Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-12-01
THE INDIAN HAssACRrs.
Trial Of the Savages.
Scenes, Ixacic1cntS, eAso.

From the st. Paul Pioneers letter
from Camp Sibley, dated November
eth, we select the following incidents OF
the trial of the Indians who were en-
gagged in the recent nassscres 10 Mn
nesota:
Four hundred and ninety-eight cases
have been disposed OF, SO you can see
the ca ander OF the commission was
formidable one.
The business has been despatched
with CELEBRITY, as many as forty cases
beng tried per day in some instances.
The prisoners were brought in, chained
together by the feet, IN pars, some
ca.es eight at time, and the charges
which were preferred against them by
Gen. oibley read TO them through the
nterprcicr, and then, after being exhoft-
ed to tel truth and not equiyocate, each
was asked as to the extent OF his par.
tcipation in the outrages, and If neces-
sary, witnesses were called against hun.
l should think that in at least two
thirds OF the cases the prisoners al
United that they fired, but, IN most IN
stances, insisted that it was only two or
three shots, and that no one was killed.
One day all the elderly men, who were
IN the vigor OF manly strength, said
their hair was too gray to go into battle;
and the young men aged from eighteen
to twenty five, insisted that they were
too young, and their healts too weak 10
face iise. The next day would develop
the fact hat great was the number and
terrible the condition of those who were
ari,hng in agony, with the belly ache,
on the top OF a big hull.
A small army avowcd that they had
crept under a wonderfully capacious
stone t The ba ties OF the fort, did no.,
emerge therei,oln during the lights
and "A suficiency for two small armies
stoutly called on the Great Spirit Wa
kan.tonks) and the heavens and Garth
(paitng the latter emphatlcslly with
the hand to witness that taey We're OF
a temperament 50 pile. matte, a dispo-
ton SO unsocial, and an appetite so vo'
racious and greedy, that, during the
rear Of each OF the battles at the fort,
New Un, Birch Coolie and Wood Lake
they were alone, within bullet shot,
roasting and eating corn aud beet all
day. A fiery looking warrior wished
the cou nilsson to believe that he felt SO
bad at the loIt, to see the Indians fire
Oh the whites, that lie imme diately Lid
do n there aud went TO sleep, and did
not wake until the battle was over.
Several the worst characters, who had
been in all the battles, after they had
confess ed the whole thing, wound up by
saying that they were memters OF the
Church.
1t was proved on an old cut nosed
Indian that, on the occasion, he had
shot white man and butchcred with
his knlie eleven women and four child
reE and that on another he had killed
nineteen.
An old man, shfivclled TO mummy,
one oftne criers on the Indian camp,
was uied, and two little boys testified
against him. One OF them, German,
remarkably intelligent for his years,
picked him ont from MANY others at
Camp Release, ard had him arrested and
dog ed him TIL he was placed in jail +;
and when he was led folta to be tried,
watched with the eye and fercenoss OF
a hawk, as ii he feared every instant he
would escape justice.
These boys belonged to a large party
who came from above Beaver Creek to
within few miles of the fort, whom tie
Indians met there, and told them ifthey
would 90 back with them to where they
Iame from, and give up their teams, they
should not be harmed. When they got
some distance from them they fred into
them and killed enc man and number
Of women, taking the remainder prison
ers with the children. The old wretch
was made to stand up, looking cold and
impassive, and as stoid as stone, the
boys likewise standing, placed opposite,
gag Dg at each other for moment.
wen one OF the bows said: Il saw
that man shoot a nan while he was on
his knees at PRAYER And the Other
salt: 81 saw hun shoot my bro her"
There was a subject for a painter.
The beholdeis could scarcely keep their
hands from the throat Of the mummy.
Another was recognized by Mrs. Hun
ter as the Indian who hal shot her
husband, aud then took out his knife
and offered to cut his throat in her
presence, but finally desis'ed, and car
carried her away in captivity.
The female Sex WAS represented in
the person OF one squaw, who, it was
charged, had killed two children. The
only evidence to be obtained against
her was camp rumor to that effec.
among the Indians, 60 she was dis.
charged.
All ages have been represented from
boylsh fifteen up to old men, scarcely
able to walk or speak, who were "fiftv
years old, to use the expression OF ore,
"a long time 'go, and then they stopped
counting" Two Of these old gentlemen
were once brought in together, who
were direct opposiies in physiognomy-
the face Of one rnnaing all to nose,
which terminated sharply, giving hun
the pointed expression, while that Of
the other was perfectly fat, and about
two feet broad aud fully illustrated (whal
1 have always considered So a fable. the
fact OF persons being in existence who
couldn't open or shut their ewes and
mouths at the same moment. This
specimen was apparently asleep the
whole tine, with his lower law down