Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-02
From the Weekly Review.
$40! THE POOR INDIAN !''
By NC AR ONE.

: greatly
except United States soldiers, are trying, /
notice, to make sensation on the subject of
the slaughter of sundry Cheyenne Indians,
by national troops, Oh the plains.
Several hundred of these swarthy horse
thieves were taken, in their camp, and cat
down and cut of, without warning or quar-
ter /: the principal idea being, apparently, to
get dead sure thing on them.
Thenewspapers aforementioned, stricken
with pious horror thereat, raise terrible
hne-and-cry after the officer in command;
one Colonel Chivington; and come out un-
commonly strong about the rights of the Red
Man, whose hunting grounds have been
! seized, who has been driven further west
ward and who is now massacred in cold
| blood, like wolf or a panther!
Truly this is very bad for the Red Man. l
| don't know but blame Chivington, little,
myself. He slew some hundreds of Chey-
ennes. He should have slain some Thousands
! instead.
/ These people who lament oyerthe wrongs
and sorrows Of the aboriginss, never saw
/ that picturesque people at home.
! I have seen what are called "friendly
| Indians, in Illinois. Dirt was their prevail
/ ing popularity vermin their inevitable 40
| compartment. Unbridled license and lswd-
ness were inherent characteristics with
/, them and fnery and fre-water their only
I ideas Of luxury.
4 The hostile tribes possess all these ennob-
i ling traits, with the addition of the most
/. treacherous, cowardly, indecent love of sim
! pie cruelty that can be imagined.
! The only Indian virtue l ever knew Of is
/ the negative one of physical endurance.
/ Honesty, chastity, truthfulness, generosity,
4 hospitality-an the good qualities, in fact,
/ that make Christians of men-are totally
unknown to the North American savage.
I But it has been the fashion with certain
! romanee-w writer's to laud up these creatures
as noble and dignifed race, and to cele-
brate their nasty life as infinitely higher,
! freer, and pursr than our civilized decency.
! If anybody believes these romances, let
him go out to Colonel Chivington for month
or two, among the untutored children of the
forest, and he will be speedily cured.
/ On balmy September morning, many
years ago, there might have been seen
mild, pleasant-faced gentleman, somewhat
4 beyond the middle age, with gray hair and
whiskers, walking leisurely through black
/ oak forest in the wilds Of Mushquawkee.
From time to time he seated himself upon
the messy ground beneath the lofty trees,
! book.
! All nature smiled, and SO did the old gen.
| tleman Now, he picked a blossom from the
wild-rose vine now, he examined sym
metrical acorn, or an oak-apple. Anon, he
watched the swift-winged hopscoot auttering
to its nest, or poked his cane into the ground
hogs burrow with an investigating air.
Time rolled on, and the old gentleman
/ pursued his innocent ramble, gathering
health and recreation as he went, until on
entering an open glade skirted with buckle
berry bushes, he heard voices, and saw two
other gentlemen approaching.
They joined each other with the salutation
Of strangers, but fell into conversation with
wel-bred ease, and finally exchanged cards
One Of the newcomers was D tall. melan-
choly looking man, middls-aged and digni-
fed The name on his card was "Seba
Smith"
His companion was young, handsome, and
Byronic, with long hair and lowered scarf
His card bore the name Of George Lip
pard.''
The old gentleman examined these names
with evident recognition, and produced his
| own card, upon which was neatly engraved
James Fenimore Cooper"
How delightful it is, said he, g to meet
ones fellow authors so unexpectedly in this
lonely place, far from the busy haunts of
men ! Gentlemen, let us Join our party, and
travel together"
With pleasure" replied the young man.
"And | earnestly pray that we may meet
with some adventures that can use In the
novel am now preparing
"For my part said the third, 81 hope
we shall fall in with some Of the dusky
braves who roam these wilds, unfettered and
untramme!ed by the baneful conventional
ties that make civilization curse''
As he spoke, there was a rustling of the
boughs and quick tread of feet, and six tall
dark figures, in greasy blankets, with ugly
stone hatchets in their hands, surrounded
the party.
g Bless me-" said Mr. Cooper mildly. but
with disturbed look ; u dont think this
is very nice. They don't smell good"
Two Indians placed themselves close to
each Of the gentlemen, and brandished their
tomahawks in an unnecessary threatening
manner, considering they were two to one
Indians rarely fight under other circuu-
stances-and their captives were unarmed.
"Stay J" cried Seba Smith 81 know the
savage character we'll Did I not write
Tscumseh 2 Yon remember the native gen.
my Indians in that work.
He opened his coat and waistcoat. to show
that he had no weapons, and, laying his hand
on his heart, spoke:
"Ah-Paleface-no COMMUNICATING
Paleface-ah !--Paleface good man-brother
-ah--amigo Love Injun much p
This Grafton, which was a little in the
style of Mrs. Plorniah's Italian converse
| tons, failed to produce any very profound
effect upon the dusky deniEens Of the wilds
but one of them observing a watch chain
when Mr.. Smith opened his coat, immedi-
ately nabbed it, watch and all, and put it in
the bosom Of his hunting shirt.
81 don't think they comprehend you,"
said Mr.. Cooper ia discouraged voice.
Suppose we try the language of signs /
will offer them ransom if they will let us
CO."
Suppose we lick them,' said young Lip
pard. They're measly looking wretches,
anyhow; and l guess I'm good for three of
them, if you two can attend to the other
three -
This speech was evidently understood by
one of the Indians at least He said some
thing in his sweet native tongue, and his
companions began yelling leaping about,
! and brandishing their knives and tomahawks
again, In dangerous proximity to the stom-
achs Of the travellers
81 think" said Mr.. Cooper, who lad be-
come quite pale. "ws had better hurry and
! offer them monsy, OF Whatever they want,
| to let US GO"
These words had an apparently tranquil
izing effect upon the aboriginal nerves The
Indian who had understood Mr.. Lippard's
1 hellirprant nrnnnsitinn advanced 10 Mr.