Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-04-19
Recovery OF . Young White Girl from the
MOhave Indians.
From the San Francisco HeraI,

4
We have received the following interesting
| account Of the rescue of a beautiful young
American girl, named Miss Olive Oatmen,
from slavish captivity by the Yuma Indians.
| The whole narrative is of painful interest -
STEAMER SEA BIRD, AT SEA, March 8, 1856.
| BY the last arrival from Fort Yuma, am
enabled to give you the details OF the rescue
from the Mohave Indians of a young and beau
tiful American girl, who has been a prisoner
for five years. Having made considerable IN
quiry in Los Angeles and vicinity, have sue
ceeded in collecting all the facts attending ner
capture, the murder of her parents, DC, which
are willingly placed at your disposal.
On the 18th of March, 1851, family OF emil
grants, named Oatman from Iowa, en- route for
California, composed of Lorenzo Oatman, wife
and seven children, (three boys and four grls,)
while encamped about one hundred and TWEEN
ty.fve miles from the mouth of the ella river,
were attacked by the Mohave Indians, and al
but one boy and two girls massacred in cold
blood. The boy, in the dark, succeeded in es-
Gaping, and was picked up on the following dey
by q company of emigrants, about forty miles
from the scene Of the murder. The little fel-
low was perfectly exhausted when found, with
out hat or shoes, and covered with blood. AT
ter recovering sufficiently to tell the tale, some
of the men started on to ascertain if anything
could be done, and on arriving at the fatal
place found the boys version was, aasl too
true, the bodies being then half eaten by ca
| votes, enough, however, was escertained 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 Yumao Indians
had offered to exchange two female prisoners
| with the officers at Fort Yuma for beads, blan-
kets, &C., and that the latter had refused to
trade with or purchase the unfortunate suffer
ers from the Indians. Col. Nauman, U. s. A.,
who was at that time en- route for Fort Yuma,
Immediately inquired into the subject, 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 to the differ
ent tribes offering heavy ransom for their re-
covery, in answer to which Yuma Indian, OF
the name of Francisco, came in saying, " he
could find young girl ten days travel from the
fort" Beads Blankets &C., we're Immediately
given him, :.ad in twenty days he returned
| with Miss Oatman. When brought in she was
| dressed as all the females of the Yuma Mo-
have Indians and on white man approaching,
threw herself PROSTATE on the sand, and would
not rise until suitable female garments were
brought her. She has almost entirely forgot
ten her native tongue, being only able to
speak two or three words. Being asked in
the Indian language her name, she replied,
solve Oatman;" is tatooed on the chin,
and bears the marks of hard slavery. Her
arms, wrists, and hands are largely developed.
was slave for two years with the Mohaves.
who sold her to the Yumas. Her youngest
sister died about six months before the rescue
of Miss Olive. The hair of the younger lady
being Of light golden color, the Indians
colored it black-using dye made from the
bark of the meskeet tree. She was then eleven
years old when taken prisoner, which will make
her sixteen now, though she is more fully de-
veloped than many girls of twenty.
The officers at the fort have dubbed together,
making up purse for her, and furnishing such
clothing as is necessary; also, have placed her
in charge ofa female residing there, and where
every care and attention will be paid to all her
wants, and until any relations or friends may
come forward to relieve the poor girl from her
present dependent position, and endeavor to
wean her from all savage tastes, or desire to
return to Indian life. hope that some of our
philanthropic San Francisco ladies will offer
their services to either provide home for her,
or use their influence in procuring her admis-
sion to the Orphan Asylum.
JOS. A. FORT,
Pacific Elk. Co.'S Messenger, Southern 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.