The Shasta courier., 1861-11-02
SHASTA COURIER
Employment of savages in War.

A1mplOy mCHt VI SdbdSeS III w dTs
Humanity bushes at the enermities prac.
ticed by the rebels in their conduct of the
war which they have initiated against the
nation. War, in its mildest form, is full oi
horrors but the South seems inspired with
adevilish ingenuity in enhancing iss enormi
ties. Firing int railway trains supposed tc
be carrying troops is favorite pastime with
the skulking traitors of Missouri. A few
days ago an Intellectual attempt was made to
blow up passing train, with all its freight
of women and children, near Rolla, Mo-, and
now we have the details of still more dia-
bolical outrage, which must cause shudder
of horror throughout ristendom-namely,
the destruction, on the Sd inst, of railroad
bridge on the Hannibal and st. Joseph Rail
road, over Platt river, nine miles east of st
Joseph, Mo-, by which whole passenger
train, containing nearly one hundred inof.
fensive people-men, women and children
was precipitated into the river, and seventeen
killed and others horribly mangled. 1t ap-
pears that the timber supports of the bridge
had been nearly burned through, and the fire
then extinguished, thus leaving no suspicious
appearance about the structure, so that when
the train entered the bridge at night the
whole track gave way, resulting in the fear
ful consequences above stated. 1t was sub
seqUently discovered that some other bridges
on the route to St. Joseph were similarly
disabled, and the track obstructed with logs,
in order to prevent assistance being conveyed
from the town to the wounded victims of this
cowardly outrage.
In perfect keeping with these practices, so
repulsive to every sentiment of humanity, is
the attempt to employ the savages of the
Western frontier in arms against the Union
and its adhcrents. Every schoolboy remem-
bers the indignant protest of Lord Chatham,
in the British Parliament, against the prop
osition to employ the Indians in the war OF
the Revolution against the Colonists. ''Who, "
he asked, is the man that has dared to
authorize and associate with our arms the
tomahawk and scalping- knife of the savage
To call into civilized alliance the wild and
inhuman savage of the woods, to delegate
to the merciless Indian the defense of disput-
ed rights, and to wage the horrors of his bar
barous war against our brethren? My lords,
these enormities cry aloud for redress and
punishment. Unless thoroughly done away
they will be stain on the national charac-
ter.N
Yet the expcdient which Chatham so re-
buked nearly century ago has been openly
resorted to by the rebels, in their insane and
demoniac animosity against the supporters
of the Constitution and the laws. The Mem
phis Avalanche, of the Goth August, affirms
that Albert G.. Pike, as Commissioner from
the rebel Government, has formed alliances
with some of the more noted of the frontier
tribes. Even the wild Camanches," it
adds, heretofore untamablc are about to be
brought under the protection and influence of
the Confederate Government, and mustered
into its service. 1t will be grand sight to
see cavalry brigade of those wild and fierce
horsemen of the desert, fighting the battles
of the South Our Indian army will strike
terror into the craven hearts of our mercena
ry invaders"
The Albert g. Pike here referred to, and
who carried commission from jefferson
Davis himself, has made report to the rebel
Government, in regard to the Greeks, in
which he says:
Notwithstanding heavy outside influ-
ence, a treaty advantageous to both parties
was made with the rulers of the Creek nation.
Before entering upon the consideration of the
treaty, it was voted by unanimous vote of
the Council to go with the South, treaty or no
treaty. The principal men have been true as
steel to the South from the beginning of the
neSOClatlOn, anu bue ndtlOn raGlHeu tnelr
treaty by unanimous vote in council, every
town being represented. Their regiment
will be ready in few days, and probably
half dozen companies more"
The Helena (Arkansas) Shield of the 10th
of August mentions that a large body of In
dian warriors was at that date already in the
field, destined for Missouri. 1t says:
From the Hon. c. w. Adams, of this
county, who arrived at home few days
since from the Northern part of this State,
we learn that on last Monday week thirteen
hundred Indian warriors-Southern allies
crossed the Arkansas river, near Fort Smith,
on the way for McCullough's camp. These
Indians were armed with rifle, butcher knife
and tomahawk, and had their faces painted
one half red and the other black. We also
learn that regiment of mounted Texans
likewise crossed the Arkansas at or near Fort
Smith for the same destination
In the presence of such facts, who can
wonder that Missouri journals, like the st.
Louis Republican, significantly ask if this is
the kind Of sympathy by which it is pro-
posed to woo that State into the " ambush of
secession"