Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-12-05
2ailg Iiraiaiatl.
's - tf'vs~ Ne Tyss~ Tribunal
An Indian Captive Reclaimed sfeer Thir-
ty-five ear'sAbsence Incidents OF his


Life.
The following narrative Of the return and re-
cognition Of Matthew Brayton. the long lost sen
Of Elijah Brayton Of this county. who was stolen
by the Indians 81 years ago, will be read with in.
, tercst- |. was kindly furnished by MIR. J. W.
Chamborlin Of Carey. and can be relied upon as
true:
on the Goth of Sept. 1926. two children If Eli
jah Brayten, then residing near Springyille in
this county were sent out after tho oaws. After
| &, ing n short distance from home. tho younger
one, Matthew, a lad between seven and eight
years of age became fatgued and started for
neighboring house. close by, while the other
tinued the search for the COWS. Since that time.
nothing has been heard Of the child. until lately.
The country was thoroughly searched, by nll the
whites and friendly I"dians. that resided near
this settlement, and continued several weeks, but
without effect. At tho time he lost there
were two scars OH his person, one on his head
caused by boil, aud one On tho big toe Of his
right foot caused by Sut with IN axe.
During the latter part Of last August. it WINS
nscertained through the medium Of the papers
that returned Indian captive was at Cleveland
searching for his relatives. Search wns made for
this person. but be was not found until Tuesday
evening, Nov. 18TH when lie was discovered at
farmers house near Sugar Grove, Warren soun'
ty, Pa. by Vim. Dayton, who started with him
Immediately For Adrian, where he arrived Thurs
day noon.
The news few like wildfre through the neigh
borhood and the people have bsen visiting him
c instantly since his arrival, questioning and
cross questioning him until he Is almost exhans-
ted. The scars. corresponding to those on Mat
1hew Hraytnn when lost were found on his person.
lie IL n nan about feet Il inches in height, nnd
| Of light complexion. lie has some tattoo marks
On his chest. also his right leg,
caused by wounds received in an Indian battle
some three years ago. The Indians in perform-
ing the necessary surgical operation. strapped
him to log, and sewed up the wound ls"me
8 inches in lengthJ with q buckskin thong.
making but threa stitches. The sears made by
the needle aud thong nearly Us large as that
mnde by the cut Of the tomahawk. He has with
him his Indian dog called Nem and large
pipe made of flint. which weighs nine ounces.--
lie says il took him ONE ho,N to drill the hole
through his pipe, which he did with Il piece III
steel, some bears oil and water. lie was stolen
by the Potawntome and Canada Indians. and
was shifted from one "I these tribes to tho other,
until he sold by them To the Papaw lnlinns.
who gave ca gallons ot whiskey for him. and the,
sold him to tho Winnebagnes for 81 gallons
They were living at Michigan Mt that time. The
Cnippcwas bought him of the Winnehag'es. and
! kept him two months and n half, and then sold
! him to the Sioux for eleven gall ms Of the fire
water" This he does not recollect himself but
it was told hn by the yarlis tribes rs he trace!
himself back 10 Ohio.
lie remembers back To the time he was owned
| by the Sioux. which he says was twenty-six years
| ago.
| Touse his language Il was then n head shor.
ter than nm now" lie was purchased from
| the Sioux. twenty-five years ago. last April at
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by the Snakes and Copper
heads with whom he has resided ever sncc. llo
| lived in Iowa two years, then moved to Mlnncso-
| ta. where ho stad six months; thence to Calitor
MIA, where he resided 81 years; thence 10 Oreg'n,
tt,n, al,
! Possessions, whore he has resided ever since ex-
| cept when travelling TO and from their trading
| points. lie lived near Behring's Straits, two
| hundred miles northwest of Big Esluimaux'
village, GO deg. north latitude. lie has crossed
! the Straits several times in the wiuter season, on
| the ice.
| lie was crossing once few winters n 20, on the
back of large elk, gning Mt pretty sharp pace.
! when the elk stepped INTO an air hoc, threwing
| him over his head in the water. At the time this
| took place the lamented DR.. Kane, with his expe-
dtion was in that section. After getting out Of the
wster he met one Of tho crew.a man ly the namc
Of Thos Hickey. Since his return to the States, on
hla arrival at Cleveland when he got Of the train,
| he Hickey who recognized him instantly, call
| ing him by his Indian name.
| lie was in st. Paul. when it only contained 7
| houses. About eight years ago, his tribe being
nearly famished by hunger. went to Hudson Bay
in search Of provisions. where he first learned he
was u pale lace. lOe WHics beluB uNHDt0 VI
| purchase him the Indians refusing to part with
him. threatened to take him by force hut the
great disparity Of their numbers preven ing them
| from putting their thu eat in fnrre. They would
visit any white settlement for three years after
| that. for fear he would leave thrm or he taken
away by the whites They then visited Lord
Selkirks settlement on l;ed river whore they got
! inro skrmish with the whites. Tie whites
told him there, also, that he white man. lie
| hal been nc ST. Paul seven or eight times ira
ding expeditions; also at Lord Selkirks Sc ement
| Hudson,s bay and ST. Anthuny's Falls. The whites
repeatedly told his tribe thar if they dill not let
him GO to the States, search for his relations.
they would take him from them by force. lie left
his rrsdence September. ls58.left 81. Paul on the
| 18th If April. 1859. in company with his Indian
brother (chei elect last fall. six Indians. three
| ,n,nies and FIVE dogs. They came with him to
| Chicago, where he was taken sick, and placed in
the h0spiial for treatment. and kept there until
he recovered. His Indian friends there left him
! and returned to their tribe. He went from there
/ 10 Dsr"it. Michigan; thence to Ohio; thence to
| Norlh'r, Pennsylvania. where he was fund by
! Wm. Brayton, E.q. lie was then on his way t,'
aoms IIiLinns in New York. He can speak Eve
| different ludinn languages, viz: Snake. Copper
! head, Crow Utah, and Flathead. He ulso speaks
the English language very fuently and correctly,
! which he says came To him almusl intnitively on
meeting with the WHITES. The tribe in wnich be
! lived bad compass and watch enclosed in one
copper case. which they used in travelling. They
purchased it Of the Rassians for one bundrsd dol
lars. ..-..e ..t ,t
He says the Snakes, C"ppsrhsads Crows. U,ahs
and Flatheads together number l 500 souls--men,
women and children included. ssi. ,q
lie married the daughter Of the Grand Chief Z
years ago. He has two children. and daugh-
tor. His daughters name ia TeIrona. Tame
| Dser) and Is Eve ysars ..ld. His sen's name is
| Tuioosa, two years old last June. Hisown name
l. - L. -
Chicago, he was dressed in Indian sostums daub-
| ed and painted. His hair hanging down tsihis