The true Democrat., 1857-02-03
From the Plains.

The St. Joseph correspondent of the St. Louis Republican, in his letter of December 30 says:
 Out on the plains there has been good deal of suffering from cold. Many families have been badly frosted. The severity ofthe wealth CT stopped all surveys in the western portion of the territory, and drove in all the parties. Gen. Matthews came in the other day with his corps all of whom were severely nipped, aud some of whom came near perishing. he cxperl- ence, decision, and management of the general, enabled him to get them through their perllous exposure; but in saving them, he himself be- came almost disabled His limbs were frozen to an extent that will cause him pain and in convenience for some time to come.
 The same correspondent, in his letter of January 5, writes as follows:
 We have information of the return of hunt ing party from the Little Blue, in most de- plorable condition. They were Mir. James Stringfelow, Mr. Van Dorser and Mir. Morrell the first from Atchison, K. T., and the two latter from South Carolina Gen. Matthews saw them after their hair breadth 'scapes, and gives me the following thrilling narratives:
 When they reached the Big Blue they fixed their encampment, but finding only few buff falo, they left their camp in charge of negro man, belonging to MT. Van Dorser, and pro- ceeded over to the Little Blue On the first evening cut they were overtaken by storm o' wind and snow, and lost their way. They wandered for eight days without fire or food They blew the tubes out of their guns in theiI efforts to kindle tire and then threw thei guns away.
 The feet of Van Dorser and Morrell became so frosted, and they were so exhausted from fatigue and starvation, that Mr. Stringfellow who had had some mountain experience, was scarcely able to get them to move aloug. Ht encouraged them by every means, until they finally reached habiation, and were saved.- Mir. Morrell and Mir. Van Durscr, however, vii loose their feet, and Mr. Stringlellow some o his toes. Their sufferings were beyond desclp tion, and they will be ill for some weeks tt come. The negro, who remained in camp i uninjured, although he suffered good dea from the severity of the cold, and anxiety fo his master and friends. They are all now safely lodged in Atchison.
 The General also informs me that a rumo reached him that two surveying parties--on' of whom was Sam Parsons's who is well knowl in your city--had been murdered by the Ca manche Indians. The country in which the, | 'S'N '"tiH5 HCai IiiC OdC IttScl VdtlOlI, the southwestern part of the territory, and nea the Arkansas line. These Indians and the Ca marches have frequent conflicts. A short tim ago the Sacs made all incursion into Caman che village and killed several of their people and stole many of their horses. A little whil after, when the Camanche warriors returne, from their hunt they made descent upon the Sacs, and on their way they massacred the tw, parties of U. S. Surveyors, who were unarmed and taken wholly by surprise.
 Gen. Mathews was running some lines him self in that part ofthe country during the sum mer, and thinks the report probably true. | lie also states that only a portion of Cald wells party had got in from Western Kansas and the belief is that the remainder are frozer to death
 In my last letter, ef the 3Oth ult., told yo, of the suffering of the General and his party They were not far from Caldwell's party. They however, after great exerton, under which the, | almost sunk, reached this city, and have beeI so admirably nursed as to be nearly we'll again hls winter Is said to be the most severe tha 1 has ever been known in the mountains and ol the Plains. The same, and, indeed, grcate degree of cold has been experienced, but no so suddenly. nor early in the season. Tn, thermometer here this morning stood twelv, degrees below zero and the ice on our river l twenty inches thick, and as clear as crystal