Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-08-26
Cholera among the Indians.


Major II. Picot. of the American Fur Co.,
who cane down few days since on the
steamer st Ange. we were given detailed
and full account ofthc prevalence of cholera
among the Indians in the past 2years.
About Fort Pierre, in the year 1850, the
first case of cholera occurred on The Fourth
of July. Other cases followed this. and the
disease spread until some three or four hun.
dred Missouri Sioux Indians had fallen vic.
| tins to il.
! The ravages of sickness were not confined
to the Indians, it would appear. The chol-
era communicated TO tho cattle, and Major
Picot states that from his own knowledge.
some fifty head of cattle died of sickness for
which he cannot account, unless it were
cholera. They were seized suddenly with
vomiting and purging. and in many lnstan-
Gel, indeed in the maj ority, death ensued af-
ter five or six hours from the manifestation
8eaf Singular Bat"ffIs Nevertheless true as
strange. We recollect very well one case of
this kind which occurred in l649, when tho
epidemic was at its greatest height. The
steamer Alexander Hamilton. bound for the
Missouri River. carried on board two horses
who were seized about the same time with
violent purging, and died despite all the ordi-
nary remedies that wero applied, few hours
only after the first indication of Illness.
When the disease was raging most violent
y among the Indians, council was held at
ter whose decision the entire nation struck
camp, and separated for various quarters
A portion of them took refuge in tho noun
tains, and the remainder journeyed towards
the north. The cholera followed the party
who had repaired to the mountains, and con-
tinued to commit sad savages among them.
To add still moro to their misfortunes, the
small pox broke out among them about tho
same time, and while il ran its course about
five or six hundred fell victims to il. The
traders did all that lay in their power to al
levate the suiferings about them. They were
fortunately well provided with vaccine mat
ter, and Major Pioot supposes that no less
than fifteen or twenty thousand Indians were
vaccinated by them, to start from tho occur
renee of the first case.
The most frightfu panic spread itself a.
mong tho Indians on the appearance of chol-
era in such a malignant form. Neither inter.
est, friendship; nor parentage, wer, sufficient
bonds to keep them together in this time of
affiction. Wives were abandoned by their
husbands. parents by their children. and
friends by their friends. The cholera
as also the small pox, fingered from July g.
so to July 1851, aoatng in winter to con.
siderable extent In that time numerous
children and helpless women. and old men
who had been suddenly abandoned by those
who had hitherto supported them. were pick
ed up and taken care of by traders. In the
present year, of the Indians who went to the
Norte the majority are not vaccinated 1t is
apprehended that when they return, while
approprating TO their use the guns. blank
cts, and clothing of the invalds by small pox
which wore thrown away in the praires. the
disease will introduce itself among them.
The fact may not be without its intere st
that in the present year, when the party of
Sioux consisting of 1000 families,) went
to the north, they fell in with a party of
Blackfeet, who were in search of the Crow
Indians. The Sioux attacked them, and
murdered every person in the party Not
single one was left TO bear the tale to his ma
ton.
After the occurrence Of the first few cases
of small poX, these Indians who had retired
to the north became particularly careful in
their intercommunications with strangers.-
Guards were stationed about their village
whose duty it was to warn all strangers from
approaching them, and further, TO shoot down
such as persisted in crossing the line of their
encampment. Major Picot adds that very
many Indians of the foreign tribes ae well as
of the Sioux tribe itself, were murdered, for
the reason that they disrogarded this rcgula-
tion.--[St. Louis Rep.