The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-02-04

L W ASA hcaAS Az ACAdnt has DecN pupiieucu In t0t
Santa Fe papers. Mrs. W. is very young-noi
seventeen years Of age She was married at the age
of sixteen, to ahusband who was not much older
Dazzled by the accounts OF riches 90 eaaily to be
won in California, they started soon after theil
marriage for that modern Ophir, but having been
robbed by the Mexicans of nearly all they had they
were forced to return. On their way back, Mr.
Wilson and his father were taken prisoners by the
Indians and probably killed Mrs. W., with the
| remnant of the party, proceeded on, but were me,
by Indians who barbarously murdered Mexican
of the party, and took her and her two young bro
thers-in-law prisoners. The boys seemed to like
the excitement of their new life; but Mrs. w was
treated with the most awful inhumanity, at time
too when her pecnliar condition should have COM
nanded at least some kindness. Beaten, bruised
and almost starved, she travelled with the Indians
| twentyiour days but on the morning of the twen
ty- fifth, she succeeded in making her escape. By
| the assistance of some new Mexican traders, yet
with many narrow escapes and much suffering,
her scanty clothes having been torn from her back
by the brars and substituted through the kindness
| OF the traders by mans apparel, she reached the
town of Pecos on the thirty-fourth day after her
capture. Here she met Maj. Carlton and Mrs.
Adams, of the U. S. Army who took the deepest in
terest in her comfort. She was supplied with fe-
male clothing, and after remaining there few days
was conducted to sante Fe bya son OF Gov. Merri-
wether. She concludes her narrative as follows
To Governor Merriwether, and also to the Ameri-
can ladies of this place. cannot be too thankful for
their friendly sympathies and uniform kindness.
The past seems like horrid dream | have re-
lated nothing but facts, and language that can
t1sa f11l1y faa NJ
body which / have endured. My two brothers-in-
law are still captives and unless reclaimed will
become as savage as the Indians. The Mexicans
saw them with the Camanches, but were unable
to procure their freedom Oneis twelve years old
and the other ten, and unless the strong arm of
government is lifted up for their redemption, there
| is no hope for them.
The terrible cruelties inflicted upon Mrs. Wilson,
whose narrative is given above, seems to have ex-
cited the greatest Indignation in the territory
against the Indians The Gazette alludes to it in a
long article, from which we take this extract:
Heretofore, Indian outrages upon our defence
less frontier settlers have been viewed with almost
total indifference by the people of the U. States
The most cruel outrages have hardly attracted
their attention, but if negro, perchance re.
ceived one lash too many from his master the very
souls of these dear friends of the human race fair
| ly overfowed with sympathy for the suferings of
the black man. But we intend this state of tbinos
shall be no longer because we will force the
government and the people 10 take notice OF these
depredations they must afford protection even
| II 1t should be necessary, in doing So in the Ian
guage OF Kit Carson, to wipe out" the Indians
| 1t Is not long since that an obscure individual
| and who had but recently sworn allegiance to the
United States, arrested in the distant port of
Smyrna, by the authorities of nation with which
we are at peace, and thrown into prison The cap-
tain of an American man-of-war which CHANGED to
! be i'll those waters, demanded his release at the
cannons mouth, and the prisoner saved
| When this noble action known in the United
s., every pen and every press awarded it the most
unbounded praIse-grave cabinet ministers took
the matter into serious consideration and even war
was takek of to avenge the insult offered an Amer
| ican, the hem Of whose garments, could not &C.
cordlng to the doctrine laid down by the present
| administration, be touched without the whole
power OF the Union coming down upoh the wrong
| doers.
We justify all this, and want the rule made gene
raj and leave it for the people OF the United States
| TO determine whether the government should not
manifest 1.-THE at least of the promptitude in re-
dressing the wrongs oil Nrs. Wilson, they exhibited
| IN the case OF poor koszta. We have confidence in
the administration. and believe they will take the
proper steps to bring the Indians to Justice
The two brothers of Mrs. Wilson are yet in cap.
tlvlty, and unless reclaimed will imbbe taste
tor the wild life OF the Indian and be lost forever
There are many hundreds and we may venture to
say thousands of captves among the Indians OF New
Mexico, principally women and children; the form
er are forced to become slaves of the men, and the
! latter are trained for warriors
| When Gov. Merriwether came out he was fort,l.
nate enough to rescue two Mexican girls from the
| Camanches-one sixteen and the other eighteen
| years of age. They had been captured from near
Chihuahua, one three years and the other ten months
| before Ihey were sent to the Governor Of that
State, who acknowledged the conduct of the Gov
vernon OF New Mexico, in very handsome terms
| Ihey said there large number of Mexican
women In captivity and they saw one American
woman, with small child; that Indian one day.
when they were travelling on horseback took the
child from its mother threw ii up into the air and
as 1t came down, caught it his spears and that
others rode up at full gaop took it ON their spears
| ana SO passed 1t around among the party There
VIII be many capives among the Indians SO long as
| they are paid to give them up; LET blood be the
only ransom paid, and there viii soon cease to be
| captives.
| We could relate numerous instances of almost
unheard OF barbariy; which the Indians of the
Plains practice upon their captives but the case we
nave mentioned will suffice to call the public at.
tenflon 10 these outraces-
The WHEELING FIRE.-The Wheeling Intelli.
gencer of Wednesday gives the following addition.
al particulars of the burning of the Missouri Iron
Works in that city:
The fire originated in the cellar of the nail facto
~, wnlcn mad just been newly fitted DIP, and sup.
piled with twelve nail machines and constitit
ed a part OF about $4,000 worth of repairs lately
put upon the works. The nail factory, together
with all the buildings occupied by the furnaces and
other departments of machinery, was entirely con
sumed' and much OF the machinery greatly dam
aged The warehouse, which there was an in
surance OF $4,000, alone escaped. On no Other
part OF the property was there any insurance
Inc works were owned by DR.. Shoenberger Of
pmtsourgh, and the total loss is estimated at $50,
00o The loss OF Messrs johnson, Sweeney &, Co
is estimated at $l2000
There was no tire in the cellar where the work
OF destruction commenced, and never had beer
any, ana the proprietors entertain no doubt that il
was the work of incendiaries
scamp recently hired a horse at the livery sta