Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-11-15
Horrible massacre by tho Indians.

II
AID with the following horrible details Of
the bloody massacre committed by the
Snake Indians, upon a party of emigrapts
near Fort Boise, in Oreg,n |
On the morning of the 22d. of August
last, party of eighteen men left Fort
Boise, for the purpose Of srescuing three
ladies and a number of children were who
supposed to be in the hands of a party of
Winnass Indians, { one of The small tribes
Of Snake Indians. who live on Boise Ri
L.. very who attacked Mr.. Alex. Wards
train, from Missouri, on the goth of Au-
gust, aboutnoon, twenty five miles above
Fort Boise, on the South side Of Boise
River.
This party, on arriving at the place
where the first attack was made, found
. the dead bodies Of Alex. Ward and his
eldest son Robert, Samuel MulligaD,
Charles Adams, Vim. Babcock, and a
German, name unknown.
From the statement of the surviving boy,
Newton Ward, it would appear that no
effectual resistance was offered by any Of
% the party, except DIR. Adams and Multi
gan, who fought bravely. -.
o. Following the trail, in aboutthree hun
.dred yards, the body Of young Anon Was
found, a lad of seventeen years OF age;
The was one of the seven who came to
rescue on the day Of the attack, with VIM.
Yautiss.) This young man fought with
great valor, pursuing the Indians to the
bushes, where he was killed. About one
hundred yards farther on, the body of
Miss Ward was found, having been shot
through the head with a musket ball.
Her person was much bruised, her hands
showing signs of her having fought
most desperately to resist the fen
dish attacks of those savages upon her
youthful person. The marks OF teeth
were plainly implanted upon her left
cheek |; hot piece of iron had been
thrust into her doubtless while alive, TO
punish her for her resistance, and there
being unable to accomplish their hellish
ends upon one SO young. Within a few
rods of this spot wagon had been burn
ed, and the bodies of two dogs found cris-
ped up.
About fifty yards on. in the brush
three more wagons were burned. The
trail was followed up, and in about six
hundred yards the body of Mrs. White,
(the wife of William White who lives
in Locking glass Prairie, Umpq7a
Valley was found stripped of her
clothing, and scalpcd. Her head was
beaten in by clubs, and also a musket
ball had passed through her head. Her
person, showed signs of the most brutal
violence. -r.
The trail was followed from her, and in
about half mile through dense
sthicket of brush aud underground, the
fifth wagon was found, having been run
into deep rayine and left.
:. In about thirty yards further, came to
Az ~, I, hop e ,p,hi ,l,
was discovered where they had been en-
camped it consisted of sixteen lodges
made of willow bushes. Here the body
Of Mrs. Ward and three children were
found. Mrs. Ward was laying in the en-
campment in front OF a fire, her person ha,
wing been robbed of all its covering, and
her body much cut and SCARED by british
bruises. Her face had deep wound in
flicted by a tomahawk, which probably
caused her death. The children were ly
Ing about the fire in front of her, having
evidently been burned alive, as Il portion
of the hair still remained upon their heads,
showing they had been held by the hair
ofLhe head until burned to death, in front
of their mother, and she doubtless COM
pelled to witness this whilst they had
their war dance, ana they violated her
person. She Vas soon IT, be mother,
which rendered the sight still more shock
ing. Several parts Ot limbs wer6 picked
up some distance from the fire, having
been dragged away by the wolves or In
dian dogs, Tor several had been left in the
camp by them. Having scarce any i'm
rpIements, the bodies were inferred in the
best manner possible, under the circum
sAtanees.
There were still lad and three chill
dten missing. A diligent search WAS
made for Their bodies without success
From the statements of the E. AjSiAg boy,
it was known that this lad l. ~ ounded
and ran to the bushes, aSal Yas probably
since died aud it is e.; s1ro ne In possible
that the three chiidbs.T are eaptives, or
reserved for some future barbarous cere.
rnony. - =, ..---..--.
From the Statement of Mr.. Masterson,
Who is a Stother of Mrs. Ward and Mrs
White, it appears that the booty that the
Indians carried off. consisted of forty one
head of cattle, 1--WE horses, and about 49,,
600 or $4,000 in money, besides guns,
pistols, etc. .. -..z..-
The party of seven finding the Indians
greatly superior in number, were obliged
to abandon the pursuit. VIM. Yantis, on
returning to the scene Of the first attack
discovered. Newton Ward, lac of thir-
teen years Of age, the only survivor of the
party, severely wounded, and brought
him off in safety.
We have the news Of the murder of
three men on Camerse, Prairie, which is on
Jeffries and McArthur's cut off. 1 have
the story from man who was at the spot
a few minutes after it occurred. The In
J;o,s ro,la IN tn thrpa men who wpra