The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-01
News from the Plains.
MAJOR HALLAR's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF FOUR

INDIANS.
II win be recollected that company of immigrants
were massacred by the Indians last year under crcum
of peculiar arocity and barbary Major Haiar
was sent out with some Of the military punish the In
dams The OIegonar publishes letter from one the
expedtonists dated Camp Ripley, Cammas Prairie, July
90, 1855 IRON which make the following extracts-
We had incidents of any consequence after leaving
the Daies until we arrived at Fort Boise where the
major held with the Bannck tribe Of Snake In
dams. While holding the confab, four of the Winnass
band (Which is the tribe by whom the
mted) had the temerity to into the eonnc they
were known to the interpreter who signided TO the
Major that they were in camp as SPIES The mayor id
not intimate to any peson his knowledge OF their being
there, until the ,ra over when he had them ar
rested. They tried next day by a military COM
mission consisting Of three officers, and the first one on
being tried confessed ALL both the share he himself had
in the massacre and also that of his fellow prisoners
and even went promise to take the troops to
where there more OF the murderers, promise
which he evidently did not intend to fulfil as crcam-
the sentry over him being relieved, he made
spring the tent the court holding its session
in, threw of his buffalo robe, and bounded with the
speed and agility of deer for the river which he would
have reached in very few springs and If he had, his
The whole camp was now in an uproar officers
and running for their guns and revolvers, and
haioong to shoot him. Sergeant Keliehard was
geant OF the guard, and was relieving the sentry over
the prisoner at the time he jumped from the tent he
drew up his nusket and fired; and fortunately (for
consider it only chancs shot for him. although only
few steps Off hit him in the back; he made spring
in the air. and fell on his face and in three or four min
utes all was with him. The whole Affair." from first
to last, did not occupy more than two minutes before
everything again quiet The Court proceeded with
the trial of the others they found guilty Of par
ticipating in the murders and sentenced to be
hung the graves OF the murdered emigrans,
tence which correspondent with the feelings OF all pre-
sent. Accordingly, next day, July u.s. we took up
line OF march for the massacre ground which Is about
twenty miles from Fort Boise the river Of the
same name where we arrived about noon, and immeli-
aiey set about constructing gaows in order to carry
the sentence into effect.
Lieut. Hodges was detailed with party to bury the
bones OF the murdered emgrants the wolves having dug
up the bodies after they buried last fall The gal
lows erected Immediately the mound the bones
placed under and the spot where the immigrants
shot. Everything being in readiness, the cti
and soldiers attached to Axpeddon were paraded
to the gaows and their sentences having been read and
interpreted to Them the ropes placed around their
necks and at the signal the wagon drove from under
them and they swung into eternity They were told by
the interpreter what they to be hung for They
said it right and just that they should lie behalf
Of their tribe to satisfy the Sockel yee and the Bos
tons for the murders committed by their tribe that
the whites should not modest any of their tribe but
let them alone. In this opinion they little mis-
TAKEN for il any of their tribe caught they win
be served in the manner. The bodies were left
hanging until sunrise next morning, when they
taken down and buried at the foot Of the gaows which
contrary believe to Major Rains instructions to
Haar which said IL any taken they should be left
hanging warning to the other Indians; but the OIL
would not stand it, 1t being unchristanike and bar
them that instead of being terror to the Indians it
would have been incentive to them to commit worse
acts of barbarity The gallows left standing, which
Is sufficient