Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1863-01-21
THE EXECUTION on THTRTY.ET0HT
EHD3AM ar aAMgATn, aSNN g
SeensR and TasideRta Attending sAs
--. Tragedy. r.

S18f afsiS g. detailed ACe0 ans Of the H4Dg'
ing Of the thirty eight Indians whe were
tried and convicted Of having actively
participated In the recent massacres In
Minnesota. The seous OF execution was
lat Mgnkaao. s9 -
At half past seven all persons waEa sx-
csnded FROM the room, sxeegs those naees-
sary to help prepare ths prisoners for
their doom. Under the auperintendence
of Major Brewn and Captain Redfeld,
their irons wars knoaksd Oh, and one by
one were tied by cords, their elbows be-
lag pinioned and the wrists 10 front, but
about six inches apart. This operation
occupied until about 9 o'cIask. In the
meantime the scsns was much enliVened
BY their songs and conversation, keeping
mp the most cheerful appearances. As
ptasy were being pinionad they went round
sas room shaking hands With the soldiers
and reporters, bidding ssgood-bys," BE.
White Dog requested not 10 be tied, and
said that he could keep his hands down ;
bat of eourss his request could no& ba
oaibPliedwith. He said that Little Grow
Young Six snd Big Eagles brother got
them into this war, and now he and 9TH
era ara to dis for It. After all we're prop
er1y fastened, they stood mp In row
around the room and another exeitiHg
dessth song was sung. They then aas
down very quiet, and commenced smok-
ing again. Father Ravoux came in and,
after addressing them a few moments,
snslt IN pssysr, rssdiBg from q prayer
book IN the Daaata language, which q
portion OF the condsuned repeated after
him. During this cerennny, nearly all
paid the most strict attention, and several
ware affected even 10 tears. He thea ad.
dressed them again, Rrat in Dakota,
then iu French, which was Interpreted by
Baptiste Campbell, one Of sho condemn
Ell half breeds. 81
The caps wars thea put On their heads,
These we're made of white muslin taken
from the Indians when their camps were
captured, and which had formed part Of
thc spoils they had taken from the muir
dered traders. They were made long and
looked like neal sacks, but being rolled
up only came down to the forehead, and
allowed their painted faces yet to be seen.
They received these evidences of their
Hear approach to dsath With evident dis
liz. When it bad been adjusted on one
| or Two, they looked aronnd on the others
who had not received it with an appear
ance Of shame. Chains and cords had
not moved them--4heir year was not
considered dishonerable--bn this cover
irr Of the head with white cap was hu7
initiating.
There was no more singing, and but
| Ii as conversations and smoking now
Al. sat around The room most of them
in oroaehed position, awaiting their
doom, in silence, OF listening to the re-
N svks Of Father Rayoux, VINO still ad-
dressed them. Once in q while they
brought their small looking glasses before
| their faces to see if their countenanees
preserved the proper modicum of paint,
The three half breeds were the most af-
feated, and their detection Of couusen-
anee wsa truly pitifui TO behold.
A precisely 10 O'Clock the condemsd
we're marshaled in procession, and head
ed by Capt. Redfeld, marched out into the
street, and directly across through file
of soldiers to the scaff0Id, which had
ben erected in front, and were delivered
TO tue offcer'of the day, Capt. Burt
Th y were eager and cheerful, even crow
ding and jostiing each other to be ahead,
just like lot of hungry boarders rush
ing to dinner in q hotel. The soldiers
who were on guard in their quarters
stacked arms and followed them, and they
In turn were followed by the clergy, re-
portgrs, &c.
: A. xhsxy aoy,,. sr,naS AKA a,ss..1.E "a Al,
scaifold, tho death song was again started,
and when they had all got up, the noise
they made was truly hideous. II seemed
as II Pandemonium had broken loose
lt had wonderful effect in keeping up
their courage. One young fellow, who had
been given cigar By one OF the reporters,
just before marching from their quarters,
was smoking it on the stspd, putting away
Tesy naoky daring the intervals of the
hidsons "Hi-yi-vi," "Hi-yi-vi," and
even after the cap was drawn over his
face. he managed to get it up over bis
mouth and smoke. Another Was smok-
ing mis- pipe. The moose having been
promptly adjusted over the necks Of each,
BY Capt. Libby, all vas ready for the ia
tai signal.
1hs scene at this juncture was one Of
awful interest. A painful and hreathless
suspense hald the vast crowd which had
assembled from ell quarters to witness the
execution.
Three slow, measured and distinct beats
On the drum by Major Brown, VINO had
been aunouaoed as signal oiEcer, and the
ropa was cat by Mr.. Duly--ths seaffoId
fell, and thirty -ssven hfeless bodies were
| dangling between heaven and earth. One
of the ropas vas broken, and tho body Of
Rattiing hunusr fell 10 the ground. The
| neck bad probably been broken, as bas
little signs Of life were observed, but be
was Immediately hung up again. While
she signal best was being given, numbers
wsgs seea to clasp the bands Of tAsi,
neighb0rs, which in seysEal instances con
tinuel TO be clasped till the bodies wers
| cut down.
A. she platform fell, there was one, moi
loud, bul prolonged cheer from the seid.
iery and citizens who we're spectators, ant
then all were quiet and earnest Witnesses
Of the scene. For 30 many, there vas bu
Iitsle suffering the necks og all, or near
ly all, were evidently dialocatsd By che fal
and the after struggling wss slight, Th'
scadold fell at . quarter paat ten o'clock
and in swenty minutes the bodies had al
been exaHaaued by surgeons lie Boutiiiisr
Shsardewn, FiAch, Csgrk, and others, aai'
life pronounced extincs, H
/ The bodies were then cut down, plaeel
IN four army wagons, and, attended b,
Isompany i, as 4 burial party, and, nnde
the command OF Ls. Col. MarshalI, wer
taken ~ tha grave prepared for then
Eamoag ske wsllows on the sassd ha
nssglY IN fsans Of the sown. The
| we're all deposited In one grave, shirt
fest 10 leEsashs By twelve Ia wldEh and feu
| faas desps hein4 laid On 1hs bsstem In ~
, rews, With sheir feet together and shsi
beads te sbe eussids; fhsy wsrs simpl
I covered wish shsis blanksts, and che ssss
thSown oesT tssem.