Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-04-10
Atrocities Of the Indians.
An eve witness of tbe battle Of Pea Ridg

An eye witness of the battle of Pea Ridge
writes as follows
| The Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek and Semi
mole Indians, of whom some three thousand
were engaged iu the battle, under tha command
of Col. Albert Pike, Northern man, who dc.
serves, and will doubtless receive, eternal infa-
my from bis efforts 10 induce horde OF Gava-
ges to butcher brave men who had taken MP
arms 10 prevent the subVerson cf the Re-
| public repeated the outrages upon civilized
warfare, and the shocking barbarities With
which our early history has made us familiar.
| Scalping aud robbing were, as Of yore, their
| faVorite pastme. They plundered every wound
| ed, dying and dead Unionlst they could find,
and very frequently murdered those they dis
covered so badly hurt as to be incapable Of Of.
| fering resistance.
The saVages indeed seemed denounced, and
il is said the Rebels did everything in their
power to excite them to frenzy, giving them
large quantities of whisky and gunpowder a
few minutes previous to the commence Of hos
tilities
The appearance Of some of the besotted sa,
wages was fearful. They lost their sense Of
caution and fear, asd ran with long knives
against large odds, and fell pierced by dozens
of bullets. With bloody hands and garments,
with glittering eyes and horri1 scowls, they rag
ed about the field with terrible yells, and so
often frightened some of our soldiers for few
seconds Us to escape the fate that should have
befallen every one Of their number.
1t appears the Rebels suffered from their
aboriginal associates nearly as much as the
Unionsts themselves, and 10 a manner they
could have least expected.
The SecessioHists oyeFcharged their dusky
machines, and when they were fired, the truly
guilty suffered from the recoil.
The Indians ia the midst of the excitement
and under the stimulouS of their burning pots-
tions became frenzied, lost to every sense but
that of slaughter.
Friend aud foe were alike to them they
fred at the nearest mark, and their long knives
ndscriminately fell upon all within their
reach For more than twelve hours they con-
tinued this impartial warfare, killing and
wounding more of the Missouri and Arkansas
troops it is believed, that they did of ours.
Oa Saturday morning a body of 800 or 400
Indians were discovered on the north side Of
Sugar Greek, below the carve Of bill, firing
from thick clusters Of postoaks into three
or four companies of Arkansas soldiers, march
ing in McCuloch's Division toward the upper
part of the ridge The Major of The battalion
seeing this, haloged cut to them that they
were firing upon their cwn friends, aud placed
his white handkerchief on his sword aud waved
it iu the air
The Indians either did not sec or did not
care for the symbol of truLe but poured two
volleys, into the Arkansas killing among 9th.
ers the Major himself. The presumption then
was that the CheIokees had turned traitors,
and the secession soldiers were Immediately
@dered to charge upon them. They did so,
| ana for an hour terrible fight ensued among
the oaks between them ana their late savage
allies in which il is stated some 25Q were kill
| ed and wounded on both sides. The Indians
suffered severely, as they were driven from
their hiding places. aud shot and butehered
without mercy A person who witnessed this
part Of the fight says it was the most bloody
aud desperate that occurred on the 6eld-be-
| ing conducted with the most reckless and bru-
tai energy by the two parties, Of whom it wo'd
/ be difficult to say which was the more barber
ous.