Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-02-23


: die. On the morning of the 95th dal
Of my capture, was sent on in advanc,
as usual. had eaten no breakfast anC
was very weak, but the hope of escap,
now supported me. I fastened on a
fast as L could, and finding a suitabl,
hiding place, turned aside and con
cealed myself in the bushes. Aftel
this l saw nothing of my captors; 1 found
afterwards by the tracks of the animal.
that they had searched for me; they
probably thought that would die, and
therefore took less trouble to find me-
have no doubt that the next time they
pass that way they viii look for my
bones.
/ My situation was now distressing be-
yond all description; l was alone in an
Indian country some hundreds of miles
from the nearest friendly Settlements
was without food, without shelter, and
almost without clothing. My body was
full of wounds and bruises, and my feet
were so swollen that / could hardly
stand. Wild beasts were around me,
and savages more wild than beasts,
roamed on every hand. Winter was
coming on, and death in its most terri
bic forms stared me in the face-I sat
down and thought upon my lonely and
exposed situation. But could not
weep; my heart was too full of woe. l
remembered the events of the few pre-
ceding weeks. The husband of my
choice had been murdered and was not
allowed the melancholy privilege of clos
ing his eyes and seeing his remains de-
Gently inferred. Ny little property had
been stolen, and when within few days
march of sympathizing friends l was
captured by the savages, and after three
weeks of indiscribable suferings found
myself wandering solitary and destitute
in the midst of the wild prairies my
cup was filed to overfiowing, but l re-
solved to live in hope if l died in de-
spair.
After remaining three days in the
place where l first concealed myself
from the Indians, l went to a grove
about half mile distant and built a lit
tie house of bushes and grass. Here |
lived nine days. My only food was the
blackberries which grew on the bushes
around. quenched my thirst at a
spring near by. My wounds panied me
exceedingly, and l wasted to a mere
skeleton for want ofproper nourishment.
1t rained upon me seven nights in sue
cession, and my little house was unable
to protect me from the cold storms
More than once Ispent a sleepless night,
perfectly drenched in rain; while the
wolves, sometimes coming within FIVE
steps of me, would make the woods
ring with their frightful howlings.-
They would also follow close behind me
when l went to the spring during the
day; l expected sometime to be deyoured
by them; but they are great towards and
1 could easily frighten them away.
When / slept l would dream of seeing
tables spread with an abundance of ev-
cry kind of food; but when l stretched
forth my hand to satisfy my hunger the
effort would awaken me, and l would
find myself weeping bitterly.
When absent from my house on the
twelfth day after my escape, some New
Mexican traders passed by on their way
to the Comanche settlements. While
standing on a small bill, looking after
them in order to be sure that they were
not Indians, was discovered by some
three or four of the party who happened
to be some distance behind. They i'm
mediately came towards me and soon
understood my situation. They kindly
offered to take me with them, and l
gladly bade farewell to my house in the
woods. The Mexicans put me upon a
Jurro and gave me blanket and some
mems clothing in which 1 dressed my
self very comfortably. Two or three
days after this we suddenly came in
sight of band of Camanches, and as
it was not safe for me to be seen by
them, 1 was left behind in ravine, with
the promise that the Mexicans would re-
turn for me at night. AS they did not
fulfill their promise l started towards
their camp; about midnight, while wan
dering among the bushes, Camanche
Indian passed within twenty steps. l
thought l was captive once more, but
fortunately he did not see me. threw
myself upon the ground and waited for
day, and in the morning Istarted again
for the camp of the Mexicans, but be-
fore l reached it | was discovered by
one of the trading party who was herd
ing the animals. This man is a Puebla
Indian of San Ildefonso, and is named
Juan Jose. To him more than any 9th
er man in the party, Towe my present
freedom. He told me thecamp was full
of Camanches, and if they saw me it
would be impossible for the party to
save me. He made me lie down on the
ground while he covered me with dried
grass. l lay here all day, and at night
crept forth to quench my almost intole-
rable thirst; Juan came and brought me
some bread and told me not by any means
to leave my hiding place the next day.
That day dragged slowly along, and l
could hear the dreaded Camanches pas
sing and repassing and shouting to each
other; at night Juan returned, bringing
another blanket and several loayes Of
bread, and told me that l must remain
L r Il n 4