New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-08
THE LATE MASSACRE OF INDIANS.

We presume that our readers have perdsed the
fe7eral accounts We have lately published of re-
norted battle with the Indians of our Western
frontier battle which was no battle, but simply
treachorous massacre ON our part which would
have 6sgraced sny band Of sayages on the continent
1t NAV lie remembered BY our readers that about
year ago a lame con- strsyed from band OF emi-
grant Mormons near FoIt LeayenwOrth, which was
stolen snd driven into an Indian camp near BY,
where the Indians were awaiting their annual sub
sidy from our Government For this ofiense hot
headed subordinate commander at the Fort de-
manded instant reparatiOn in the surrender to him
of the person of the offender He could not be
found, or the Indians declined to give him up, aud
in consequence our Hotspur Of a commander pre-
oipitsted a company of troops upon the Indian en-
campment, pouring in a volley which killed and
wounded large number of their body. Thus as
saulted the Indians turned upon their assailants
and cut them to pieces.
The inexcusabe character of the assault may
be seen from the fact that the theft of the COW
was committed by body of Indians with whom
WE have a treaty STIMULATING that in all such or
similar cases the body shall be responsible for the
acts of any one of its number, and that restitution
shall be made out of the subsidy payable annusly
to the Indians.
All that was necessary, therefore, in the Of
the ofense in question, was to mulct the offending
parties by withholding from their subsidy, then on
the way to Fort LeayenwOrth, sufficient sum to
cover the loss ard to deter such practices in the
future. But such a Just and peaceable mode of
redress did not suit the temper of the person in
command of our forces on the frontier Ap-
parently animated by some brutal impulse, he
chose to attempt the infection of d punishment
wholly out Of proportion TO the Odense-an attempt
followed by a swift retribution which no body Of
men in the world civilized or savage would have
withheld
When the news reached Washington great
outcry was raised against the bloody attack of the
Indians and in due time our truculent Secretary
Of War. Jefferson Davis, came down to Congress
with demand of several regiments of men and
several millions of money for the amiable purpose
ofdest1oyirgb by fire and sword the tribes to whom
belonged the tbieyish individual who had stolen
lame COW, end detachment of whom had de-
Tended themselves against an infamous attack of
our troops
II is not often that Gen. Cass exhibits either
qualities or conduct as public man that we ap-
prove. but ON this occasion both he and Gen 1Ous-
ton deprecated the demand of the Secretary of
War. and declared their belief that we were wholly
in the wrong, and that it would be both unjust
ard cruel to initiate an Indian war aud fall upon
bodies of peaceable and defenseless Indians by
r.. Al, Ill sol boo
troops Both these gentlemen condemned the con
tempIated proceedings and declared their belief
that no necessity whatever existed for harsh meas
ures, and recommended humane aud appropriate
line of conduct. Unhappily, their counsels did not
prevail. Congress took but little notice of the
subject and it dragged along toward the close of
the session, when by dint of official influence
backed By the numerous parties who expected
military promotion for themselves their friends
in the rev regiments which the war would re-
quire, OF who expected chance in the handling
OF the money appropriated, bill was put through
authorizing the Secretary to raise two or more
regiments and appropriating 81, 800, 900 for the
service to which they were destined.
From that time to this preparations have been
quietly making for a stealthy descent upon the In
diars The first was made ON the morning of the
Sd of September, the account of which was laid
before cur readers several days ago in an article
which we copied from the correspondence of The
Missouri Democrat, and which was evidently writ
ten by member of the attacking party. We
have read nothing in long while with more lOsth
ing than we read that account 1t excited our
ndigna alton against the authors of such a nefarous
enter prise, and made us blush for the Government
which is responsible for it. The whole ac-
count is written in the sly lie suited to buffalo hunt
The Indians are styled game" and represented
as vainly attempting to hide from the pursuit Of
their hunters, tremblngly sheltering their wives
and little ones under cover which they thought
secure from their bloody penetration. And this is
not al. IL is related that treacherous parey was
held with the Indian Chief at the head Of the little
settlement attacked to "amuse the party, while a
detachment Of horse was sent to the rear 70 cut
of their last chance to flee. When the deceit and
reachery practised had fully succeeded valian.
forces fell upon the whole encampment and perpe-
trated general massacre. Our narrator jauntily
describes il as opening the ball to the music Of the
MIME rifle" ThOse who tried to escape on mules
and ponies are represented as having been "pur-
sued in most gallant style By the mounted troops,
"who followed four or five miles, shooting and
"sabeTing large number of them on the way"
Of the women and children who were in the en-.
campment, our informant states that " about fifty
were taken prisoners. How many of them our