Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-21

thing we have, and we shall starve to death
About 10 miles from my village and $50 from
tbs place are the lodges Of Camanches, Kiowas.
Cheyeunes, Appaches, and Arrapahoes-all Of
whom are Ca1hanches In plumber and robbery
j he herds Of buffaloes have given them food and
as they are now united, they number altogether
more than four thousand people Where shan
The Kickapoo chiefs said that they and tbeis
youag men were willing to help their friends the
white men, the Chocktaws and Chic kasaws, and
the Wachitas, against the Camanches; who, they
knew, had determined to do all the injury they
could In the nation. In reply to a question from
Lieut. Powell. they said they would immediate
iy send some oftheir young men to the assist
ance of MIR. Jones and party. The W achita chiefs
further said that the Camanches had boosted that
they would steal In the nation sufficient number
of horses to enable them to make a strong attack
on the Texas frontier. = .rEsr
Lieut.. Powell advised the Kickapoos to unite
with the Caddoes and Delawares, and send as
many fighting men as they could 70 the Great
Spring. which is about six miles east from the
w achita villages and forty miles from this
post, there To form camp for their mutual pro-
every possible concession that would tend to con-
ciliate the Camanches, but resisting to the ut :
most II attacked by them, there to await the
turn OF the Indian agent, or until he, (Lieutenan
Powell could receive suitable instructions from
the General commanding the department. They
agreed to do so and the principal chiefs of the
Caddoes and Delawares, Kickapoos and Wachi-
tas, will assemble in council as soon as possible
and then proceed TO the vicinity Of the w achita
villages.
The number of horses lost by the wachitas
and Keeches, within the last month, is very greai,
in addition to the large number stolen from the
citizens of this district which this last depreda-
ton has caused to exceed 100 horses stolen by the
Camanches within the last forty days. All the
tribes, who are well disposed toward the whites,
complain Of the wrongs and outrages inflicted on
them by the CaIDanches. -
A number of families of citizens have come
into the post for protection which has been az
forded them In all cases. **&.
The SAWYER RIFLE CANNoN.-The Secre-
tary of War recently ordered experiments to
be made with the new rIfe-cannon Of Sylvanus
Sawyer, of Fitchburg, Mass, and the results,
so far as reported, are said to be entirely sue
cessful. 1t is the opinion of the Ordnance of
ficeTs that this gun is unriyaled. Its line shots
are SO exact that at the distance of mile an
ordinary sized tree need hardly be missed once
in fifty times. Mr. Sawyer superintendent the
firing, and in seventeen shots at a miles dis.
lance the furthest was not over three feet from
the centre. This cannon has a rifle groove
which forms circle in twenty feet. The one
used for experimenting carries only about a
six-pound ball, and has been fred upwards of
two hundred times without injury. 1t is cast
of the Alger iron of Boston, and the ball is
shaped like the Minie-rife ball, and filed with
powder, so that it explodes after entering an
object. The discovery of Mr.. Sawyer consists
in adapting the cannon ball to a grooved gun.
To effect this the iron ball is first timed, and
then coated with lead, with ridges on the sur
face fitting the grooves of the bore. The official
report of the experiments will probably be
made at an early day. ....