Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-02
E'erilOus Adventures OH the
Plains.

The Lafayette (Ind) Journal publishes a
lengthy letter from George Winter, Of that
city, addressed to his father, from Carson
Valley, on tie Goth of September, giving an
account of the privations he had encounter
ed, and the imminent dangers he had es-
capped, while on his way over the plains to
California. We make an extract
was captured twice by the Digger In
dams, and nee by the Goose Greek Indians.
| escaped from them once through the in
terterence of white mau living long them
supposed to be Mormon-but was not
so lucky the last time, having received Sc
we're cut with knife, two inches long, in
my left breast. 1t was not u fair blow, or
it would most probably 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 | run as fast as | could to escape them.
In retreating for safety ran into the BUSH
es amidst another body 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 susprise and alarm | gave most internal
yell, which brought body of our men from
the other side OF the creek, which saved me
from horrible death. The Indians were sur
prised, and did not seem 20 know how to
act.
But a sad and bloody strife ensued. Our
party killed FIVE Indians on the spot, and
took twenty prisoners. The remaining nine
We're hung On the following morning. This
was done by placing the tongues OF the
wagons together, aud tying rope at the
apex. The Indians were made to stand up
on horse, the rope was adjusted around
their necks, the horse was then driven from
under the gallows, and each ona was thus
launched into eternity. Il was a sad scene
but one Of terrible necessity for selt-preser.
vation. one of them proved to be a white
mar, evidently Mormon. He was stripped
and the iron rods from behind the end gates
OF five wagons were used to whip him until
he was nearly dead /; they were then heated
red hot and pushed into his fle-h.
Oh, it was horrible ana revolving; yet |,
with many Others, stood and saw him suffer!
They burned him so that at last he did not
seem to care no more for it than tho prick
of a pin. At first he cnrsed, and swore that
his friends (the Indians.) would have re-
venge for this. They then hung him, and
lied the knot in sqc! a way as to prolong
his suffering. He was then cut down and
taken t, the willows. He was watched by
men secreted in the bushes ia short time
s,me Indians came sneakips up to the woun-
ded man to tax e him away, lie seemed to
revive sufficiently to relate to the indians
his sutferings. In their effort to run the
wcuraed man off, the party sprung up from
their ambush and shot the miserable man
Dead, and wounded another Indian. The
next night the Indians slipped into our
camp and killed two men by the name Of
Jefferson, from Indiana. knew them we'll
they We're brothers, and once lived in La
fayette. One Indian was caught aud was
pat through tortu-es the next day.