Democratic banner., 1848-03-27
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~ TUESDAY MORNINGS BOAT.

From the St. Louis Union, Of the 9th.
HIGHLY IMPORTANT FROM THE
PLAINS-RUMORED DEFEAT OF
COL, RAILS AND LOSS OF NINE
TY MEN-MURDER OF EDWARD
THARP.
We are indebted to Mr.. Lewis. Tharp,
who came passenger last evening on the
81. Joseph, from Kansas, for late and high
" important intelligence from the noun
tains and Plains.
Mr.. Tharp left Fort Spaulding, a post
eighty miles above Fort William, on the
Arkansas, on the 18th of February. A few
days before he left, his brother, Edward
Tharp, was deliberately shot and killed, by
a white man named James Waters. There
had been a triaing difficulty between the
two. Mr.. Tharp was off his guard when
shot. Waters fled, and had not been ar
rested. 1t will be recollected that Will
p lam Tharp, another brother of these young
men, was killed not many months since by
Indians, at Walnut Greek, on his return
from Santa Fe.
Mr.. Lewis Tharp was accompanied by
seven men, and had thirteen mules. He
came by the way of Fort William, where
he found all we'll. The weather was very
stormy, but nothing particularly occurred
to mar the progress of the trip, until the
party had passed Fort Mann, two nights
after which, all the animals wandered off
during a severe storm. Next day they
were traced to Fort Mann and retaken.--
On this %retrograde march, the party met
three men from Santa Fe, the bearers of
an express. Their animals, two of which
they had lost, were worn down, and they
were getting along very slowly. The snow
was deep and the weather very cold. Mr..
Tharp, on recovering his mules, furnished
aid to these persons, and they a%ccompani-
ed him as far in as Council Grove, where
they obtained further aid from Mr.. Hays,
who keeps a trading post. They were to
have departed for Fort Leaveuworth OIL
the following day. Mr.. Tharp thinks they
will be in st. Louis in a few days.
This express left Santa Fe on the 23d
February. Ten days before they left, a1u,
NOR reached there that Coll Rails had
been defeated with the loss of ninety men
Col. Rails had retreated. Immediately OF
the reception ofthis report, which was sub
sequently confirmed, Gen. Price left San
ia Fe with all of his disposable force ex,
cept 500 men, and proceeded to rcinforc,
Col Rails. No further particulars wer,
heard up to the time of leaving. The health
of the troops at Santa Fe was quite good.
Nh. TharP learned from the conducto'
Of this express, that a law had recently
been passed, laying a tax of six per cen
or the original cost of all merchandise in
troduced into Santa Fe from the United
States.
The party from Santa Fe, when near
creek called "Wagon Tracks," heard of
Mexican who had previously been a con,
spicuous insurrectionist, being in the neigh
horhood. They heard, also, the beating Of
adrum, but met with no mulestatiun.
On the 9Th of March, Fishers expires:
from Fort Leavcnworth for Santa Fe wa
met. The men had suffered much, ant
several of them had their ears frozen.
Mr.. Tharp and party arrived at kama.
on Monday last This gentleman has late.
ly been peculiarly unfortunate. Beside
the loss of two brothers, he has had til,
ill-luck to have been robbed last winter
of large quantity of merchandise by Indi
ans, in the mountains. At that time Il,
had three men killed.