Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-12-23

to her weary heart, but this torturing mystery
was too great to be borne. So the years wor'
on, until eighteen years ago that suffering
heart was laid to rest beneath the turf, and al
who knew the story sighed and said the fate o.
her boy had broken the motherly heart.
AMONG THE INDIANS.
The events of the first eight years of young
BraytoD's captivity are only known to him by
the statements made to him at different times
by the various bands of Indians. and their ex.
act accuracy cannot therefore be known Il
appears that he was carried off by the Potta-
wattoinie Indians, and by them taken to Cana
i da. 1t was told him that after being kept
some time by this tribe, he was sold to the
| Paw-Paws for about five gallons of whiskey
who traded him off to the Winnebagoes for
seven gallons of whiskey. With this tribe he
remained for some time, and was eventually
sold to the Chippewas, who soon transferred
him to the Sioux for eleven gallons of whiskey
Here his first distant recollections commence
4 twerty-six years ago, when he was I" about a
head shorter than at the present time
twenty-five years ago last April he was sold
in Iowa to the Snakes and Copper-heads-
|
through California and Oregon, until they were
at lenghth crowded up into the far n orth-west
!, Here the tribe to which he belonged have been
joined by portions of the Grows, Utahs, and
Flat Heads, making large aggregate, united
under one general chief with number of sub
ordinary chiefs. That portion of the tribe to
which Matthew more particularly belonged re-
manned principally in the Russian territory,
and they paid frequent visits to Russian Forts
on the ColvilIe river.
About eight years since their supply of game
during the winter ran low, and being almost
starved and frozen out, the portion of the tribe
with which he was, moved off in the direction
of the Hudson's Bay trading posts. Here
some of the traders remarked his appearance,
and told him that he was pale face" The
whites demanded him, but the Indians absolute
ly refused either to give him up freely or to al
low him to be ransomed. The tribe moved off
from the white settlements and kept away for
three years. During this time the principal
chief gave him his daughter ir marriage, pro-
badly as an inducement for him to stay with
the tribe from choice. OF this union two
children have been born-a girl of five years,
known as 7efrona, q Tame Deer and boy
two years old last June, named 1moosd.
/ The tribe send down semi annual train to
St. Paul, and have also visited st. Anthony S
and Sclkrk's Red River Settlement. AT the
latter place quarrel sprang up between the
whites and the Indians relative to the posses
sion of the white boy. The whites threatened
the Indians that unless Matthew was alowt
to search for his parents they would rescue
II II
eral times the first time being when that
place contained only six or seven French and
Dutch houses. The tribe with which he had
Travelled had a compass and watch enclosed
in a copper case. These articles they used in
travelling, having been instructed liz their use
by the Russians, who sold them to the Indians
for equivalent to hundred dollars.
In September 1853. the annual train left
the Russian territory for St. Paul and with
them came young Brayton. He had become
interested in tracing out his history and had
succeeded in getting an account of the first
eight years of his captivity, similar to that we
we have already given. He was then exceed
i ngiy anxious to seek out his parents and, af
ter much solicitation the present chief grant
cd him the requisite permission. On the 9th
of April of this year he left ST. Paul's ac
, companied by his Indian brother-in-iaw, who
was a powerful chief. six Indian braues, three
ponies and five dogs. At Chicago he was ia
ken sick and remained to be cured. The In
, dians returned to St. Paul after arranging for
| his joining the return train in July, 1860.
; During his sickness his hair was cut short
the paint scrubbed off, and he was dressed il
, ordinary attire; on his recovery he was permit
i ted to go at large, and at once took his way to
! wards the south shores of Lake Erie, from
: which location he supposed he had been stolen
ON THE TRAIL.
$ On the 29th of August last, the " Indian
e Captive" was brought to our Office by som'
e persons to whom he applied for information
5 He told the story of his captivity, as we hav
!. narrated it above, and said that at Fremon
d he was told by man who saw him there, tina
l. one Joseph Todd, who formerly lived in Cleve
If land, had lost boy about the time the Ind
o an Captive" supposed himself to have beel
It stolen. On this information he acted, and pre-
r. ceeded to hunt up the Todds, but without SUI
h cess His story seemed to US very extraord
le nary, but close and rigid examination faile
1T to shake his testimony in the least. His de-
cription of Indian manners and customs, an
+ of the geography of the far Northwest, wa
ID perfectly accurate, as far as we could learn.-
es He spoke English tolerably fuently, thong
De with some peculiarities. At times he wouI
v. be at loss for the proper word, and would el
to deavor to illustrate his meaning by objects
ed the room. After once hearing a word he ne
rs, er forgot it. He said that he could rememb'
al nothing of his life before he was stolen, nor
ty the first few years of his captivity. At fir
ut we were inclined to doubt his story, but we
en- gradually convinced of its truth in some, if n
u all. the particulars. Next morning he car
&C. again. having in the meantime sought and co
ed versed with Thomas Hickey, who had sail
&C. with Kane in his Arctic Expeditions, and w
ad was finally convinced of the truth of his narl
III tive. The result of the second interview W
ta- our publishing his story, requesting inform
,se ton, if any could be given, in regard to
lit family of the wanderer. The story was extt
ote sively copied through all parts of the Unit
,ut states and Canada, and considerable inter
lpt was awakened, despite the sneers of some p
ct, pie who thought every story a humbul
H." that did not exactly suit their ideas.
b. The Indian Captive remained in
or CITY for several days, pursuing his enqulr
of asking merely for information, and not seek
ad- to make money by his story. On close enqu
. of we discovered that he lived on raw meat, a
the devoured things which are generally consid
lew ed to be disgusting His mode of living
Eli also of decided Indian character, and utte
to repugnant to all civilized notions of conf
and After a few days he found that the Todd II
h. lily, of which he was in search, had removed
said Warren, Trumbull county, and thither he w
the On arriving there he found that the pers
for he was after had most of them gone to ea
Viii meeting in the neighborhood, and he imm
re- ately started to that spot. Here he TO
bov that he was no relative of the Todd famil,