Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1862-12-19
Fremont Journal.

ed 10 the President:
To ne President Of IRE United Statess
We have learned incidentIy that you in
tend 70 pardon or repriye large majority
Of the Indians who bave bcea formly con.
demned for their participation IN the brutal
massacre Of our people IN the months Of
August and September last. II this be
your propose, As representatives Of tha,
State we beg leave most respectfully 70 pro
test against Il and we do 50 for the follow
ing reasons:
These Indians arc condemned, most Of
them upon tho testimony OF women, whom
they had carried into captivity, after hav-
ing murdered their fathers, husbands and
brothers, aud who we're treated BY these To-
diaBs with brutality never known before
in this country, nor equalled 10 the pracii-
ces OF the most barbarous nations. There
were nearly ninety female captives; they
were the wives and daughters Of our neigh
bors and friends. They were intelligent
md virtuous women-some Of them werc
wives and mothers--others were young and
interesting girls.
These savagcs to whom you propose tC
extend your Executive clemency, when the
whole country was quiet aHd the farmer
were busily engaged IN gathering their crops
arose With fearful violence, and travelling
from one farm house to another, indiscrim
inately murdered all the mon, boys and III
tie children they came 10, and although
they sometimes spared the mothers ant
daughters, they did 50 only To tako then
into captivity which was infinitely Wors'
than death,
Mr.. President, let Us state to you some
facts with which We fear you have not here
tofore been made acquainted. These In
dians whom, as we understand, you pro
pose to pardon aud set free, have murdered
in cold blood nearly or quite / 1000, Of our
people, raYaged our frontiers for distance
Of more than $50 miles north and south
and burned the homes Of more than 10000
Of our people. They seized and carried in-
TO captivity nearly 100 women and young
girls, and in nearly every instance treated
them with the most fendish brutality. TC
show you, Sir, the eDormity Of their out
RACES, we beg leave to state a few facts
which are well known to our people; but
delicacy forbids that we should mention the
names Of the parties to whom we refer
In one instance some ten or twelve Of these
Indians visited the house Of worthy farm
er, Who at the time was engaged with his
sons in stacking wheat. They stealthily
approached the place where this honest
farmer was at work, and, seiziDg their op-
portunity, shot the farmer and his two sons
at the stacks. They then went to the
house, killed two little children IN the pres
ence Of their mother, who was quite i'll Of
consumption, and they took the sick mother
and beautiful daughter, Is years Of age, in
to captivity. Bot this IS not all, nor is it
the most appalling portion Of the awful
tragedy. Its horror IS yet to be revealed.
After removing these unhappy persons to a
lodge which was some miles agsy, these
fieuds incarnate, placing a guard over the
body Of tho weary and exhausted mother,
took her little girl outside Of the lodge, re-
moved all her clothes, and fastened her up
on her back upon the ground. Then they
commenced the work Of brutality upoa the
body Of this young girl. Ono by one they
violated her person, unmoyed By her cries,
and unshakeu BY the evident signs Of her
dissolution. This work was continued until
her Heavenly Father relieved ber from her
suffering. They leh her dead upon the
ground. This outrage was committed with
in few feet Of sick and dying mother.
There is another instance Of girl Is
years Of age. Wo knew her well before
and at the time Of her capture. She was
as refined aEd beautiful girl as We have
IN the State. None had more or better
friends; no one was more worthy Of them
than she. She was taken captive by the
Indians. She was taken, her arms tied be-
hind her; she was made fast 70 the ground,
and ravished by some eight or ten Of these
eonvIets, before the cords we're uuIOosed
from her hands. The girl fortunately lives
TO testify against the Wretches who bad thus
violated her.
Without being more specific, we viii state
that all, OF nearly all the women who we're
captured we're treated in this Say.
Again, there vas q little boy brought 10
Lieut. Paul, whose father and mother had
been murdered, whose life was spared As a
witness Of The hOrrid massacre. His right
eye vas cut completely out, Il had fallen
from is socket, and had Perished on his
cheek. His two little sisters, aged respect
lively 9 aud years, were also saved, butin
an swfully Eautilated coalition; their tend
er arms had bean ma7gied With the SAVAGE
knives, and Otherwise fezrfslly wounded
and left on the ground for dead. Mr.. Pres
deat, there wAs no jasti6eaiions or presext
eyes fer these brutaIities. We state what
SsEDoz, uhcn We say that ths Sioax Ageni.
Maj. Gaibgaith, has behaved faishfuIlT and
efficiently for ths welfare Of thsse Indians.
The G0Esmmsuk, - yOa know has buiIt
= ho1ss and opened farm foE every one Of
these IHdians Hho would reside EpOn and
ealsiVase i.
Missionaries, ~ our worthy Bsshop ezu
testify, have Iabosed sszIoasiy aaoux them
for thsis spiritual welfare. There has been
paid 70 than yearly the interest," upon s2.-
100000 FaFning impIsmeafs have been
purchased and fsrnass have been emDloyed
by The G0Esnmsat TO improve and e1Ili
Fsts the hsd Thszs Isdisns are ezIBsd 81
some pEisoasEssf EaE. There vas no war
sboaf i. It was Wholesale FobberT. rzDs.
nur1sE Thess India1s we're nof e EaS
giih thair mHIdsFsd victims. Tbs peoDIs
q asnesota. Hr. Prssidsss, ssass stood fru
b pea and By youE administrAtien- Tbsg
have gissn both yea a1d 4 tbsir eor,sisI
support IhoF have rot Fioaale5 he Isz