, 1870-06-07
THE PLEGANS,
New Report from a Pxicxf-Es.acts
and Illustrated FctvspnPers-i4ct-
ter ann Speech OF Chic1x.

New Report from a Px1cxt-Eacts
and Illustrated FcsvspnPers-Lct.
ter ann Speech OF Chic1k.
Fo's sha' taEay - Go.zesponde"ee ,t ef tie se''
The accu1acy Of the following particulars
concerning The PieEan nassacre and its elects
is voucLed for By Jesuit priest, Father Deye-
rcauI, who comes from the BlAckfeet Indians,
among whom be has been living for nine
yea1e. They have sent him Eithe1 to ascertain
They are AFRAID OF new expeditions against
them, and are very anxious for peace. Father
Dcvereaux brinEs a letter praying for it and
signed BY I'll the band Chiefs Of the piegans
and Dloode, He takes deep interest in the
BlAeldeet nntion-to which these tribes belong
called By themselves People of the Plains.
He has reduced their language to writing, and
had the Bible and other books printed in it.
Being thus identified with them, IS their
friend, lis testimony relating to the blow
struck the Negans last winter ia worthy OF
consideration. Al who escaped at that time
went directly to the principal Blackleet camp
on Belly liver, north Of our line, where the
priest wns. He took pains to ascertain exactly
who OF them we're killed. He knows them all
By name. You viii see that his report differs
somewhat from that Of the IndlAa Agent. The
latter says that Of the 173 We killed, only 3s-
except mere children-were males, and most
Of them were either too old or loo young for
warriors. Father Deyerenu1 says that there
we're in tile camp 133 war-iors, Of whom 9G
were killed and sc escaped. The agent states
that the camp had been stricken with small
pox, and thEt the deaths were then five and sl1
dailv. Father Devereau1 sayE that no death
from smallpox had occurred in the camp, and
that it did not appear among the refugees un-
til four days after they reaclsed Belly River.
It is Father DeTereaux's opinion that tho eff
feet Of this blow upon the Piegans is ealutary,
aEd that it prevented serious trouble this
IA f1a mi n
Eans intended plundering and killing Older
Chiefs have tried in win to control ssthem-
Those Chiefs lost authority and fell into con-
tempt. Tho success OF our arms has changed
az that. BE says, moreover, that the men
killed we're those who caused the trouble.
1iegan Indians bring the head Of 3'pete, and
presenting it to General de Trohriand. There
have been no fegan Indians within 100 miles
Of this post since the action, and Pete es-
capped at the time, and Afterwards died Of the
smallpox. Father D. baptised and buried
port of Father Deyerean1:
In the piegan camp, January %, 1s!o.
there were ~ lodges, 81 at one camp, and
near by, continuing 484 souls; 132 were war-
riors, of whom &c escaped; 100 persons wero
killed, al followss &c warriors, 50 women, and
61 children; 294 escaped. The smallpox ap-
peared four days.afte they arrived At Belly
hirer." Imyseif add to this that II women
md children died OF wounds after the engage
ment, but the warriors were all killed on the
spot There we're, therefore, killed outright.
SC warriors and II women and children.
Father Devereaux confirms the report that
some Indians killed their OVID squaws-
Father DevereauI is the bearer OF & letter
to President Grant, from which make some
extracts: "We held two great coun-
els, the piegans one, the Dloods another. We
considered your words TO 1s. The whites aud
| ourselves arc both your children We a1e
seeking good way to tive in peace. Pity MS,
| and discover to us now thy will Hide blood
shed in the ground Let us live full life,
| Our hearts are single. We sincere}y desire a
lasting peace. Tel MS now thy will; we will
accept it all.
Some portion Of speech OF Otocanepo in a
council of the band Chiefs, after tbs killing
of the p1eeans, may be interesting: "It Is
true. They have killed the woman with child,
The newborn baby, tie infant that cEawled on
the ground. Their Hwift bullets struck down
The boy and the, young girl. the young
md tbe Council warrior. the baud Chief
and The war CHEF. Neither rank nor "e1or
conld etop them. They dld not respect the
ssrred haiIs Of fNinamaaksn-First Of the Sun
the hairs whitened By many winters. They
have not spared him whom the yonng men
,su Hsz Z feir s vengeance! @ They have struck to
the besrt. Tie spirit Of destruction sided
with them the Sun himself smiled on them
from aboye. VIII I hate those great foes
No, uererl They came in help to us Cnefs
They havo given saluta1y fear TO aH ON
Young men who we're despising our a1thoflts
Yes! Let us have peace with the whites, ~
any cost even though the price be our plooo'