Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-12-09
A Perilous Adventure on the Plains.

A Perilous Adventure on the Plains.
A You've HoosIER's EXPERIENCE
The Lafayette Joradlpublishes a lengthy
letter from George Winter, ofthat city,
addressed to his father, from Carson
Valley, on the 20ta September, giving
an account Of the privations he had en-
countered and the imminent dangers he
had escaped, while on his way over the
plains for California. We make an in
teresting extract:
81 was captured twice by the Digger
Indians ON the Humboldt River, and
ence by the Goose Greek Indians. l es-
capped from them once through the inter-
ference of white man, who is is living
among them-supposed to be Mormon
but was not SO lucky the last time,
having received severe cut with knife
two inches long, in my left breast. 1t
was not fair blow, or would most prob
ably have proved fatal. The Indian who
stabbed me almost lost his life. | drew
my revolver and shot him in the back of
the head, and prepared to shoot him
again, but discovered other Indians near
= was afraid of being caught again, SO
ran as fast as l could to escape them.
In retreating for safety, ran into the
bushes amidst another band of Indians,
who were in the act of stripping the
body of a white man who had just been
killed. One bloody devil of an Indian
tore off his scalp. The unfortunate man
belonged to our train, by name Thomas
Harding, from Ohio. In my surprise
and alarm, I gave a NEST Internal yell,
which brought body of our men from
the other side of the creek, which saved
me from a horrible fate. The Indians
were surprised, and did not seem to
know how to act.
"But a sad and bloody strife cnsued.
Our party killed five Indians on the spot,
and took twenty prisoners, eleven OF
whom escaped during the night. The
remaining nine were hung on the follow.
ing morning. This was done by placing
the tongues of the wagons together and
tying rope at the apex. The Indians
were made to stand upon horse, the
rope was adjusted around their necks
the horse was then driven from under
the gallows, and each one was thu.
landed into eternity. It was sad scene
but one of terrible necessity for self
preservation. One of them proved to b,
a white man, evidently Mormon. III
was stripped, the iron rods from bchinC
the end-gates of five wagons were useC
to whip him until he was nearly dead,
they were then heated red hot and pushed
into his flesh.
"Ohl it was horrible and revolving; We
|, with many others, stood and saw hin
suffer. They burned him so that at las
he did not seem to care any more for j
than the mere prick OF pin. AT frs
he cursed and swore that his friends 9TH
Indians) would have revenge for this
They then hung him, and tied the kno
in such a way as toprolong his suffering
He was then cut down and taken to tht
willows. He was watched BY men Sc
creted in the bushes; in q short tim
some Indians came sneaking up to TAX
the wounded man away He seemed t
revive through something that was ad
ministered to him. He revived sufi
GENTLY to relate to the Indians his suf
ferings. In their effort to run tn
wounded man off, the party sprang u
from their ambush and shot the miscra
bic man dead and wounded another In
dian. The next night the. Indians slippe'
into our camp and killed two men by tn
name of Jefferson, from Indiana.
knew them we'll They were brothers
and once lived in Lafayette. One In
dian was caught, and was put through
the tortures the next day.