, 1862-12-11
TEE HNEbF4hE u ATROCITIES IN
N4lNN H2Se5+E-A.
Memorial Against the EzeprieVe of any
Of the Indians.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Dec. 5, 1862.
The following memorial has been presesent- !
cd to The President:
To the President OF the United States;
We have learned incidentally that You in
tend to pardon or rctrieyc large majority Of
the Indians who have been condemned for
their participation in the brutal massacre Of
our people in the months Of August and Sep
tcmbcr last. If thf: be your purpose, as rep
rescntatiyes Of that State we beg leave most
respectfully to protest against it, and We do
so for the following reasons:
These Indians arc condemned, most OF them
unon the testimony of women, whom they
had carried into captivity, after having mur-
dcrcd their fathers, husbands and brothers,
and who we're treat ed by these Indians with
brutality never known before in this country,
nor eaualcd III the practices Of the most bar
barous nations. There were nearly ninety
female captiycs; they were tic wives and
daughters of our neighbors and friends. They
were Intelligent and yirtuous swomcn-some Of
them were wives and mothers-others were
young and interesting girls.
These sayages to whom you propose to ex-
tend your executive clcmency, when the whole
country was quiet and farmers were busiIy
engaged in gathering their crops, arose with
| fearful violence. and travelling from one farm
! house to another, indiscrlminately murdered
| came to, and although they sometimes spared
tho mothers and daughters, they did 80 only
to take them into captivity which was infinite
| worse than death.
3lr. President. let us state to you some facts
| with which VIC fear you have not heretofore
We understand, yen propose to pardon and set
| free, have murdered III cold blood nearly Or
quite l,0o0 Of OUT people, rayagcd our from
tiers for: distance Of more than $50 miles
north and south, and burned the homes Of
more than 10, 900 Of our people They seized
and carried into captivity nearly one hundred
women and young girls, and in nearly every
instance treated them with the most
fendish brutality. To show you,
Sir the he hen spo5y an1s to st state tiir fr s: Set
which arc well known to our people; but del
icacy forbids that we should mention the
names Of the parties to whom We refer II
one instance some ten Or twelve of these lndi
ans visited the house Of a worthy farmer, whc
at the time was engaged with his sons in stack
ing wheat. They stca1thi1y approached ths
place where this honest farmer was at work
| aud, seizlng the opportunity, shot the flthc
; and his two sons at the stacks. They theI
went to the house, killed two little children il
: i'll Of consumption, and they took the slcl
r mother and beautiful daughter, thirteen year
; of age into captivity. But this is not all
I nor is it the most appalling portiol
g Of the awful tragedy. Its horror IS yet to b
t revealed. After removing these unhappy pei
= sons to d lodge which was some miles away
t these ficnds incarnate, placing guard ove
p the body OF the wearied and exhausted mott
II er, took her little tiil outside Of the 1odgt
a removed all her clothes, and fastened he
o upon her back upon the ground. Then the
lie commenced the work Of brutality upon tt
u body of this young girl. Ono BY one they 7
in olatcd her person, 1nmoyed by her cries, an
n unshaken By the evident signs Of her dissol,
IT tion. This work was continued until ht
1 Heavenly Father relieved her from her suffe
III ing. They left her dead upon the groun
i'd This outrage was committed within a few fe
Of sick and dying mother
u There is alothcf instance Of 8 girl eighte
at years Of age. We knew her we'll before Al
ut at the time of her capture She was is rein
~ and beautiful: :: girl IS we have in the Sta
MS None had more or better friends; no one y
AL | more worthy 01 them ttan sne. she Was tab
th copfiyc by tue Indians. She was tab en-,
ng erins tied behind her; she was ma>1c fast