Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-02-23
The White Boy Lately Recovered from the
Indians-He is Identified and Restored
to His Relatives.

IhaIaHS-fc Is luentiiicG ana Restored
to His Relatives.
JEFFERSON Cry, February 4-Your
readers will remember that some weeks ago,
Colonel King, Of the Thirteenth Missouri,
arrived from the Plains with his regiment.
bringing with him a white boy twelve years
Of age, who one morning came in his regi-
mental camp far out into the wilderness
among the savage Sioux. The boy could
give no account of himself, and could only,
by means of signs, grunts, and here and there
and English word in the barbarous language
Of the Sioux, make known that the Indians
called him ''pale face, = and the pale faces he
knew lived beyond the ''sun rise; that he
had had a 'sbig fight with a ssyoung buck"
(meaning a young Indian and got his
scalp" and that fearing the cold bucks"
would kill him, he set out on his little Indian
pony in search Of the tribe of the ''pale faces"
for whom he instinctively yearned, intutiyely
believing that they would protect him from
the cruel vengeance ofthe sayages for killing
one of their youths. When asked how long
he was in making his escape, he replied five
wakes and four sleeps" indicating the num-
Der with the fingers Of his hands. He has
no knowledge Of his parents, his birthplace,
Or the circumstances explaining his presence
among the Indians. He only knows that he
was a 'pale face boy.
Immediately on reaching the States, the
Colonel caused the inquiry to be started in
papers for the discovery Of the boys parents
or relatives, which resulted successfully
Mr.. J. A. Sylvester, Of Quincy, Illinois, was
! here yesterday to see the boy, and by COM
parison Of his photograph with an ambrotype
taken Of him when he was child, and marks
of resemblance which he recognized came to
the conclusion that the boy was a son of the
| (Sylvester's) brother, lost on the Plains in
the summer Of 1860, while the family were
on their way to Oregon.
Colonel King accordingly called together
a number of senators, representatives, and
others, in an ante-room of the Senate Cham
Der, who, after a careful investigation was
had before them Of the evidences of the iden-
tity Of the boy with the lost child, witnessed
and approved the transfer from Colonel King
to Mr.. Sylvester. When the formalities of
the transfer were over, Mr. Sylvester turned
to Mr. King, and, with deep emotion, ex-
pressed his gratitude to the Colonel, saying
he could never discharge the obligations
under which he had placed the family by res
cuing the boy from the hands of the savages.
If money would reward him, the sum he
would name was at his command.
Colonel King said he had only performed
his duty, and could not be induced to take
pay for it. He would not be reimbursed
either, for expenses he had incurred in car
ing for and clothing him since he came into
his custody. He also insisted that the boy
should take with him his pony Colonel
King then took the boy by the hand, and
told him he must now leave his s'white war
rior." The boy, who had been watching the
.swhite council with earnest looks Of anxiety
and doubt, now fully comprehcndel its mean
ing, and bluntly refused to CO. He had be-
come much attached to the ''big warrior, D
as he calls Colonel King, and il was only by
his Unsuitable love Of adyenture, and the pros
pect Of new sights and other scenes among
the '.pale faces" that induced him to go.
The conception Of mothers love OF a IA
theirs care never enters his mind, and he
possesses all the stoical Indifference of the
Indian to the social relations Of civilized so
ciety. He is wild fellow, and civilizes
| slowly His parents are now living in Ore
gon, and have been notified of his safety
The manner Of his loss was this: The emf
grant party were encamped on the Humboldt
party Of Indians came, one coming into
camp, begging and loungimg after they hao
left, he was no where to be found the Indi
ans had Stolen him.