The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-07-14
nine BIood Hound slory.

10 w IdSl6u upOu llHn tno OuluH VI o"b'S |
of Mr.. Van Buren's Administrations
They are accordingly circulating garbled
extracts from one of his letters, recon-
mending the employment of dogs to dis
cover the hiding places of the Indians,
during the war in Florida
That the whole affair may stand in its
proper light, and that these papers may
have the benefit of high Iocofoco com
ment upon it we publish below, the reply
made To Wise. who was chairman of
committee ofinquiry upon the subject by
Hon j. r. Poinsett, who was Martin Van
Buren's Secretary of War. and who ex-
pressed himself in very decided terms OIL
the subject We trust these locofoco
prints will give to ,heirreaders the entire |
document as it stands.--N Y Courier.
WAR DEPARTMENT, Dec. so, 1889.
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter of the 9th inst.
inquiring into the truth of the assertion
made by the public papers, that the gov
ernment had determined 10 use blood
hounds in the war with the Indians, and
beg to assure you that it will afford me
great pleasure to give you all the lnforma-
ton on the subject in possession of the de-
partment
From the first time entered upon the
duties of the war department, continu-
ed to receive letters from officers com
manding in Florida, urging the employ
ment of bloodhounds as the most efficient
means Of Terminating the atrocities daily
Iperpetrated by the Indians Oil the settlers
in that territory. To these proposals no
answer was given, until in the month of
August, 1888, while at the Virginia
lSprings, there was referred TO me from
the department, ettel addressed to the
Adjutant General by the officer com
manding the forces in Florida, General
Taylor, to the following effect:
"HEADQUARrERs Army ofthe South, /
Fort Brooke, July 30, 1888.
"SR: have the honor to enclose you
a letter this moment received, ou the sub
liect of procuring bloodhounds from the
Island of Cuba, to aid the army in its OPP
erations against the hostilities in Florida.
II am decidedly in favor of the meas
, ure, and beg leave to urge it as the only
, means of ridding the country OF the In
r dams who are now broken upinto small
parties, that take shelter in swamps and
y hammocks as the army approaches, ma
8 king it impossible forus to follow or over
a take them without the aid of such auXila
!. ries.
i. "Shculd this measure meet the appro
baton of the department, and the ne ces
sary power be granted, ] will open cor
respondence with Mr.. Everston on tht
biect, through Major Hunt, Assistan
It Quarter master at Savannah, and viii
authorize him if it can be done onreason
;. able terms, To employ few dogs. with per
sons who understand their Management
II soish 1t distinctly understood Ma
g my object IN employing dogs, is only Z
" ascertain whcre the Indians can be found
t, not to aOorry them
IL have the honor to be, Sir,
"Your obedient servant,
10 ~. TAYLOR, Brevet brig. Gen
er U. S. Accommodating"
Y, To Gen. r. Jones.
a. On this letter endorsed the followin
3. decision which was communicated I
IL Gen. Taylor: 81 have always been {
H. opinionthat the dogs oughtto be employe
st, ia this warfare. to prevent the army fror
of surprises and ambuscades and totrack tn
be Indian to his lurking place, but SUI
" posed, if the General believed them nee
II essary, he would not hesitate to tax
be measures to procure them. The col
90 90 blooded and inhuman murders lately pei
,c petrated upon helpless woman and chi
Of dren by these ruthless savages. render
no exped;ent that every possible NEAR
". should be resorted to in order to protet
~, the people of Florida, and enable tn
of United States forces to follow and caI
ture, or destroy the savage and unreler
od ting foe. General Taylor is therefore
IN. authorized to procure such number c
in. dogs as he may Judge necessary, it bein
IT, expressly understood that they are to /
he employed to track and discover the Ind
ce ans, not to worry or destroy them"
W. This is the only action or correspo
a.. dence of the department that has ev'
49, taken place relative to the matter. TT
,id General took no measures to carry IN
ha effect his own recommendation and tn
,do department has never siuce renewed Il
10. subject. continue, however, to ente
,se tain the opinion expressed in the abo'
A.. decision. do not believe that descr
az. ton of dog called the bloodhound. ne
essary to prevent surprise, to track Il
v1 Indian murderer; but still | think eve
,ed military post, and every detachmer
m. should be attended by dogs. That pr
nj caution might have saved Dade's COZ
na' mand from massacre, and, by givi
he timely warning, have prevented MAJ
md of the cruel murders which have be-
ing committed by the Indians in middle Flt
,n5 ida. The only successful pursuit of
n n dian murderers that know of, was Of
sr late occasion, when the pursuers we
ion aided by the sagacity of dogs. The ST
and ages had approached cabin ofpeacef
6t. industrious settlers so stealthily that
first notice of their presence was Civ
by volley from their rifles thrust
. of tween the logs of the house;& the work
the death was finished by tomahawking
lays woman after tearing from them iheir
MIS- fant children. and dashinC their bra