The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-06-12
AZ ARonT THE INDfzSs.

because two responsible and reliable
citizens of the Falls asked for '.what help /
could be sent up that way !" and I'd, to +
see just what there was in the reported
Indian troubles, that we might give our
readers truthful account.
Some of our friends thought we had
better say nothing about the matter, as
it would tend TO discourage immigration
in this direction. We take different
view of the subject. 1t is always best
in the long run to give the truth about
such reports. If there was real danger
it was our duty as a public Journalist to
tell the people so. If there was no
danger it was equally our duty to pub
lish it. If we could keep the reports of
such things at home there might be no
necessity for local papers to say any
thing about them. But these reports
were bound to get out, and have already
appeared i'll all the dailies of this State,
and, we doubt not, others at distance.
4 Persons at a distance picking up THE
| News and seeing not word said about
/ the Indians would at once come to the
conclusion that the matter was so bad
! that we did not want to say anything.
creating panic. And so, notwithstand-
| ing we desire to see immigrants coming
/ as much as any person can notwith-
! standing all our interests are here, and
we have piece of property for sale, we
! thought best to give such reports about
! the matter as seemed to US most reliable
a the time.
! We didn't t'go to the front TO get in
to fight. Not much. That amt our
style. Just as we expected when we
left Emporia, the nearer we got to the
scene Of the reported difficulties, the
less scarcy the afiairlooked, and although
we travelled for thirty-siX hours almost
constantly, in the direction OF the In
dians, we did not so much as see one.
Like the milk sickness, they were just
ahead, but we didn't catch up with them.
The Indian raid was made up OF
about four-titths scare and one fifth
truth. as usual on such occasions, the
thousand reports flying over the conn-
try Were unreliable. we found the
people of Cottonwood Falls quiet,
and apparently very little alarmed.
Some families had come in there from
Marion county for protection.
The object of the visit of the Indians
to the settlements was to make war up
on the Kaws. The last named tribe
visited tile Cheyennes last fall. and kill
ed seven of their number and stole Il
lot of their ponies. The Cheyennes
swore vengeance, and sent word that as
: soon as the grass was sufficiently large
they should visit the Kaws for the pur-
pose OF avenging the outrages commit
ted upon them.
The Cheyennes repeatedly said they
did not intend to disturb the whites
and did not want any trouble with
them.
The extent of the dcpradations in
Clarion county were, that some five OIL
six head of cattle were killed for beef
and one family was somewhat frighten-
ed by demonstrations of warlike na.
turc. but no real harm was done them
: After the fight with the Kaws two
: houses were burned on the Kaw reser-
walton which were occupied by French.
men who had married half-bree q
squaws. The Indians marched through
Council Grove both as they came in
and went back. They did not attempt
any disturbances in the Grove. A mile
and a half west of the town they de-
stroyed all the household goods of q
Mr.. Polk, tearing up his. bed clothes
enlptying the feathers out of the beds
etc. 1t was stated that this was done
TO revenge some wrongs which Mr.
Polk had done them. Watcher there
was any truth in the statement or MOI
we do not know. Further out on the
Santa Fe road they robbed the house OF
X. Il. Lockwood We did not hear any
particular reason given for this outrage.
There are reports that the Indians com
rnitted various other thcfts and depre.
datiens, bat they lack proof. We have
: only given what we know TO be true.
The number that came in to the Kaw
Agency was Yariously estimated at from
seventy-fve to one hundred and fifty
1t is pretty well ascertained that only
about eighty were engaged in the figh
with the kaws. They fought some two
, hours. firing about three thousand shots
I One Kaw received scratch on the hand
and one Cheyenne was shot in the foot
After the fight the Kaws, who only have
| about one hundred warriors, all told
l pursued the Cheyennes to within three
quarters of mile of the Grove. There
was every evidence that this band wa;
only sent forward as sort of a feeler
4 and that large number of Cheyennes
remained behind. They said repeatedly
that they We're coming back. They
were riding barc-backed horses and
each had two revolvers. The result o
their trip must have been very unsatis-
: factory to them. The only way we can
account for their leaving so abruptly and
without having satisfaction out of the
: Kaws, is that the number of white men
z in arms was becoming rather thick on
the prairies to suit them, and they feared
a conflict with the whites. As near as
we could Judge there were not less than
two hundred and fifty men toierabl4
well armed and mounted watching
them, and the number was rapidly aug
| menting. The Indians concluded they
had better go. 1t is said they will come