Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-12-01
From the Galena Advertiser.
Yhc Sioux Warriors's Race for Life.


/ During the summer of l8-, soon after the diff
fculties with the Winnebago Indians had beel
amieably adjusted by the, visit of one of thei
chiefs at Washington, accompanied by Governo
Cass, Sioux Indian, while out hunting by tn
mouth of the Root River, shot and scalped
Winnebago, which act he attempted to justify b,
saying that the Winnebago had wrapped aroun'
his person the blanket of an Indian, who, shor
time previous, had murdered his brother. Th,
Winnebegoes became indignant at the act, ant
two thousand of them assembled at Fort Crawford
and demanded of Col. Taylor the procurement ant
surrender of the murderer
The officers of the fort, apprehensive that diff:
fculties might arise with this factious tribe, i
their demands were unattended to, concluded te
make an effort to obtain the murderer Accord
ingly an officer was despatched to demand him O
the Sioux nation, who Immediately gave him up
and he was brought down the river and confined
at Fort Crawford. Soon after his arrival at the
forr, the Winnebagoes again aassembled and in
sstedup an unconditional surrender of the pris.
oner to them, which Col. Taylor refused to make
but despatched Lieut.. R. and DIR. Eluise the sur
geon of the garrison, to have talk with them
upon the subject. At the conference, the Win
nebagoes talked in threatening and overbearing
manner, and insisted that nothing would satisfy
them but taking the life of the Sioux in their own
way and by themselves. At length Lieut.. R.
proposed that the Indian should have a chance for
his life in the following manner:
Two wceKs from That time he was to be led out
on the prairie, and in line with him ten PAGES
of,was to be placed upon his right and left twelve
of the most expert runners of the Winnebago ma
ton, each armed with tomahawk and scapng-
knife.
At the tap of drum, the Sioux should be free
to start for the home of his tribe, and the Winnie
bagoes free to pursue, capture and scalp him if
they could.
To this propopal the Winnebagoes acceded at
once, and seemed much pleased with the antci-
patton of the great sport, well as an easy con-
quest of the prisoner, whose confinement in the
garrison during the two weeks they believed would
PROSTATE whatever running qualities he possessed.
Their best runners were Immediately brought in,
and trained every day in full sight of the fort
Lieut.. R., who had warmly enlisted in the cause
of the Sioux determined to have his Indian in the
best trim. Accordingly, Eluise took him in
charge, prescribed his diet, regulating the hour
of rePose, and directing the rubbing of his body
twice day, with flesh brushes Immediately be-
fore he went upon the parade ground to perform
his morning and evening trainings. In fact SO
carefully was he trained and fitted for the race of
life and death, that he was timed upon the par
ade ground the fourth day before the race, and
performed the astonishing feat of forty-two miles
in two hours, apparently without fatigue.
The day at length arrived. Thousands of In
dians, French, Americans and others had assem-
blcd to witness the scene. In fact it was regard
ed as gala day by all except the avenger OF his
brother Sioux. Lieut.. R., on the part of the
prisoner, and the celebrated war-chief War-kon-
and Pine-Top, on the part of the
superintended the management of
the parties on the ground. The point for starting
was upon the prairie, little North of Prairie du
Chen, and few rods from the residence then oe-
cupied by Judge Lockwood, while the race course
ran along Nine Mile Prairie, stretching to the
North, and skirting the shore of the Mississippi.
The Sioux appeared on the ground accom-
panied by guard of soldiers, who were followed
by twenty-four antagonists, marching In Indian
file, naked with the exception of the Indian
breechlet. Their ribs were painted white, while
their breasts were adorned with number of hiro-
glyphieal paintings. Across the face alternate
stripes of black and white painted in parallel
lines, extending from the chin to the forehead.
The hair was plated into numerous fiat thongs,
fringed with bells, and tasselled with red OF
white feather; while their moceasins were corded
tightly around the hollow of the foot, as well as
around the ancle, with the sinews of the deer
In the right hand each carried a tomahawk, while
the left hand grasped the sheath that contained
the scalping knife.
The prisoner was about twenty-three years of
age, little less than six feet in height, of mus
eular and well proportoned contour, and manifest
ed in the easy movements of his body, wry and
agile command Of his muscular powers. His
countenance, as he stood upon the ground, owing
partly to the rigid discipline he had undergone in
training, and partly to his having painted his face
black, with the figure of horseshoe in white
upon his forehead, which denoted that he was
condemned to die, with the privilege of making
an effort to save his life by feetness. Around
his neck he wore a narrow belt of wampum, to
which was appended the scalp he had taken from
the Winnebago.
Soon after they had formed in line Lieut.. R.
came up and took one of the moccasins off the
Indian, and showed the chiefs that it contained a
thin plate of STEEL and asked if they objected to it,
to which they replied that he might carry as much
iron as he pleased. Lieut.. R. having noticed at
the same time that the countenance of the Indian
presented downcast and melancholy appearance,
requested Mr.. Eluise to come forward, who, after