Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-02-14
From the Baltimore SUM-

Horrible Cruclties TO Mrs.. Wilson, wRile a
Cdptice among tie Lsdiaas-We have already
announced the escape and return Of Mrs. Jane
Wilson, of Texas, to Santa Fe, who had been
taken captive by the Camanche Indians, and
subjected to the most extraordinary cruelteS.-
The affair has very justly excited the greatest
Indignation in New Mexico against the In-
dians.
From Mrs. Wilson's narrative, it appears
that she is but II years Of age. About year
ago she was married to young farmer in Tex
rs, and in April they joined a party of fifty two
I emigrantS, bound for California. They were
attacked by Indians and the party compel
! led to return to Texas; but Mr. and Mrs. Viii
son remained ut El PaSo, where their horses
! being stolen, they were compelled also to give
up the plan Of going to California and set out
on their return to Texas in July. In August,
Mr. Wilson and his tather fell into the hands of
Indians and were murdered. Mrs. W. returned
to FL Paso, and again in September started for
Texas, with her three brUtherS-in law a.d
small party. When within three days Journey
OF Phantom Hil an American military post,
they were attacked by CamancheS, while some
of their men we're Off III pursuit OF some other
horses that had been stolen. A Mexican, who
was with Mrs. Wilson, was brutallv murdered
and sea ped before her eyes, and she and her
two brothers-in.law, lads of u and 10 years,
,-.re seized, hound, ,s-rz! Carried 0i s'iVh Jhc
entire property OF the party.
The Indians, with their captives, proceeded in
Northwest direction each being appropriated
as the property OF one or other OF the Chiefs
They were stripped of nearly all their clothing,
and otherwise brutally treated. Mrs Wilson,
although expecting soon TO become mother,
was subjected to every conceivable cruelty and
indignity; beaten and bruised; exposed to ati-
CUES of all Xxi ds; her flesh lacerated by lariats
and in whips, or by the loads of wood she was
obliged to carry on her bare back; compelled to
the work of men; or punished for her ability ny
being stoned knocked down and trampled on;
almost entirely deprived Of foOd--and all this
lasted for twenty-five days. At this time, she
was sent in advance in the morning as usual.
when she determined to attempt an escape,
which she succeeded in accomplishing by Sc
creiing herself in some bushes till the Indians
had passed.
For twelve days she wandered through this
Indian country sudsistin5 upon berries when
size fortunately fell in with some New Mexican
traders, who furnished her with some mems
clothing and blanket. In consequence of
their meeting with a Camanche, they had to
leave her behind, and she narrowly escaped
a second capture, But, by the sunsvTGep; aid
of one of the traders, Pueblo Indian, she was
enabled, after hiding herself for eight days. to
escape. At the expiration of this time she was
rescued by the traders, furnished with horse,
and brought TO the town Of Pecos, New Mexico,
where Major arleon and others, OF the army,
took care Of her and enabled her to proceed to
Santa Fe.
This is but an outline of a terrible story, the /
counterpart of which, in all except the escape, /
are said to be frequent. y letter from Santa
Fe says that the white captives among the /
Campanches are rs numerous rs the Indians
themselves. The same letter mentions the es-
cape OF yuung Mexican wGman who returns,
after years terrible captivity, expecting to
become the mother of an infant whose father is
u wild Indian. The CamaifcheS practice cruel |
ty i'll It's utmost refinement towards their cap
tivcs. Children are trained to he more savage /
than they are themselves, and women are sub |
ect to outrages too horrible 10 be mentioned.
The Sante Fe Gazette says The two broth
erS of Mrs. Wilson are yet in captivity, and un- |
less soon reclaimed, will imbibe taste for the /
wild life ofthe Indian, and be forever lost
There are many hundreds, and we may venture |
to say, thousands of captives among the Indians
of New Mexico, principally women and chll- |
dren; the former are forced to become slaves
of the men, and the latter are trained for warrl-
orS."
When Gov. Merritweher c:me ont, he was
fortunate enough to rescue two Mexican girls
from near Cananches-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. They were
to the Gov-rnor of that State, who acknowl-
edged the conduct Of the Governor Of New Next
co in very handsome terms. They said there
were a large number of Mexican women IN cap
tivity and they saw one American women,
with small child; that an Indian one day,
when they were travelling on horseback, took
the child fromits mother, threw it up into the
air, and as it came down caught it on his spear,
and that others rode up at full gallop, took 1t
Oil their spars, and so passed it around among
the party.
Surely our government will not permit such
outrages to 80 .HHbahished; even ifit be heees:
sary to exttfsaiHate the whole tribe Of these !,
brutal savages:
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