Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-03-16

Horrible Cruelty 10 a Sioux Girl.
H. R. Schoolcraft. Esq, author Of The In
dian in his Wigwam," &c, vouches for the
authenticity of the following painful and unna-
.ural events, which occurred during the fierce
predatory war carried on between the Pawnees
and Sioux Indians In the month of ebruary,
1888, the Pawnees captured Sioux girl only
fourteen years Of age. They carried her TO
their camp on the ives, of the Missirouri, and
deliberaed wha. should be done with her. It
is not customary 10 pu, female captives to death.
but too make slaves of them She, however,
was doomed 10 harder fate, bu, il was care
fully concealed from her, for the space of some
sixty or seventy days. During all this time she
was treated well, and had comfortable lodgings
and food, the same as the rest enjoyed On
the 22nd of April, the chiefs held general
council, and when in broke up, it was announ-
ced that her doom was fixed, but this was still
carefully concealed from her This doom was
an extraordinary one, and so far as the ohiec,
can be deduced, from the circumstances and
ceremonies, the national hatred TO their ene-
mics was INDUCED, by making the innocen,
non-eomba,ant, sacrifice TO the spiri, Of corn.
or perhaps, of vegetable fecundiy.
When the deliberations of the council were
terminated, on that day, she was brough. out,
attended by the whole council, and accompa-
MED on yisi, from lodge TO lodge, until she
had gone the whole circle. When this round
was finished they placed in her hands small
billet of wood and some paints. The warriors
and chiefs then seated themselves in circle
To the frs, person of distinction she then hand
ed this billet Of wood and paint; he contrib
uted TO this offering. or sort of sacrifcal chari
ly some wood and paint, then handed it too the
next, who did likewise, and he passed i, 100
the next, until it had gone the entire rounds,
and each one had contributed some wood and
some paint. She was then conducted to the
place of execution. For this purpose they had
chosen an open grassyglade near cornfeld,
where there were a few trees The spo, Sc
lected was between two of these trees standing
about FIVE feet apart. in the centre Of which a
small fire was kindled, with the wood thus
tremendously contributed. Three bars had
been tied across, from tree TO tree, above this
fire, at such graded height, .ha, the points of
the blaze, when at its maximum. might just
reach to her feet. Upon this scaffold she was
compelled 10 mount, when warrior at each
side of her held fire under her arm pits. When
this had been continued as long as they sup
posed she could endure The torture, without ex-
.nguishing life, at given signal baud Of
armed bowmen let fly their darts, and her body
al almost the same instant, was pierced with
thousand arrows. These were Immediately
Withdrawn, and her flesh then cut with knives,-
from her thighs, arms and body, in pieces not
larger than half dollar, and put into little bas-
kets. All this was done before life was quite
extinct.
The field Of newly planted corn reached near
to this spot. This corn had been dropped in
the hlli but not covered with earth The prin-
cipal chief then took of the flesh, and going to
a hill of corn, squeezed drop Of blood upon
the grains Fhis was done by each one, until
all the grains put into the ground. had received
this extraordinary kind of sprinkling.
This horrld cruelty took place in the vicinity
of Council Bluffs. Offers to redeem the life OF
the prisoner had been made by the traders, in
a full council of eighty chiefs and warriors, bu,
they were rejected The original narrator was
an eye witness. He concludes his description
by adding that his wife's brother, Pawnee,
had been taken prisoner by the Sioux, in the
month Of June following, and treated in the
same manner Truely, i, may be said that the
precincts of,he wild rowing Red Man, are " full
of the abodes of cruelty"
An Excellent ENven1iOn