Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1867-03-16
Sioux Citp Atgisttr,
CURIOUS ADVENTURE OF A
MAN AND WIFE.

~ - Va AOAo " PASOO-
ant party with high-wrought
visions about the then virgin
land of gold, California, left East
Midway, Mass, for an overland
journey across the plains. Among
the party was JAS. p. Kimball,
then only nineteen years old,
and just married to Jane Nc
Mel, a half sister to the famous
Kit Carson. The father and
mother Of the bride accompanied
them. Everything prospered
with them, the company having
been augmented to sixty.three,
when they set out upon their
overland journey. They reach
ed the foot of Chillicothc Noun
tain June 10th, 1S4o, having
crossed the plains of Utah -
Here they were suddenly attack
ed by a war party of the Snakes
and Shoshonces, and the entire
company captured or killed.
klmbal was successful in saving
his own life and that of his wife
by fortunately running the
gauntlet twice for her and him
self. He was then exalted into
great favor among the Indians,
and soon became a great medi-
cine man. His father-in-law had
been previously burned at the
stake. When the Indians had
satiated their barbarity, the re-
naming captives were hurried
away towards the mouth of the
Columbia river in Washington
Territory the headquarters of
the tribe. Starting out on anoth-
er war-path, they assembled the
Columbia, and met a hostile
tribe in their path, the Enoya,
and were badly defeated, and
the wife of kimball was captur-
ed and remained in slavery two
years and half when another
war terminated in the defeat of
the enemy and the rcstor. ton OF
Mrs. Kimball to her husband
again. The Snakes and Shes
honees acted as one tribe, altho'
with different head men or chiefs.
For the remaining fifteen years
of their captivity the KimbaIls
followed the fortunes of the tribe.
wandering here and there over
a vast region of ,untry, at
some seasons we'll supplied with
provisions, at others compelled
to subsist on insects. roots and
herbs vagabond life here to-
day, and there tomorrow. Dur
ing the whole period they kept
-
an accurate account of the Years
by the passage OF the seasons.
The reputation of kimball wa <
ed greater as the Great Medicine
Man of the tribe.
In last April or March the
tribe on one of their raids ap-
preached the frontiers of civiliz-
alton, and took part in the Fort
Laramie massacre. During the
progress of the fight. kimball
made signals to. the U. States
soldiers, which gave them to un-
derstand that he. was a white
man. He was soon recapturcd
by Lieut.. Wyman of the 18th
U. S. Infantry. With the as
slstance of the "bovs in blue"
he was fortunate in fighting his
way TO his wiic's tent, and res
cued her. + hey both receiv, d
the kindcst attention from Genl
Darlington. commanding at Fort
kearney, Kansas, who helped
them well on their way towards
friends in the east. Two daugh-
ters, aged Is and II, they left
behind, being wives of Indian
Chiefs, Peter Fulson and John
Hawkeye. After reaching this
State. kimball was fortunate in
finding that his father had left
East Midway, Mass, and had
settled between Corning and
Painted Post. as a farmer and
merchant. His name is Newell
kimball. He left here yester,
day forenoon, by mail train, with
his wife. Their appearance to
his fathers family was like those
risen from the grave, as years
ago, they had been given up as
lost or killed on the vast western
plains. At the time of his re-
capture, kimball received a ball
through the left groin. As vet
he has not M, ch taste for Tho