Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-12-03
AMERICAN INDIAN SKETCHES

In the vain hope of awakening the conscience
of the United States government to a proper
sense of the duty it owes TO the unfortunate
aborigincs who still exist within its territories
the pen has been taken up by Jealous and
well known friend of the Indians, Thomas L.
MKenney late chief of the bureau of Indian
Affairs at Washington. We have perused this
benevolent gentleman's narrative with cousid-
cradle interest and cannot but lament with
him that year after year the native tribes are
lessening in number, less from their own in
testine feuds, than from the dishonest appro-
pration of their lands and the vices introduced
among them by the whites Alive to the dis
grace of this national crime, a number of re-
spectacle citizens in New York, in 1929, at
tempted to move the government on the sub
ject hut private interests were too powerful to
be overcome, and nothing was eventually done
TO improve the condition of the sufferers. For
the last sixteen years a systematic course has
been perseyered in of banishing the remains oil
the Indian tribes to wildernesses beyond the
avowcd limitsof the States be again, doubt
iNSSj lHbltslt' w lHtsN NEW uuHllllS RIOuuua
when II suits the purpose of the white man Ia
make further cncroachments
Referring principally to official proceedings
Mr., MKenney's work does not admit of analy.
sis and nothing of the kind need be attempted
by us. The author, however, occasionally re-
lates an anecdote illustrative of his Indian ex-
periences, and one or two Of these we shall
pick out for the amusement of our readers
The first refers to an expedition in which he
was concerned, along with General Cass, il
1897, with view of settling treaty with sew.
eral collected tribes at n place called Butte dc
Morris (ITillock Of the Dead.)
"The business of the treaty over, everything
was in motion, preparing for the departure o
all to their respective destinations. At on,
place might be seen n group OF squaws, ana
children, and dogs, all seeming to be engaged
in budding together, or hauling to the water,
edge their provisions and effects whilst other,
had their canoes in the water, and others again
were in the act of gliding away upon the smooth
surface of the river, enjoying the quiet salts
faction which the presence of rations and good
fare are so well calculated to produce.
"At thismOment ofgeneral activity, scream
wild and fearful was uttered. 1t was by a fe.
male. rush Of thousand Indians was made
for the spot whence it proceeded looked
and saw in the midst Of the crowd a mans arm
raised with knife in the hand. 1t fell-ani
then was heard another scream When
ae1s -, 1.
strife OF blood and just as had reached it
Major r., having started from nm opposite di.
rection was few feet in advance OF me; and
at the instant when the third blow was about
to fall upon the victim he struck and knocked
down the man who was thus desperately en-.
ploying the bloody weapon. There stood
trembling and bleeding fine looking squaw
She was mother of the wife of the man who had
made the attempt upon her life. The deltoid
muscle of each arm just below The shoulder
was cut with deep gashes. These were given
as each arm was raised, TO shield her body
from the impending knife. The first thrust had
thus disabled one arm the second the other
and if the third had been given there being no
shield in the arms for further protection (fol
they both hung powerless by her side) itwould
doubtless have gone, where the two first were
aimed TO the heart
." took charge of the trembling and agita-
ted woman, giving orders to the soldiers to take
the offender, and lock him up in our provision
house, until some suitable punishment should
be agreed upon for n crime so fragrant and
bloody. Our surgeons having gone TO the viii
lage, cleansed and bound up the wounds; and
by the employment of bandages, kept the arms
stationary, giving her directions not to use
them, and sent her in charge of her daughter
and some friends to Green Bay, to our surgeon,
10 be attended to.
!" The cause of the outrage was ms follows
This woman and her daughter had carefully
put away their supplies, &C., in their canoe,
and were on the eve Of embarkng, when twas
rumored among the Indians that whskey
dealer had arrived in the woods, behind our
treaty ground The moment il reached the
ears Of this reckless Indian, he started with
others in quest of the whiskey. The mother
in-law, well knowing that her calicoes, and
blankets. and strouding, and pork, and beef,
and flour &c, would soon be parted with, in
exchange for this firc-water, followed him. en-
treating him not to go, hut to go home and en-
JOY what had been givent them there. She chung
to him rather iuconyeniently, when he resolved
on freeing himself by the use OF the knife. For