Fort Snelling. Lieutenant-Colonel Marshal, with a detachment of two hundred men, was sent on farther into Dahkotah Territory. The prairie grass, now rendered dry and brittle by the frost, commenced to burn, filling the air with smoke so as at times, in broad day, completely to veil the sun from sight, or give it the appearance of a blood-red full moon, and presenting in the night a gorgeous view, surpassing all the fire-works of art. Cloud after cloud of spark-speckled smoke rolled up in volumes over each other; streaks, and streams, and lakes of red flames crackled over the grass and among and through the bushes; or, leaping with the wind as it lapped its length ahead, swept the prairie crop and left behind it a blackened plain. Colonel Marshal crossed the Little Sioux and advanced a distance on the Coteau des Prairiesan elevated, undulating, sterile table-land, full two thousand feet above the level of the seapresenting from the distance, as you approach it, the appearance of an unbroken mountain range, but gradually sloping up toward it. He advanced in the direction of the James River. Being informed that by Wild-Goose-Nest Lake was encamped a part of Little Crow's band, which had for the most part dispersed, stealthily by night he surrounded them, and in the early morning captured the whole camp. The "braves" attempted to run, but finding themselves completely hemmed in, with Indian indifference surrendered. The squaws rather took it to heart-tore their hair, pounded their breasts, screamed, and throwing themselves on the ground, kicked in a most unladylike manner. On the 21st of October a perfect simoon swept the prairies-dust and cinders darkened the atmosphere. The wind bent, broke, and uprooted trees on the river sides; blew down tents upon our heads, and sent us around like a brood of chickens in a rain-storm; took up barrels and sent them from one end of the camp to the other. Through this storm-his men literally black with ashes and dust-Colonel Marshal with his prize arrived back at Camp Release. The Indian men were imprisoned with the others in the jail; the squaws and children were sent on with those previously taken. Other captures at Lac Qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, and elsewhere, by parties sent out for the purpose, also were made at different times, and the prizes taken similarly disposed of. While at this camp Colonel Sibley was promoted to a Brigadier-Generalship. The weather began to grow colder. The frosts and prairie fires having swept away nearly all the forage, provender for the horses and cattle grew scarce. So on the 23d of October, having loaded the Indian prisoners, chained as they were, from twelve to fifteen in a wagon, the tents were struck and the expedition commenced a return march. A few weeks were spent at the Lower Agency, in Camp Sibley. The prisoners were incarcerated, as at Camp Release, in a jail built for the occasion. The Military Commission held its session in a small log-house, spared from the Indian torch by accident, and there continued the trial of the four hundred prisoners we then had, not including those sent to Fort Snelling. This accomplished, we again resumed the line of march toward Mankato, passing on | line may be drawn between the condign punishour way by New Ulm. On the advance of a military force-the immediate danger being supposed over-most of the inhabitants that had fled, after the attack, had returned to their homes. Without doubt they had suffered provocation of the utmost degree in the loss of their property and the massacre of their friends and relations; but still the demonstration they made as we passed New Ulm, on Sabbath morning, was hardly to their credit. As the command passed the village the entire population-men, women, and children-armed with pitch-forks, rakes, hoes, sticks, stones, brickbats, knives, and guns, sallied out and attacked the prison wagons. They were perfectly furious, the women danced about with aprons full of stones, and begged, "Oh, for just one chance at those devils!" Some of them rushed up to the wagons and discharged their missiles. woman pounded a chained Indian on the head till he fell backward out of the wagon. I regret to give such items, but I do so that a distinct One ment those Indians deserved and such revenge. A number of the men were put under arrest and the mob soon dispersed. Crossing the Big Cottonwood River, we marched on and pitched our tents within a couple of miles of Mankato, on the bank of the Blue Earth River, in Camp Lincoln. The Military Commission, that had completed its trials at the Lower Agency, had condemned 303 of the Indians to be hung, and 18 to be imprisoned for life. These decisions, with detailed accounts of the trials, were sent on to Washington to be ratified by the President. In the mean time they were left in jail, squatted side by side, smoking their kinickinick pipes. Another mob again attacked the jail, but were dispersed by the prompt, decided action of Colonel Miller, who was then, from the absence of General Sibley, in command of the camp. On the receipt of returns from Washington, ratifying for that time at least the sentence of only thirty-eight of the condemned, immediate preparations were made for the execution. Not far from the jail a scaffold was built, so constructed | turned at large again with impunity. And so, that the entire platform on which the condemned were to stand, each directly under his own halter, could be instantly dropped and the bodies left hanging in the air. With their characteristic indifference-it can scarcely be called stoicism-the Indians received their sentence, and soon commenced a war dance with as much freedom as their chains would permit. The execution was appointed for Friday the 26th of December. An immense crowd of men, women, and children assembled from all the country round to see the spectacle. The scaffold was encircled by soldiers, through a double file of whom the victims were conducted. Their hands were tied, their heads covered with muslin caps; otherwise they were dressed in their native costume. Chanting their wailing deathsong, they mounted the platform. The noose was adjusted to the neck of each; and at a signal the one rope which held the platforin was severed; the platform fell; and the doomed eight-and-thirty, clasped hand in hand, were launched into eternity. After a proper interval the bodies were cut down, carried away, and buried, in two rows, foot to foot, in a wide ditch among the willows on a sand-bar by the riverside. The other prisoners were kept in confinement to await their doom, whatever it might be. A force sufficient to protect them from violence was left with them. The remaining troops were stationed in winter-quarters at all the endangered points along the entire frontier. So also, in a degree at least, was it several years ago after the Spirit Lake massacre. A few were partially if at all punished, and the rest of course, even at the very worst, the Indians an- Teach Thus I have given an account of the late Sioux massacre and war in as brief a compass as possible. I have had to compress it greatly to bring it within the limits of a magazine article. Of items I have given but enough to show the general character of the whole; I found it difficult to select from such a mass, seemingly all of equal interest. I have given nothing but what I saw myself, or received from those who saw it. I would gladly tender my thanks to Albert Colegrave, of St. Paul, now in Company G of the Sixth Regiment Minnesota Volunteers, for valuable assistance in preparing the sketches for this article; to Rev. Alfred L. Riggs for the Dahkotah tunes; to Mr. J. E. Whitney, also of St. Paul, for the portrait of Little Crow; and to other friends for assistance in collecting materials. THE QUICKSILVER MINES OF NEW ALMADEN, CALIFORNIA. In [THE recent decision of the United States Court, which dom of the thing as much as ourselves. apparently settles the question of property in the "New many places such was the luxuriant growth Almaden Quicksilver Mines," causes us to produce the following paper, describing a visit made to these Mines in that, despite our leathern leggins and the cov 1857. The illustrations and descriptions are given witherings always attached to the California stirrups, out change. They represent the region as it was six we were quickly wet with the morning dew, years ago. Those who are now familiar with it will be which sprinkled in little showers as we galloped able to note the changes which these few years have a path through the tall mustard and grass. made in the aspect of life in the Golden State.-EDITORS To the right lay the Bay of San Francisco, OF HARPER'S MAGAZINE.] still shrouded in a veil of mist, which the early Na sunny morning in May, the most land-breeze was driving into fantastic forms, re boat, laden with produce from the farms above, drifted with the ebb-tide toward San Francisco. The savannas of Contra Costa spread away to the left, intersected with tiny streams flowing toward the bay, their courses marked by a few entire valley-bounded by the bay on the one hand, and the hills on the other-this plain extends to San José, and forms one of the most valuable agricultural districts of the State. in the mountains as well as on the sea-coast, we looked out from the door of the Oakland House, in the village of that name, and gave the final directions to the brisk little hostler of the hotel as to the saddling of the horses for our contemplated jaunt. To go back a moment and ex-scattered trees. From Oakland, through the plain this rather abrupt introduction: Know, good reader, that Oakland is a rural village embowered in the only trees deserving the name of woods within many miles of San Francisco, and situated opposite that city, on the eastern shore of the bay. It has been called the "Hoboken" of San Francisco. An hourly ferry is established between the two places. Wrought into desperation by the distant prospect of green fields and flowery hill-sides, and weary of San Francisco's dust-pelted streets, we had taken our horses across in the ferry the evening previous, and were now bound on an equestrian trip in search of novelties and adventures. The whole of California was at our disposal for an exploring expedition; but out of the several interesting localities it was difficult to choose. There was Monte Diablo, with its wild and sublime scenery; Martinez, on the Straits of Carquinez; San Pablo, where might be seen the original primitive California style of living illustrated by the descendants of the old Spanish families; the wheat-growing locality of the Mission of San José, with its quaint old Catholic church, orchards, and hot springs; and, lastly, the famous New Almaden Quicksilver Mine, beyond San José, of which we had heard accounts almost as fabulous as those relating to the gold mines. "We'll toss up," exclaimed F Martinez and the quicksilver mine!" "between No sooner said than done. The mine had it; and settling our score with the landlord of our red-wood hotel, we mounted and cantered away toward the base of the Contra Costa range, which rises abruptly from the extensive plains bordering the bay to the eastward. Once clear of the little town we wheeled our horses to the southward, and having a distance of thirty-five miles to perform to the time-honored Mission of San José, through which we must pass, we pushed forward at a rapid pace. Our horses vied with ourselves in spirits, and as they snuffed the fresh morning air, and sprang along through the great expanse of clover and flowers, they seemed to enjoy the wild free Toward evening we pulled up at the Mission of San José, where we passed the night; and on the following morning, leaving its venerable church to the left, we pursued our way to the southward, and a few hours' ride brought us to the pueblo of San José, once the capital, and still the principal agricultural dépôt of California. It is situated thirteen miles south of the head of San Francisco Bay, near the middle of the beautiful valley of Santa Clara, which at this point has a width of eighteen miles. The general course of this valley is nearly parallel to the Pacific coast, from which it is separated by the Santa Cruz mountains, while another range (the Contra Costa mountains) forms its northeastern boundary, and divides it from the valley of San Joaquin. The town communicates with the bay through a little "embarcadero," or port, called Alviso, standing at the head-waters of a creek flowing from the southward. San José, in many respects, is the most interesting town in California, being supported entirely by the products of the surrounding agricultural region, and appropriately styled the "farming headquarters" of the State. It is steadily increasing in population. Society in San José is decidedly "Pike" in its character, but there are many fainilies of refinement and education residing there. Here is the celebrated Catholic Female Seminary, the oldest and wealthiest educational institution in the State; and among the buildings are the court-house, several churches, and hotels, very New England in their appearance, and a great number of handsome private residences. The following engraving gives but one half the town, there being no point from the plain which will include a view of the whole. San José differs from most of the towns toward the ocean in being nearly embowered in the deepest and greenest foliage, and laid out into spacious fruit and flower gardens. In fact, it approaches nearer to an old-fashioned Eastern |