The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-04-23
From the San Francisco Herald.)
Recovery of a Young White
Girl from the Mohave Indians.

(from the San francisco Herald.)
Recovery. of a Young White
Girl from the Mohave Indians.
We have received the following inter-
esting account of the rescue of q beauti-
full young girl, ian American,) named
Miss Olive Oatman, from q slavish cap
tivity by the Yuma Indians. The whole
narrative is of painful interest.
f STEAMER SEA BIRD,
Ar SEA, March 9th, 1856.
BY the last arrival from Fort Yuma,
I am enabled to give the details of the
rescue from the Mohava Indians, of a
young and beautiful American girl, who
has been q prisoner for five years. Hav-
ing made considerable enquiry in Los
Angeles and vicinity, 1 have succeeded
in collecting all the facts attending her
capture, the murder of her parents, &c.,
which are willingly placed at your dis.
posal.
On the 18th of March, 1851, a family
of emigtants named Oatman, from Iowa,
en- route for California. composed of Lor-
EMO Oatman, wife, and seven children,
(three boys and four girls,) while en-
camped about one hundred and twenty
FIVE miles from the mouth of the ella
river, were attacked by the Mohave H.
dams, and all but one boy and two girls
massacrei in cold blood. The boy, in
the dark, succeeded in escaping, and was
picked up on the following day by aspar-
ty of e~migrants, about forty miles from
the scene of the murder. The little
fellow was perfectly exhausted when
GOOD r.Nba.k I.k 80 e1,oae on1 aarorod
with blood. After recovering sufficient
~ to tell the tale, some of the men start
ed to ascertain if Anything could be done,
and on arriving at the fatal place. found
the boys verfion was, alas too true,
the bodies then being half eaten by cay
otes. Enough, however, was ascertained
to show that the two youngest girls were
missing. The boy is now living at the
Monte near Los Angeles, and distinct
ly remembers that horrible night.
For years nothing had been heard of
these two young girls, and their fate ap-
peared to be wrappedin mystery. About
five months since an article or letter was
published in the Los Angeles Star,
stating that Yuma Indians had offered
to exchange two female prisoners with
the officers at Fort Yuma for beds,
blankets, &c., and that the latter had
refused to trade With or purchase the
unfortunate sufferers from the Indians.
Col. Nauman, U. 8. A, who was at that
time en- route for Fort Yuma, immedi-
ately 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 different tribes Offering
heavy ransom for their recovery, in au-
swer to which a Yuma Indian, of the
name of Francisco. came in saying, "He
could find ayoung girl in about ten days
travel from the fort. Beds, blankets,
Sc, were Immediately given him, and in
twenty days he returned with Miss Oat.
IA When brought in, she was dressed
as all the females of the Mohave Indians,
and, on u white man approaching. threw
herself PROSTATE on the sand, and would
not rise until suitable female garments
were brought to her. She has almost
entirely forgotten her native tongue, be-
ing only able to speak two or three
words. Being asked in the Indian
language her name, she replied, "Olive
Oatman (" is tattooed on the Gin, and
bears the marks of hard slavery. Her
arms, wrists and hands are largely de-
veloped; was a slave for twa years, who
sold her to tho Yumas-- Her 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 q
j. .ol- f-1- A. Lo-I- sc a., ,,o,Iak
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 at twenty.
Tho officers of the Fort have dubbed
together making up a purse for her, and
furnishing such clothing as is necessary;
also, have placed her in charge of a fe-
male residing there, and where every
care and attention will be paid to all her
wants, and until any relations may come
forward to relieve the poor girl from her
present dependent position, and endeavor
to wean her from all savage tastes or de
sire to return to Indian life. I hope
that some of our phiianthropic San Fran
cisco ladies will offer their services to
either provide q home for her, or use
their influence in procuring her admis-
sion to the Orphan Asylum.
j. A. FoRr.
Pacific Elk. Co.'s Messenger, Southern
Coast.
P. s. 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.