The North-Carolina standard., 1843-05-10
A SECOND POCAHONTAs.
House of Representatives,, Feb %, la4;


faiis made the following report
The Committee on Indian Affairs, to whom wa
submitted communication from the Secretary
Of War, recommending that pension be gran
ted 10 Milly, ali Indian woman of the Creel
nation, report:
That it appears, from the communication Of tht
Secretary of War, ana the accompanying state
ment of Lieut. Col Hitchcock as we'll as from tht
published and accredited history of The period
that in 1918, during the Indian in the South
Nlilly the proposed object of the bounty of the
Government. saved the life of an American citizen
who had been taken prisoner by several warrior:
of her tribe, and who was about to be put to death
by them, when he was rescued by her energetic
and humane interposition. The act of this Indian
girl revives the recollection of an event in our col
onial annals-the rescue of Captain Smith by the
daughter of Powhatan, the celebrated Pocahontas
Aiilly is the daughter of the Prophet Francis, a
distinguished Greek Chief who acquired mefan
choly celebrity from his execution by order o
General Jackson during the Iudian war Of 1917
Us A, the time she performed the action which
is 80 ennobIin9 to her character she was under
sixteen years Of age, her nation was at with
the United States and her father was one of the
most decided and indefitigable enemies of the white
pcople-circuuistarEces all of which go to exhibit
her conduct in a more excellent and exalted point
of view Vt the time the prisoner was brought
in by his captors. MiIIy and her sister were play
ing on the bank Of the Apalachicola river in the
vicinity of the Indian camp, when they were
startled, in the midst of their sports by the pecu-
liar war cry which announced that prisoner had
been taken They Immediately went in the drec-
ton of the cry and on arriving at the place. found
young white man stripped naked, bound to Il
tree and his caPtors preparing to put him 10 death
On observing this. Milly instantly went to her ia
ther, who as before stated, was the Prophet Fran
els. and a principal chief of the nation and be-
sought him to save the prisoners life This he
declined saying, at the same time, that he had no
power to do So. She then turned to his captors:
and begged them to spare the life of the white
man; but one of them who had lost two sisters in
the war refused to listen to her suppcationS in be-
half Of the prisoner declaring that his life should
atone for the wrongs which he had received at the
hands Of the white people. The active humanity
of Alilly would rot be discouraged She reasoned
and cntreatcd telling the yindictive savage who
was bent on the destruction Of the prisoner that his
death would not restore his sisters 10 life. After
a long time spent in her generous effort, she sue
ceeded in rcscuing the prisoner from the dreadful
death TO which he had been doomed by his cruel
eaptors. The condition on which his life f.
nally spared was, that he wonll shave his head
after the Indian fashion, and adopt their dress and
manner of living. 70 this he joyfully asSPnted.
Some time afterwards the white man sought his
benefactreSs in marriage, but she declined, and
subsequently married one of her own people. Her
husband is now dead. Her father was put to
death in the war of 1917 and 1918, and her mo-
iher and sister have since died She is friend
IySs and poor rtSidng amongst her people in their
new country, near the mouth of Verdgris river. /
She has three children, hoy and two girls, all
too young to provide for themselves. ana consc-
quenlly dependent upon their mother for support. /
Under these circumstances the Secretary of!
War recommends that pension of eight dollars :
per month be allowed her during the remainder
of her life The Committee see strong argu-
ment in favor of this diSpcnsation of the bounty of
the Government not only III the relief which 1t
will afford to the immediate recipient, whose con-
duct has so we'll deserved it, but also in the effect
which it is calculated to p1oduce by teaching the
still uncivilized though gradually improving peo-
pie to whom she belongs the virtue of humanity.
This act of the Government furnishing at once
proof of its gratitude ana benevolence, will show
them the estimation in which deeds of mercy arc
held by it, we'll as the rewards which bestows
on those who perform them.
The power of the Government to confer such
bounties has been frequently exercised. In 1884,
IN act was passed granting to two hundred and
hirty-fvc Polish eXies, transported to the United
States by order Of the Emperor of Austria, thirty
siv sections of land, within the limits of the State
Of Illinois or the Territory of Michigan. The
act BY which pensions are granted to the widows
Of officers and soldiers oft army of the United
States, is an exercise of the same power founded
On the same general principle. But it is enough
10 say that the Government which docs not pos
,css the power to pay its debts of gratitude, and to
perform acts Of bcncfccnce and charity, would be
unworthy of the respect and affections Of its ct-
zcns.
Believing that the act of this Indian woman
presents proper for the exercise of the graf
tude and bounty of the Government, the Commit
ee report bill allowing her pension of ninety
il dollars per annum during her life. +