New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-05
CHIHUAHUA.
The Indians Of the Plains and their Slaves.


The Indians Of the Plains and their slaves.
Corf-.to1dencs q Tie y. 7. TrSuae.
CHIHUAHUA Saturday, Dec. 4. 1882.
Ipromised in my letter of Nov. ~, which j
hope will have reached you, TO continue my re-
marks on the country between Missouri and
Mexico, and, having given in my first some gen.
eral outlines of geological and geographical
facts observed during my journey, to proceed in
this second one TO the moral state of the inhab
itants OF these vast regions Do not lear that |
shall tire your readers with repeating what has
been said hundred times Of the Indians Of the
plains. or of the Mexican frontier; but there
are some facts which, 10 my knowledge at least,
are not generally known to the public of the
States and Of the civilized world in general.
What am abiding to is the immense extent
which the slavery of persons of the white race,
if that designation will be allowed for the Span
ish Mexican population has reached among the
Indians of the plans and of the mountains on
the frontiers Of Mexico and the character
which this slavery has acquired AZ The present
time.
OF all the numerous COmanches and kiOwas,
whom we met on the Arkansas in the neghbOr
hood of Fort Atkinson and the crossing OF the
river, there was indeed scarcely one who had not
one or several male or female Mexican children
with him whom they themselves b0asted Ofhaying
kidnapped in Mexico, telling us the places where
they were from. To conclude from what We
saw. there must be, not hundreds, but thousands
Of Mexicans, most of them of tender age, in
slavery among the Indians OF the plains. oh
eTs were full gr0wn men and women, the former
entirely barbarians like their Indian masters
among whom they had lived from their youth,
tie latter in some cases good deal more cult
waited on account of their having been kidnap-
ped at a more advanced age, which Is never the
case with male captive, fullgrown men being
always killed fell into the hands of these
savsges. Some OF the Mexican men whom we
met in this state of captivity looked WORKOUT
and poor, and complained of being iltreated
and not getting food enough, while others de-
clared that they would by no means, even if
they could return 10 their native country, and
confessed that they were themselves used 10
participate in those horse-stealing and kidnap-
pingexpedit0ns which the Comanches and XII
owas proudly call "cdmpadds," speaking with an
expression OF cupidity Of the cayalias, mulas,
muCeres muchachas, the horses, mules wo-
men and girls, OF Mexico. The boys appeared
10 be generally welltreated Some Of them
had even been adopted as children by the In.
dians. An old kiowa chief who visited our
camp, had three boys with him whonhe de
clared TO be his children, telling us at the same
time that OF two of them he was the real father,
while he had brought the third one from Mexi-
co in one of his military expeditions This
third boy was evidently kept as well as the two
real sons oil the old man, and when We asked the
chief as we'll az the boy, whether they would
like 10 separate in case We should pay him a
good price for the boy for the purpose of taking
him along with us TO his native place, both
laughed with a sort of contempt, showing fully
that both we're us well satisfied with each other
as with their situation in general
The fate of the girls Kidnapped ia tender
age is even lees painful. They are generally
brought up by those who capture them to make
the wives OF their sons. The chiefs visit
ing our camp with their families, all had Mexi-
can wives. The fate ola full grown woman fall
Ing into the hands of the Indians is often not so
easy as this. She seldom escapes violence and
brutality.
Among the boys whom saw among the Com
sncLes, there were two who, by their complex
ion, and the color of their hair and eyes evil
IDENTITY were either of American or German pa
rents. most likely of the latter, from the Ger
man settlements in Texas. l was told that
they were quite as likely the children OF Ameri-
cans living among these Indian tribes, and act
inc even as the leaders in their most savage un-
dertskings but il did not appear so TO me, and
the fact of Americans living with the Indians
and Joining in their hosthities against the settle
ments Of civilized life, appears TO have more
reference to those bands of highway robbers
composed Of lndisns, Mexicans and half breeds,
who iniest the roads and farming districts of
northern and eastern Mexico.
| must not omit 10 mention a fact which
throws some more light on Indian life as il now
is The Indians whom We met slong the Arkan-
sas River offered us girls and women for sale or
for prostitution. An old Comanche with his
young wife, who met me when We were travelling
along the road between Fort Atkinson and the
crossing, Offering me WOMAN for sale, gave me
the most minute description OF her She was
the sister OF the wife. They laughed at my re-
fussl, and would have sold her for cup Of cof-
fee.
( In general found that the character of the
. Indians OF the Plains whom had occasion 20 OBJ
ssrve-and there were thousands around US on
the Arkansas River-is far too well spoken of
BY some and far too Ill by others. But il can
not be denied that they have more of the mean
nature of the we'll or yultare than of the nobler
/ character OF the lion OF eagle. Their charac-
ter, however. is certainly not improved BY con
tact with the white man. and by the mixture OF
races which is going on in an increasing ratio
BY the great number of Mexican captives among
them, and by the intercourse of their women
With travellers Of the white race. In very
short time there viii be very few Indians Of pure
blood, and the tribes of warriors Of the red race
will be transformed into bands Of robbers and
sssassins composed of different peoples, mostly
recruiting themselves by kidnapping, ami whom
10 eXterrlinste viii be an ultimate sad neces
s.ty.
am in lack Of time to-day TO conclade thu