Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-06-16
FROM PIXIES PEAK.
Terrible Suffering ofEnigrants.--IIorro
of the Smoky Hill Route.

FROM the Rocky Mountain News, May lI.J
Every day we meet men arriving from
the States 10y the above route-most oil
them in an almost furnishing condition
n few days ago man arrived from Rus
seville, and reported that his companions
nine in number--had given up and laid
down upon the prairie some miles distant.
\ relief party was sent out, who found
one of the number dead from actual star
walton, and two others so far gone that
they died soon after reaching the settle
mcnt.
a few days later party of thirteen
reached here who hal followed the Smoky
Hill as far as practicable, and then struck
across the divide to the Platte, by which
route they reached here nearly starved,
having been obliged to kill their pack
horse and snbsist for days upon his flesh.
Three days ago nine men reached Fort
St. Vrain, whilst we were there, mere tot
terring skeletons. They stated that they
had not tasted bread for more than ten
days, part of which time they lived upon
the flesh OF deal OK, which they found
uron the prairie but partially devoured by
the wolves. and for four days they had
nothing but roots. They stated that they
Travelled more than one hundred miles
withou; finding wafer, and must have per-
is.ci of thirst, hut for some snow squalls
that occurrei.s
All these men tell the same story; that
they were inlueesl to take the Smoky Hill
route by the representations of certain par
ties in eastern Kansas, who employ run
ncrs on the steamboats, to mislcad enigrants
by their representations. and by distrib-
uting circrlarssand cards purporting to be
guides over this ROME. representing it as a
good. plain road, with good camps, and
two hundred and fifty miles shorter than
any other route. They are thus induced to
start out with short supply of provisions.
and learn, when too late, that all the
above statements are false-that there is
no roal at all, and but little wood OF
water; that instead OF being $50 miles il
is full 500. and GOO Of it without any trail
or track of any kind. Great restitution
prevails all along the latter part of the
route. Emigrants are wandering over the
plains in all directions, discouraged and
bewiderel. Some are striking for the
Arkansas. some for the Platte. and Others
for what does not exist-the Smoky Hill
road. Men leave their trains to search fol
road, and are never seen more; others
lie down and die and become food fol-
wolves.
One man tells MS he knows Of seventeen
men who have thus persisted or disappear.
ell; another says the remains of one hun
dre.l may be seen along the track they have
followed.
We hope the reports are greatly exag
gerated, and that time will show that the
missing are not lost, but we greatly fear
the worst. and give the reports precisely
as they were given to us. This much j.
certain--the protruding eyes. the sunker
checks, the trembling knees and cracked
voices of many of those we have seen dc
not lie. Since writing the above we have
seen two footmen who have just arrived viz
the Smoky Hill route. They appear tc
have suffered severely from hunger anC
thirst They report having passed some
ten or FIFTEEN dead bodies un buried, one o
them was that of man named Carpenter,
and many new made graves, also man,
cattle turned loose upon the plains. wagons
deserted. and some burned. These mer
say they lived for nine days upon prick.
pears and one hawk.
On the evening of the 9th inst. tn
Pioneer Train" Capt. A. Hess, arrived
The party numbers thirty-two. and lef
Leavenworth on the 81 of March, being
sixty three days on the road. We hav'
the following report from G. A. Fox, o
Huron Co.. Ohio, and N. o. Ames, o
Lorain Co., Ohio: eve had good roa'
to Saline, l72 miles from Leavenworth
after which we had no road at all. having
to make the first track great part of tn
way. We travelled twelve days withou
seeing wood, and $50 miles without water
except from melting snow, which fortu
nately for us fell twice during that time.
We also had sixty miles continuous an
very difficult sand hills, whilst passin
over which we picked up three men VIII
had given out and lain down to die of hun
ger and thirst. having eaten nothing 70
, four days; we fed them and brought thel
: in with us.