Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-23
aaioa aud 1ispateA.
FRIDAY. AUGUST %, 1867.
largest Circulation in City and State
INDIAN RARBARITIES.

I Al0W Wan EPeiS NGtie lhiaef the
seaIpinE KRife-HOw Another Rams
for Dear Life, ,...r-.ssa
The Omaha correspondent Of the st.
Louis Democrat. furnishes the following
statements Of two Of the parties who were
present at the recent railroad smashsup
and Indian massacre at Plumb Creek The
frat ia by William Thompson, an English
man: -s.a .. ~
About 9 O'Clock, Tuesday night, myself
and five others left Plumb Greek Station,
and started up the track on a hand car to
hunt dp where the break in the telegraph
was. When We CAME to where the break
/ proved to be, we saw lot of ties piled on
The track, bat at the came moment Indians
Jumped up from the grass all around, and
fired on us. We fired two or three shots
in return, and then az the Indians pressed
on us we ran away. An Indian on pony
singled me out, and galloped up to me.
After coming within ten feet Of me he
fred, the bullet entering my right arm;
seeing me still running, he 'clubbed' his
rifle and knocked me down. He then took
out his knife; stabbed me in the neck, and
then making a tWirl round his fingers with
my hair, he commenced saving and hack
ing away at my scalp Though the pain
was awful, and felt dizzy and sick, knew
enough to keep quiet. Alter what seemed
to be half an hour, he gave the last finish.
ing cut 10 the scalp on my LEFT temple, and
as il still hung a little, he gave it a jerk.
/ just thought then that could scream my
life out. i can't describe it to you. IL just
felt as if the whole head was taken right
off, The Indian then mounted and gal
loped away, but aa he went he dropped nay
scalp within a few feet of me, which |
managed to get and hide The Indians
were thick in the vicinity, or / then might
have made my escape. While lying down
] could hear the Indians moving around
whispering 10 eack other, and then shortly
after placing distractions on the track.
After lying down about an hour and halt,
! heard the low rumbling of the train as
it came tearing along, and | might have
been able to flag it off had / dared.
From Charles Ratelife, a supernume-
rary brakeman, who was in the caboese Of
the freight train when the attack took
place, we had the following:
When the train ran off the track, he was
asleep on the bench in the caboose, and
was suddenly thrown to the floor by the
conclusion. At the same time he heard
the yells of the Indians, and then volley
was fred upon the people in the caboose
In the cars with him were William Kin
ney, conductor Fred. Lewis, brakeman,
aud man who had been fireman. The
locomotive was thrown off the track by
ties placed on il, and ran off about ten
feet, when il fell into a hollow about four
feet; the tender and the five first cars were
piled on top Of one another, as they had
been running at the rate of ftWenty-five.miles
an hour. Looking out of the window of our
car, they could see the Indians in strong
force on the south side Of the track shout
ing and yelling at something at the fore
most end-prObably the engineer and fire.
man. They closed the door, bat ID a few
moments came out, and the conductor told
the brakeman 10 go and flag off the train,
which was coming about three miles be-
hind. The brakeman replied: :" j dare
not-the Indians are all around here"
To which the conductor replied ON
the Indians; go and flag off that train,
OF by Cd she'll be into us.' Still the
man hesitated, and the conductor rushed
down the track himself and the brakeman,
Lewis, and the fireman went after him.
RatclifIe hid himself on the track under the
car. He had laid there for five minutes
when he saw an Indian cautiously ap-
preaching, drawn thither by the light that
hung in the cabOose. Ratelife got down
from his hiding place and struck for the
sand bluffs with the speed of startled deer
He heard some one rustling after him, the
dry stalks Of prairie grass cracking be-
meath his feet. Fear added wings, and he
almost flew, but still he could hear the
footsteps Of the pursuer He was still
mile off from the train, so he started di-
recily toward il, and never did Persian
gazs upon the son with more loving look
than Ratclife, the pursued, looked upon
/ the welcome face of the reflector Ii was
20 him an omen Of safety, the pledge of
1 guidance, the face Of a deiverer. Onward
he few; faster came the pursuer. Quicker
throbbed the heart Of the white man, as
| looking back he saw two forms bounding
after him, and high impetus was given to
his limbs Nearer came the engine; he
could see the engineer; hear the whistle Of
down brakes !" saw the iarns ef .hTse
men hurrying up to the locometiyei fsw
more bounds and he can hear their voices.
lie nov shouts out with al his power-a
welcome shout is returned. One two.
three, and he is saved-saved from perils
nelneless aud iearfal, and from a death of
agony. be was nearly wild with excite.
mept, and as the engine slowly started away.
and then increase rs speed till the teie-
graph poles were flying past and the dis
lance between the wreck aud them was in
creasing, be laughed and cried by turns
shouted, danced, and committed ali sorts Of
extraYagances.