Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-01-16
"sANp CREEK" MASSACRE.
An Old Historic Case In the Court {
Claims.

/
An Old Historic Case In tho Court OF
Claims.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-An interest
ing case Is pending in the court OF
claims. 1t is brought by Col. John M.
Chivington, OF Denver, against the
United States and the Sioux nation Of
Indians for Indian depredations COM
mitted in April, 1867, in Wyoming. The
claimant alleges that the Indians stole
500 head of oxen and twenty-threc head
Of horses, OF the value of ST., $50. He
asks Judgment against the government
and Indians. Assistant Attorney Gem
eral l.. W. Colby, in charge OF the de-
Tense OF this class of cases, sets up q
counter claim and set-off in behalf of
the Indians, alleging the massacre Of n
large number of Indians, men, women
and children, ut Sand Creek. COL, by
Col. Chivington and his regiment on
November -, 1864. and the destruction
of property belonging to said Indians
to an amount far exceeding in value
that Of the claimants claim.
This is one of the old historic cases,
and was known as the ''Chivington" or
''Sand Creek" massacre. 1t was report.
cd at the time that some /, 200 Indians of
all ages and sexes were killed and their
scalps taken and bodies mutilated by
white men. Col Chivington, prior to
his location in Denver, was Methodist
preacher and the presiding elder for
that church in the South Platte county
of Nebraska for several years. The
massacre is agreed by all to have been
one of the most foul and dastardly on
record. A special commission was Gp-
pointed by the president to examine in
to this matter, consisting of Gen. w. I.
Sherman, n. ]. Taylor, John B. Hen
derson, Gen. John B. Sanborn, Alfred
II. Terry and others. A congressional
committee was appointed, after much
discussion, to investigate the case, com.
posed of such eminent statesmen cs
Senators Foster and Doolittle and Ben
Wade. A military commission also in
vestigatcd the massacre, sitting seven
ty-three days at Denver and Fort Lyon,
taking testimony, and the evidence CIV
en- before this commission alone occu'
pies over 200 printed pages.
1t appears that the Indians ut the re-
quest of Gov. Evans, then governor of the
territory of Colorado. had coma into
Fort Lyon for protection and had been
located on Sand creek, about forty miles
distant, and were under charge of the
United States officers and agents. They
were friendly. and committed no depre-
dations, and had been there for months
subject to government control, with
their families. wives and children.
The United States flag floated over the
camp and white flag also, by direc-
ton of the United STAGES officers as an
additional precaution. The evidence
in the investigation shows that the In
dians were nearly defenselcss and un-
armed rs the United States officers had
required them to give up their guns
before they went into camp; that at
tack was made on them without warn
ing, the women and children as we'll
as men killed and scalpcd, their ears
and noses cut off; children shot at their
mothers breasts, and the bodies mutt
lated in the most horrible manner.
This case will doubtless become lead
ing one in this branch Of jurisprudence.
involving as it does the right of the In
dams to set off damages sustained BY
them against the claimant, and to OBJ
tain Judgment in their own favor
against the claimant for injuries COM
mitted against them.