Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1853-06-02

lpAh' u rom genuemHh connected with NJ
government service on our frontiers, We hav
read Of similar instances Of selfimmolatio
among The American Indians, rather than. Ia
into The hands OF their enemies but do nd
reeollect any'otber case in Texas, An our lat
accounts confirm the fact, than since the rang
@s were disbahded the Indians are yfenewin,
their predatory inearsiOns with alarming fre
quency. Ias aaai aiar sg 81 = a5
,a-l, FORF CRoGHAE, Texas, April 7. 1883.
70 have just returned from one Of the mos
arduous and exciting scouts have ever made
We had been robbed here twice by the Indi
ans within four months. The last lime on th
night Of the 18Th Of March. They took dow
pannel Of my stable lot and let ont nine o
my finest horses. Il was one Of the darkes
and most blustery nights Of the season, and IN,
robbery must have been committed between {
and 10 O'Clock. The next morning started
with seventeen men in pursuit Failing to dis.
cover a trail, | proceeded TO the post on tho
head of the clear Fork of the Brazos, thence
to the Indian agency half way between Phan.
tom Hill and Belknap. Up to this point could
hear nothing of the robbery, except the opin-
ion entertained by the agent Mr.. Stem, and all
the friendly lndians--which concurred with my
own-that the robbery had been committed by
Witchetas.
While at the agency a party of that tribe,
under their principal war.chief, came in to sur
render some stolen horses they had previously
promised to Stem they would do The horses
they brought in were so Indifferent and broken
down that it was evident they were acting in
bad faith, and that this was only intended as a
suhterfuge. l was not disposed to be trihed
with ia this manner; the agent had also lost
all patience with them. II was accordingly
agreed to detain the chief and the principal
portion of his party-consisting of nine war
rors and several women as hostages, until the
whole of the property recently stolen should be
brought in. Mr.. Stem announced to them our
and told them meant to carry
them to Belknap and hold them as prisoners,
permitting two Of their number to return to
their tribe and convey the "talk" we had give
them. Though fully expected "a break" on
the announcement, which would result in the
death Of Mr. Stem or myself or both, indeed
| would not have insured either of our lives at
100 per centum-we were compelled to face the
danger with apparent indifference Any man
hesitation Of fear or suspicion would have in
creased the chances of their resorting TO the
desperate alternative Of "a rush" for liberty.
plungiag their knives into whomsocver inter-
rupted their passage. rs .t....v 1
As soon as | had told them they were prisr
oners, rose from the bear skin upon which
had been sitting facing them, and mounted my
horse, at the same drawing my pistol, and mo-
Iiohing them to go to their camp The Chief
requested that should dismount, that he
wished to speak. did so, and took seat on
a stool near by. He motioned me TO sit in my
former position on the ground. did so, at
the same time drawing my knife, under pre-
lence of cutting tobacco to smoke, He rose,
few remarks to me about the diff
Guilty of restraining his young men from steal
ng &C., and suggesting that it would be bet
Ter that he should return to his tribe. This /
refused. He then seemingly yielded to his
fate approaching me and sezing me by the hand,
lifted me from the ground and embracing me,
first pointed to heaven and to ourselves, to in
1cate that the Great Spirit witnessed the pro-
| told them would not hold them
rs close prisoners, but merely guard against
their escape, by placing sentnels around their
camp. Meantime encamped my command near
heirs, and took fromthern all the arms could
find. They retired quietly to their tents at
lark, manifesting not the slightest intention Of
IN attempt to escape. at II
The moon shone as bright as day. l had
posted two distinct guards over them, of six men
,ach with our sentinels. | had been up and
moving about camp until twenty minutes be-
ore twelve. At l2, the sentinels were releiv-
ID. The sentinel posted more Immediately
over their camp, had come near one of their
.ents to count the number present. while The
corporal of the guard, the old sentinel and a
citizen who had accompanied me, stood near
looking on. Suddenly one of the Indians rush
ed from his seat toward the sentinel, andNpre-
senting pistol, fred. This seemed to be the
signal for general "break." As the sentinel
turned to retreat up the slope toward his com
panons, the chief Ko-we.ak rushed from his
tent, threw himself upon the back of the re-
treating sentinel, and with his knife inflicted
several wounds before he was shot down by the
old sentinel. The rest succeeded in effecting
their escape, running in different directions and
the shots fred at them with yells ofde-
6ance, The Chief, as was discovered on search
inc the tents, had purposly sacrificed himself
his wife, and, boy seven years old The wife
and child whom he had requested the evening
before to talk to, and give them assurance OF
their safety, were found lying in their tent side
by side, as if in deep sleep, both stabbed to
the heart. The wife had consented to her fate,
as we were informed by two old women, who
had attempted to escape.
She seemed to have received the fatal blow
without struggle-both were carefully cover
ed up, to the breast, the child lying upon its
mothers arm. The Chiefs moceasins were
icund near their heads--a sign, the Indians
to,d us, that he did not mean to leave the spot
live. Nothing in romance or history that l
nave ever lead approximates to this act Of de-
yotion and self-sacrifce. Cooper could never
have ventured to paint such.a scene, The
briobt moon lighting up the beautiful counte-
nance Of the motherS-for she Sas beautiful and
her innocent boy by her side and
he blood still oosing from their ghastly wounds