Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1852-01-16


perform his morning and evening trainings.
In fact so carefully was he trained and fitted
for the race Of life or death, that he was
timed upon the parade ground, the fourth
dav belnle the race, aud performed the as
lonislng feat of forty lone miles in two
hours, apparently without fat que:
The day at length arrived. Thousands
of Indians, French, Americans, and others,
had assembled to witness the scene. In lact
i, was regarded as a gala.day by all, except
the avcnecr of his brother Sue. Lieut.. R.,
on tho part of The prisoner, and tho ceIcbra-
ted war chiefs, War-kun-shutes kee and
PInetop, on the part Of the Wmnebasoes,
superiuended the arrangement OF the par.
ties upon The ground. The point agreed
upon for starting was upon the prairie
little north of Prairie due Chen, aud lew
rods from the residence then occupied by
Judge Lnckwond, while the track lay along
the Nine NJ ic Prairie stretching 10 the north,
and skiriing the shore of the Mississippi.
The Sioux appeared upon the ground ac-
compancd by guard Of soldiers who were
followed bv his ,wcntv-tour antagonists,
marching in Indian file, naked, with the cx-
cep,ion of the Indian braechlct. Their ribs
were painted white. while their breasts were
adorned with a number Of herogIyphIcal
paintings, Across the face of the alternate
stripes of white and black were painted, IN
parallel lines extending from the chin to ilc
forehead.
The hair was plated into numerous
thongs fringed with bells, and lasse'cd with
red Or white feather, while their mecca
SIZES were corded tightly around lhe hollow
Of The foot, as well as around tho ancie, with
the sinews Of The deer. In the right hand
each carried his lomahawk. while The lett
graspcd the sheath that contaIne" the scalp.
ing knife. The prisoner was about twenty
three years of age, little less than SIX feet
in height. of muscular, wclI-pr"porloned
contour. and manifested III the easy move
ments Of his body wTy anI agile COM
mand of his muscular powers; his c"uhteh-
ancc presented a wan and haggaId appear
ance. as lie stood upon the ground, owing
partly to the rigid discipline he had under
gone in training, and partly to his having
painted his face black, with The figure OF d
horse shoe in white upon his forehead. which
dcnn,cd that he was condemned TO die, with
the privilege OF making an effort To save his
ltc bv Reetne$s; around his neck he wore
u narrow belt of wampum, To winch was
appended the sea lp that he had taken from
the Winnebagn.
Soon after thew had formed in a line, LIT.
r. came up and took of one OF the mecca
sius Of the Indian. and showed the chcis
tha, he thought il contained a thin plate OF
steel, and asked it they objected to 1t to
which they replied that hc might carry as
much iron as he pleased. Llent. X. having
noticed al the same time that tie c"nnle-
nance of the Indian presented d"w"caS'
aud mciancplv appearance, requested Df.
EIuisc to come forward. who, alter cXa'nl'
Iny his Pulse. reported that he WAS Iluch
excited, and that his nerves were III lrc''u-
IuuS condition. Lieut. X. Immediately took
him by the arm and led him out some dis
lance in front OF the itnc, where he asked
hlm, through his interpreter, II he was AFRAID
to run; to which he repIIcd that nc was not
afraid to run with any WInncbagp on foot,
but he was aIla'd that he could not ouirun
all The horses that were mounted by armed
Indians. The Lieutenant saw at once Tie
cause Of his alarm, and informed INN that
lhev should not interfere. He intended To
ride The Acetcsl horse upon the ground. ana
keep near HIM, and as he was well armed,
would see that no horscman approached
with hostile intention. AT tins announce
mcnt the cnuntenancc Of the Indian bright
ened up with smile; his whole person
seemed Lifted from the ground, as ne return
to his position in the line with slawart
stride. The chiefs and Lieutenant K. soon
alter this mounted their horses and took
position directly in the rear of the prisoner.
Spectators were removed from the front.
when Lieut.. X. gave the signal; the blow
had scarcely REACHED the drum, when The
prisoner darled from his antagonists, with
bound which placed him beyond the reach
o! the whlrIing tomahawk. When the race
was under way many of his antagonists ran
with great ncelness for a mile, when the dis
taucc between them and tho Sioux began TO
widen rapidly, showing the superior bottom
Of the latter, acquired by the discipline: OF
the white man. At the end of two miles
the last oi the coulcndIng Wnncbagoes
withdrew from the chase there was not
an Indian horse upon the ground that could
keep up with hlm after he had gone the hrst
half mile, and at the end of the fourth mile