New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-09
FROM KANSAS.


KIcKAPoo, X. T., Tuesday, Dec l5, 1855.
/ left LeayenwOrth City this forenoon, and came
By the Fsrt to this point. At the Fort saw some
Indian prisoners, Sioux, who had been brought IN
BY the troops, charged with robbing the Salt Lake
mail. There were some ten or eleven in all-men,
women and chdren-and they were miserable,
Aayd.lookinc set and dirty savage Indians
sysous are. and o. the semi-ciyilzed Of these are
generally In spite of the general squaor OF their
sppearspce, there was indications OF that love OF
trampery ornaments for which these people are
noted and one dirty looking damsel had her cheeks
painted after the most orthodox fashion. learned
Mat il was the intention 10 send them on TO Wash
isgton, where, after being kept for some time
seeing sights at the public expense, they will
probably be treated 20 new blankets and few
eevRaws and sent back TO the plains labOring
1pder the impression that rObbing the mails 10
pretty good speculation. That is about the way
these people always have been treated; indeed,
the manner Of caring for these people which mas
always been adopted has been very absurd
one. All the benefits they have received have
been of a Temporary character, and only calcu-
hated 20 reduce them to a condition OF paupersm,
10 which their Incidence and other pecularlties
only render them too liable The pundering pro-
pensi.jes of the Indians on the plains are every
dsy becoming more annoying. Doubtless these
shrewd children sf the wilds have been dealt with
unfairly in many cases by the money making
traders, who never miss the opportunity to make
an honest penny; and, unable 10 discriminate in
the nice shades of rascaty, resort TO measures of
Sppyopriation which do not exactly fall within the
code Of modern ethics. In point of fact an Indian
does not seem 10 realize the enOrmify of breach
of the Seventh Commandment; they will steal, not
only from the whites but from each other; and
whether this arises from special corruption or
free and easy philosophy about the community of
property, it is an evil requiring cure, and
humane and wise one.
At the Fort learned Of rather daring highway
robbery that occurred on the morning OF Monday
1T short distance from il, on the road to Leaven-
worth City. A mechanic who had been at work
ut the Fort, and who had been paid of, was going
to the city early on the morning in question: when
he was stopped by four men on horseback, who
presented revOlyers and demanded his money.
lie handed over $7S, all that he had, when they
rode on and left him. have heard OF no effort to
find out these fellows, or bring them to punish
ment. They may have been merely band Of
common scOundres, but from the facts that they
were all well mounted, armed with revOvers, com
ing from the place where the remnant of the recent
Missouri invading force had encafnped and going
toward KickapoO, suspect that it was one of the
brilliant military achievements for which the more
reckless of these Border Ruflians have rendered
themselves famous in the recent campaign against
Lawrence, and that they, by mistake, took the
unfortunate newer OF wood for i'd
"AbOltiOnist."
Kickapoo is another of the cottonwood towns of
Kansas. 1t is situated in sight of Weston on the
opposite bank of the Missouri River, few miles
below. IL stands partly on the bluffs, partly in
gorge in the bluffs and partly on low sandy bot
tom of two hundred yards width. How even
halfcrazy tOwn-lot speculator should have chosen
such site for future city, is little mysterious,
but not half so much 20 RS that 30 maIy people
should have been induced to build here. There ls
nothing very substantial in Kickap0O, | mean in
the shape Ofbuildngs; and the heaviest business
Of the place seems to be in the grocery line. The
Pro Slavery prisoner who escaped from Leaven-
worth City Jail on the night when that interesting
institution burned, keeps grocery here. This
il an appropriate business for a Pro-Slayery man,
Ms whisky and Pro-Savery appear To be INSOFAR
able There was no election held in KickapOo on
the day set for voting on the new Constitution.
As mentioned IN a former letter, the houses of
two of the Judges of Election named by the Con
stitutiOnal Convention, were burned here. No one
ventured to attempt holding an election, and the
Free-State voters of the locality failed to give an
expression of their sentiments on this important
document.
Immediately back of Kckapoe there ia some
fine farming country, and many claims are located
along the slopes of salt Greek. The high ridge
which lies TO the north of Fort Leavenworth forms
the southern belt of this valley; and behind away
toward the interior of the country, there is
cesson ofpraire hills, with few scrubby ridges
and belts of timber. The citizens of KckapOO are
partly from Missouri, aud from other points IN the
West and but few Eastern people.
left KickapOO, and pursued my way to Atchi-
ssp, keeping near the Missouri River, and often
along its abrupt and rocky shore. The bluff is
very high to be far up the river, and is covered
with timber, although the latter is rather ola light
kind. There are but few settlements along the
river.