The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-17
4 Tribe IN Mourning.

MANY INDIANS DROWNED NEAR POPLAR GREEN.
4 special dispatch from Fort Buford, ID.
T.. >av.: \ bearer Of dispatches has iu>l
arrived here from Poplar Creek Agency,
VI. r., bringing news Of calamity which
eau scarcely De appreciated in it, full force
BIS any ore VINO i not familiar with the
fn-hifu hardship> OF frontier existence.
About i've DAYS ago new, reached us here
ihi tbe Missouri river had opened at Fort
Benton, VI. r., about three DAYS previous.
shortly aflcrWaId We heard that ii was
gradually breaking up all the way down
20 Font Peck, some i've hundred miles
below Benton. In view OF these re-
ports the fict that the agent OF the lank-
tonal, q, POPLAR Creek took 40 step to avert
the misfortune above referred 10 would
seem - need explanation. Ii seems from
The report Oi tn courier, whose statement
is verified from The personal knowledge OF
your correspondent. that The greater pant Of
90. lanhtouai, g MP wa, located for the
winter, presumably for tie purpose Of
being near water. on a large, low fiat Imme-
dmcy o. tie bank II the Missouri river,
sud lh.i ca thc evening Of The 10Th instant
The water was found 10 e rapidly rising in
tlclr immediate vicinity.
After the GanDer OF these SaYIges they
made cfIit- that were equally vigorous and
futile o. escape from the evident deYa>ta-
ton which threatened them. They tried to
drive IN their horses, bur found that the
poor brulcs we e even more paralyZed bv
fright than they were. Tuey eudcavOIed 10
take DOM their tcpeCs, but discovered that
TOE bose poles were lightly frozen IN the
ground. The Thermometer indicated that the
cold was already twenty-five degrees below
zero aud s'ill ntcnSiiNiUg. Major llee, had
ordered aii the troop, our and the soldiers
were making CYcrN possible effort to save
tlur itd-.kinntd brethren, but The resist
It's flow q The Using river came steadily
on them 10 The dJlkue.> and the cold. The
mourniul wall Of the >quiws filled the air
IN Intellectual protest 10 heaven, and the
feeble cries Of TIE babies ana children,
,ckened almost INTO death with cold and
lear, seemed iiuing song Over the deaths
OF Tie rlghs Of their fOreilthers.
WIN the dawn OF The day came SIGHT
Which VIII haunt for many a night every
one Who saw Il. Wnefc Yesterday was Il
busy and merry camp. filled win the hum
ana Dosllc II life, was now only 4 great
Nasle Of frozen water. High up IN the
trees, where evidently they had fled 10 e>'
cane The rurSuiog 40 ID. were 10 be seen
lhc bodies OF eight ludian men, frozen stih
ana stark. Five hundred ponies were
also dead, some standing only knee-deep
III water, bul rigid from the colo,
ana many more being frozen into
tn' &c, The water having first drow and
'nen solldlhed around them. The number
o' ibdans who actually persisted cannot
no" be stated with any degree OF certainty.
he whole tribe are ia mourning and refuse
10 be c0mfoned. They feel that The Great
spirit Is against them. Their condition Is
indeed most piliable one. The fruit OF
,helr winters hunt and the buffalo robes
they haye brought in have all been swept
away IN one night. Their loved ones, their
ioOges, their ponies, are all gone. Could
any story Of desOlsliOn be more cOmpleiei