The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1851-01-17
A PRAIRIE INCIDENT.

A PRAIRIE INCIDENT.
At q place called Yellow Creek, about half
way between Salt Lake and the junction OF
the Oregon and California road, where we were
the unwilling witnesses to an Indian massacre
On the evening previous, we had crossed the
creek and encamped about mile beyond
Near the creek some Snake Indians, thirteen in
all, had erected their wgwans. Before dark
had endeavored, but in vain, to trade with the
chief, for a pony, hut "no swap" was the word,
though all the while some one of the party kept
exhibiting the good qualities and speed OF the
different animals The young squaws exceiled
their lords in horsemanship or horsewomanshlp
One young creature assumed every attitude
of the best circus rider. She would pick her
whip from the ground under full speed; check
her pony in his mad career, as if he had been
shot; wheel him at full speed, by an inclination
of her body-throw the lassO successfully at
whatever Oh Lject she pleased. She rode like the
men, yet,
can antelope,
In the suspended impulse of its lightness,
We're less etherially light"
She was an Indian beauty, too, and some.
what of coquette in the bargain. She would
arch her own and holse's neck at any praise
bestowed on either her beauty or herhorseman-
ship, and laugh most heartily at our attempts to
make ourselves understood. She was all lIte
and buoyancy-but alas! she was cold
corpse ere the morning sun shone upon the
valley in which she had been so active and
happy.
Just as the day was breaking. we heard the
ominous war-huop aud Immediately followed
the sharp crack of a rifle. We aroused our
selves from our snnber and fastened towards
the scene Of action. A h,rrid sight met our
view. There lay the dead forms of those who
had lived and breathed the evening before; ;
nearly all had two or three bullets in their DO
dies. Our heroine of the night previous had
not escaped. She lay outside her wgwam
bleeding corpse. No respect had been paid TO
her iet-black locks, the scapng knife had
passed round them; and they now doubtless
grace the girdle of some gracelcss Utah.
Twelve Snakes lay dead upon the ground, nine
of whom had been scalped, two old Indians
and Il boy having escaped the knife; one sqnaw
had escaped by flight. The perpetrators Of this
horrid scene were about fifty Utah Indians,
whom we saw near the camp of an emigrating
party, about q mile from the scene of action
With horror and disgust we turned from the
sight, and pursued our way.-S Louis lntelh.
gencer.
Uero.sm of Sailors.-The Richmond Re-
publican speaking OF punishments i'll the navy,
and remarking that at present it can see no
substitute for flogging, although it would re-
joice to see this disgraceIul mode OF punish
ment abolished, if any other mode can be sng-
gested which will preserve the discipline and
the efficiency of the service, says:
"We must concede, that degraded as the
habits Of sailors often are, there arc redeeming
traits about them such as no other class Of men
in the world possess We doubt, for example,
whether the pages of the history of the world
present 4 parallel to the sublime magmanmty
and self.sacrihce Of the crew of the United
States brig Somers. When that vessel was
wrecked and about to sink, it was found that
only 4 portion Of the crew could be taken of
in boats. Those who were commanded to re-
main obeyed without murmur. Some offered
their places in the boats to others, though it
was evident that no human help could reach
those who remained A large, heavy man,
who had taken a seat in one Of the boats, was
ordered to return to the vessel, as thereby two
men of smaller size could be saved. He did so
without complaint. The boats sailed off; the
Somers went down amid the boiling waves,
and with her those sef.sacrfcng heroes,
whose glorious courage and greatness Of spirit
have never been equalled in ancient or modern
| terms
"We confess that we do not like to see the
lash held over men capable of such deeds, and
that we most earnestly hope to see thorough
reform, and plan substituted by which disrip-
line can be preserved without this degrading
mode of punishment"
DEsTlTuTuoN IN NORTHERN CITIEs--DeaM
from Starvation and Cold.--Yesterday after
noon, says the Boston Times, Coroner Pratt
was informed that a circumstance, calling for
his interference, had taken place in a room in
the rear of 2l6 Ann street; he repaired to the
spot, and found a scene Of misery, destituton,
suffering and death, almost too severe for be-
lief Two women were lying in bed, with
no clothing excepting the rags on their backs,
and no fire in the room. They had nothing to
eat during three days. neither had there been
any fire in the room during that period. One
of the women was quite dead; she had perish.