Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-22
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal,
The Red Man on the War Path.
Wholesale Massacre Of Government
Agents.
Fearful Slaughter Of White
Men.
The Red Man on the War Path,

New Era of the seventeenth instant contains
the following startling news from the Indian
country:
The feelings of jealousy harbored by our
indian neighbors at the authority Of the fed
eral government exercised over their terri
tory, eliminated last Monday, the 10Th inst,
in fearful deed of tloodshed, falling little
short of wholesale massacre of the agents of
the government. The following startling
letter was received this Tuesday A. NJ. at the
United States Marshals office, by Capt.
James w. Dounelly:
"Whitmore's Barren Fork, Cherokee Ma
ton, to j. w. Donnelly. Dear Strive
have had terrible fight. We lost seven on
our side killed, three of theirs were killed.
There are lots of wounded; we are in devil
of a strait. Send US men and means instant.
ly. We are with tine dead and wounded and
expect to stay with them until the last one
goes. Ovens is wounded; for God sake send
help and send quickly. Come to Dutch
Town and then down Barren Fork to White
mores. Ward is killed, Vanney and I are
| alone with Owens; none of the rest are here
with US. We look for help tomorrow night
by dark, and are looking to be attacked every
minute. The parties are close together.
Some of the Cherokees are with u.s..
Yours truly,
(Signed) ]. s. PEAyY
al OEUeT that the circumstances causing the
| terrible fight above alluded TO may be more
| fully understood, we will state the following ::
| On the llth inst, white man named Kes-
| torson, living in the Cherokee nation near
| the Arkansas line, about fifty miles from this
| city, came here and filed information before
United States Commissioner Churchill against
one Proctor; also white man married to "A
Cherokee woman, for assaulting him with in
tent to kill. Then he stated that while in his
saw-mil on the thirteenth of February, Proc
tor came in, walked up without provocation
| and shot his wife dead. He then fired his re-
volver at him, the ball striking just above the
| left eye. Before he could fire again Kestor-
son escaped. Proctor is now undergoing trial
for the murder of Kesterson's wife at the
court house in Snake Stuck, about thirty
| seven miles northwest of here writ has
been isue', and Deputy Marshal instructed
to go to the court house and remain till the
trial is over, and If the prisoner is not con-
vic'ed to arrest him on other charges.
, Proctor is known to be desperate, and
being In the neighborhood of the place where
Deputy Marshal Bentz was killed, little
over month ago. (and where in fact dep
uty is shot at almost on sight), 1t was necs-
sary that strong posse should be sent. The
party had also written for the arrest of the
murderers of Deputy Marshal Bentz, who are
Saturday morning Deputy Marshals j. 6.
| Owens, j. G. Perry, with VIM. Wood J. G.
| Vanney, ]. Haskins, Benz. Jones, and E.
Brocket, posse, left here for the scene Of
| action. At Evansville they were Joined by
Riley Woods, and w. J. Morris, and al
Dutch Town by man named Beck, who is
part Cherokee Indian. The court house is
about tw elve miles west of that place. The
party proceeded, and when about three
| O'Clock Monday afternoon they were within
| fifty yards ofthe court house, they dismounted,
hitched their horses, and quietly walked to-
| wards the east side Of the house by twos.
| They stopped at the corner, and Beck stepped
| around to the front door and looked in Sc
| ing large number of people inside armed to
| the teeth he turned Immediately ito come
| away, but not before he was fired upon and
dangerously wounded. At the same time
volley was fired from the court house upon
the Marshal's forces who then commenced
return. They were at great disadvantage as
| the attacking party was under shelter inside
the court house. 1t appears that Beck had
some friends inside the court house, who.
when they saw him fall opened fire ON his
(Beck's) enemies inside, and presently the
| fighting was general 1t was brief, however,
| but terrible in the results of the Marshal's
| force seven out of eleven lay dead, and of
| the assailants three. Some sixteen or seven
| teen are reported wounded; some MORALLY
wounded, including Marshal Owens. The
| messenger knew the names only of two of the
Marshals force who were killed, Jas. Ward
| and Riley Wood. Three were missing, Jas.
| Haskins, Paul Jones and Eugene Brocket.
Morris helped to lay out the nine bodies on
| the porch, about half a mile from the scene
| of the deadly affray, and thither the federal
| wounded were also carried
| Proctor, the woman killer and desperate
was guarded by eleven of his personal friends
who would not see him convicted. The
Sheriff was killed and the Judge received
three buckshot in his knee. Indeed it APP
pears from the sudden and deadly assault
upon the Marshal's force that the people inside
the court house had been fully informed of
their approach, and were prepared for them.
The officials had instructions to make a de-
mand for Proctor only in case of his acquittal.
They expected some resistance should they
attempt to arrest him, but for the murderous
volley on their first approach they were not
prepared, hence their slaughter
Immediately upon the receipt of Deputy
Marsh Peavey's letter, Kerens, Chief Dep
uty Marshal, Capt. Donnelly, Chief Clerk,
and Commissioner Brooks Churchill, raised
and mounted thirty men under command of
Marshal Robinson and Joe Tinker the Dep
uty. Accompanying the expedition are doc
tors Field and Pierce.
| A demand has been made upon the author
| tiles of the Cherokee nation to assist in TAX
| ing the murderers dead or alive. This is one
of the most terrible affairs ever known in
| this country originating in distrust and jeal
ousy, with which the more intelligent portion
of the inhabitants of the Territory are mised
by bad white men, What knowledge may be had
may be surmised from the fact that Proctor
has committed eighteen murders and is still
unhung. 1t is the stearn determination of
the United States Marshal of this district to
bring to justice the murderous and rebellious
crew in the nation at any sacrifice or expense