Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-05-20
From the San Francisco Herald.
Recovery Of Young White Girl fiom the Eohsve
Indians

Recovery OF Young White Girl fiom the Eohsvt
Indians.
We have received the following interesting
account OF the rescue of beautiful young Amer
lean girl, named Miss Olive Oatman, from sla-
wish captivity by the Yuma Indians. The whole
narrative is of painful interest:
STEAMER SEA BIRD at sea, March ..
by the last arrival from Folt Yuma am en-
abled to give you the details of the rescue of a
young and beautiful American girl from the
Mohave Indians who has been a prisoner for
hye years L have succeeded in collecting all
the facts relating to her capture, the murder of
her parents. dc, which are subjeined:
On the 18th of March, 1851, family OF emf
grants named Oatman, from Iowa. en- route for
California, composed of Lorenzo Oatman, wife
and seven children, {three boys and four girls \
while encamped about one hundred and twen-
ty-fve miles from the mouth of ella River, were
attacked by the Mohaye Indians and all but one
boy and two girls massacred III cold blood
The boy. IN the dark, succeeded in escaping
and was picked up the following dav by a
company of ernigrants, about forty miles from
the scene of the murder. The little fellow was
perfectly exhausted when found, without hat or
/ 9--N0' HSO No't|td VIII ptOoO
After recovering sufficiently to tell the tale.
some OF the men started on to ascertain if any
thing could be done. snd on arriving at the fatal
place found the boys version was alas. TO trrIe
the bodies then being half eaten by cayoter-
Enough however, was ascertaned to show that
the two youngest girls were missing. The boy
Is now living at the " Monte" near Los Angeles
and distinctly remembers that horrible night.
For years nothing had been heard of those
two young girls, and their fate appeared to be
wrapped IN mystery. About five months since
an article or letter was published in the Los
Angeles Star, stating that the Yuma Indians
had offered to exchange two female prisoners
with the officers at Fort Yuma for beads. bas
kets, DC, and the latter had refused 70 trade
with or purchase tie unfortunate sufferers from
the Indians
Col Nauman, L. S. A, who was al that time
en route for Fort TUNA immediate v'inouired in
to the matter, but found the charges against the
officers wholly without foundation; and fearful
that by some possibility there might be some
prisoners never before heard of, sent out runners
10 the different tribes, offering heavy ransom for
their recovery, in answer to which Yuma In
dian, of the name of Francisco, came In saving
He could find yonng girl ten days travel
from the fort" Beads, blankets. DC. were i'm
mediately given him, and in twenty days he re-
turned with Miss Oatman
| hen brought IN she was dressed like all the
females of the Yuma Mohave Indians, and on a
white man approaching threw herself PROSTATE
on the sand, and would not rise until suitable
| garments were brought her She has almost
entirely forgotten her native tongue, being only
able to speak two or three words. Being asked
IN the Indian language her name, she replied
| "OIlve Oatman." She is tattooed in the chin.
and bears the marks of hard slavery Her arms.
wrists and hands are largely developed She
was slave for two years with the Mohaves
| who sold her to the Yumas
| The youngest sister died about SIX months
before the rescue of Miss Olive. The hair of
the young lady being of light golden color.
the Indians colored it black-using dye made
OF the bark of the meskeet tree. She was elev-
en- years old when taken prisoner, which will
make her sixteen now, though she is more fallv
developed than most girls of twenty
The officers at the fort have clubbed together
making up purse for her, and furnishing such
clothing as Is necessary: also, have placed her
IN charge of a female residing there and where
every care and attention will be paid TO all her
wants, until any relations or friends will come
forward to relieve the poor girl from her pres
ent dependent position and endeavor to wean
her f'om all savage tastes or desire to return to
Indian life
hope that some of our philanthropic San
Francisco ladies will offer their services, either
to provide home for her, or use their influence
in procuring her admission to the Orphan Asy-
iuin- JAS A. FoRT,
Pacific Express Company's Messenger. South
crn Coast.
The Sisters of Mercy, of San Francisco. have
notified the friends of Miss Oatman, the young
lady recently rescued from the Indians, that
they will receive her into their care.