The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-07-16

HOW 0M Entire Tribe Uuy Sscep,
AscNy Thirty Years ACO.
Early in the Spring ot 1887, the steamdl
Assinaboinc arrived ut Fort Clark with sew.
eral cases of small pox on board. There ar
Indian stole blanket belonging to watch
man on the boat, who was then Ut the poin
Of death, and took 1t away'to SOW the seed.
Of death among his tribe, which caused hi
own death and the death Of thousands oi
his nation. When It was known that liz
had taken 1t, benevolent person Oh the
boat went to one of the chiefs, told him the
fatal consequences that would follow. and
offered new blanket and reward besides,
II he would have ii returned, but suspicion,
fear or shame prevented the man from Civ.
ing it ur, and the pestiIcnce. broke out and
began to spread among the Mandans at first,
to which nation the thief belonged. Mos,
of the Indians were distant eight miles from
the camp killing buffaloes for their winter
food, and messenger was dispatched re.
questing them not to return - the colse
quence would be fatal The Indians sen,
back word that their corn was suffering to
be worked, and that they would return and
face the danger which they thought was fab.
ulous. Word was again sent them that Ger
tain destruction would attend their return.
but it was oil in vain; come back they did.
and the plague began in its most malignant
form, their habits and improper food making
them ready prey, and few hours some.
times terminating the loathsone disease by
death. The Mandans were enrsgcd because
st first it was confinct to them, and they
supposed the whites had caused II, and
saved themselves and the Ricarccs from the
pcssilence, aud they threatened the lives Of
oil the former supp0sing they had Z medi-
cine to prevent Il, which they would not
give them, but by and by Ricarecs and
whites died also; the disease Increasing In
n,alignity hundreds died daily, and bodies
thrown beneath the bluff, created an intol.
erablc stencil which added to its fatality.
Men shot each other when they found them
selves attacked. One man killed his wife
and children, and then loaded his gun, and
placing the muzzle In his mouth, touched
the trigger With his toe, and blew out his
own brains. Ono young chief made his
friends dig grave for him, and putting ON
his war rolcs, he tottercd out to It, singing
ms death songs, and jumping il, cut bis
body nearly IN two with hls knife, and was
buried there; and othsn committed suicidesf.
ter they wore attacked. rather thsn die 0ffhe
loathsomc disease. The annals Of pestilenos
do not furnish another such example of hor.
rors, o. where mortality Ma % great In pro-
portion % the population; of TIE once pow
erful tribe Of the Msndane, only twenty.
seven persons remained, and one hundred
and flfsy thousand persons pesished. and
the details are to horrible to relate. Added
to this the few whites were alarzsed NJ the
Indians should massecre shcm = tIys cause
of the evil. Ono influential chief attempted
toinstigstc the Indians 70 kiIltIsC whites, ~
was himself setsed and'disd hsSosp ~ plaas
vses matured; bss q his ~ - acnls ~ ~
confsasd ~ xicl -, ~ SxpeIi III 80
!ow fcr y, srd beGesA llsat.'hl ho.ay miGAe
= lid before ~ ~ antji u ~ T.
vstA the eopen(l tjane 6e)ief u,ae ~ fhle - v1s'I
- 80 WhteD n1on WWood ~ = ehihpu4
- - go elDlve ~ as6il1te1 aa..l ,'..sa Il