The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-10-28
From the Atchison Champion, Aug. 1Oth.1
GEN. McCOOK ON THE SAND
CREEK MASSACRE.

GEN. McCOOA ON THE SAND
CREEK MASSACRE.
Our old corps commander, Major Gen
eral Alexander McD McCook, with his
personal Aid, Major Bates, and other
members of his staff, arrived here from
the West yesterday morning. General
McCook has been on tour to New Mex
/ ico and Colorado, accompanying Vice
President Foster and party, and has
thoroughly investigated, by order of the
War Department, all affairs connected
with the Indians in the West. General
McCook is no inexperienced Judge of the
Indian character and disposition; he has
not learned what he knows of the red men
from ''Cooper's Novels" he has fought
them in many campaigns, and is inaHenc-
ed by no mawkish sentimentality in their
favor. His opinions are, therefore, enti-
tied to credence. Of Chivingtons Sand
Greek massacre he gave us many interest
ing details, and he is of the opinion that
! it was the most cold-blooded, revolving
diabolical atrocity ever conceived by man
or devil The sworn accounts of witness
es of the affair are enough to make any
man blush for his species. 1t was an in
discriminate, wholesale murder of men.
women and children, accompanied by the
Disagreement of dead bodies of both sex
es, in every revolving and siekening form
and manner Unborn babes werc torn
from the wombs of dying mothers and
scalped; children of the most tender ages
were butchered; soldiers adorned their
hats with portions Of the bodies of both
males and females, and the flag and uni
form Of the United States we're disgraced
by acts of 6endish barbarity, so revolving
IN their details that truthful account
cannot be published in a respectable jour
nal, without giving offense to decency
And all these atrocities were committed
on band of Indians. who had, voluntari-
", intrusted themselves to the protection
of the Government received assurances
of care. and who had flying above the en-
eampment, at that time, white flag and
a national banner. given them by the mil
! itary authorities at Fort Lyon, with the
promise that this was to be to them secu-
trity and guardianship as long as they re-
manned under it and continued friendly.
These Indians were under the leader
ship of q BLACK Kettle" chief whose
friendship for the whites had been pro-
verbal for years He had been in the
employ of our Government as a scout
had been engaged by Lieutenant Colonel
Tappan, Of the First Colorado. to keep a
EgteheFpon the Sioux and other hostile
ti4Ads; had only few davs before pre-
vented, By giving timely information, an
intended raid; aud he brought the men.
women and children of his tribe together
to live near the fort, and under the care
of the whites. His trust was repaid by
indiscriminate massacre; his friendship
was rewarded by outrage on the living
and Disagreement of the dead; his conf
denee reqaitted by betrayal, by rapine
by murder, so siekaning in its forms that
it passes all understanding to imagine
how any one. be he either man or devil,
could have executed it. Added to these
crimes, aAd making them more heineous,
is the fact that within some distance of
the scene of the massacre were body of
hostile indians, who had notoriouslY been
engaged in committing many dopredations
These Chiyington permitted to go un-
harmed, probably because theiP warriors
numbered as many as did the men of his
command. So to his cruelty must be
added cowardice; to his barbaEity, poll
troonery.
All these facts are established by sworn
statements in possession of General Me-
Cook, and they agree in every respect
with the testimony taken by Lieutenant
Colonel Tappan of the First Colorado, as
he related them to us some days ago.
The Colonel Chivington who commit
ted these appalling atrocities is Metho-
dist preacher, said to be in good standing
with the Denver Methodist Church. the
leading members of which have issued an
address endorsing his religious character
and approving of his murders. This in
fernal scoundrel has the impudence to-
send US pamphlet full of canting hypoc-
risy and loyalty in defense of his crimes,
with the request that We publish it in
justice to him, because, forsooth, in our
paper of last March We denounced the
hideous massacre he planned and perpe-
trated. 1t he ever receives the justice he
deserves, he will be hung upon the ev-
idence of the pamphlet he relies upon to
excqlpate himself We doubt whether
there is in any prison this side of Pluto's
Kitchen more atrocious villain than this
Chiyington... Yet the infamous scoundrel
dares to talk of justice! And we are de-
nounced for favoring the prosecution of
every man who raised his hand to put
down this rebellion" as this devil Chiv-
ington helped to put it down-by massa-
ere and murder-by the commission of
crimes from which the most depraved
mind would shrink with horror and dis
gust,