-
cred, for it was we'll known thlt the
Cayguas had their spies out in every
direction, among ;he hills and in the
pralres: watching our every move
.nent.
The Cayguas appear TO be pow
erful tribe about whom little or moth
ing has been written. In their customs
and manner Of living they resemble in
every way the Camanches and Paw
nees, leading wandering prairie life
and never met with except on horse
back. Their hunting grounds lie in
the vicinity Of Red River, and direct
~ between those Of the two tribes |
have Just mentioned, and probably
never were visited by white men unless
a solitary trapper found his way among
them. A lew of them had rifles, but
far the larger portion are armed only
with laDces and bows and arrows.
They must have considered our
visit as hostile, for there is no other
way Of accounting for the horribly
bulchery and scalpIng Of 1t. Hull and
ofhis men. Having now sled blood
it was we'll known they would never
cease their murderous propensities so
long as they could find parties to at
tack. We afterwards ascertained that
a small party Of Mexicans traders were
among them, baltering meal, blankets
and trinkets for buffalo and deer skins,
and these very Mexicans might have
induced them to attack US. from good
authority we learned that ten Of their
warriors, besides a'priDcipaI chiefwere
killed by 1t. Hull and his men before
they were overpowered.
The morning Of the 3Ist August
was occupied in partially drying our
meat over slow fires, and in making
preparations for our departure. Hor-
ses were shod, bullets moulded, our
rifles and pistols thoroughly overhaul
ed, and nothing neglected in the way
Of that precautlon our uncertain adj
venture demanded. We were all
placed in i position where something
Of the kind must be done. The re-
peated reverses we had met with, the
hunger and fatigue we had under
gone and the impossibilily Of proceed
ing farther with the wagons in any
direction that would bring US nearer
the settlements, formed combination
OF evils for which there were only two
remedies. The first was, as men
toned in 10y last number, TO burn The
Wagons and goods and take the "bacb
track" for Yexas--the other to divide
the command and send a small party
ahead. The interchangeable go-ahcadt,
which characterizes the Anglo Saxor
race, no matter where or under VIVA
circumstance, placed prevented tn,
adoption of the former plan--the SAM
spirit induced the officers Of the eXpe
dtion to take up and carry out the lat
ter. Nearly every one appeared rejoic
ed when this course was determined
upon. The narrowing uncertainty O
the previous month would now be dis
: PEELED I'VE should now once more a
least know loheYe tUe ,Cere.
: 1t was near shutdown when we left III
camp a piece of ground chosen especial
, w 10 resist an attack with success. Jus
before sartiug VIC were all reioiced to SCI
, 1t. Ham with his men riding in. He hat
met wi h several small parties Of tho In
dams, and endeavorcd to induce them t,
come in; but they were sulky and dlspos
5 ed to fight although not strong enoIgl
z to dare any thing of the kind. Up to lhi!
{ time he knew nothing of the murder OF l.
p Hull's party The other men who wCT
, missing as have been since info-me
never came ~, and were undoubtedl
killed by the Indians.
Double file and in close order we left ii
D camp on the Arroyo QuIntufue the er
b gincer oftbe expedition Mr.. Hunt takin
= theiguidance. A brisk trot of two hour
i brought Us to the foot of the mountain, IAN
= hero otter choosing a strong position, W
: encamped for the uight.-No water wa
y | found hut "A, mo bad GIlod o,,r ,o,,rJ, a.