The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-07-02
SCALPED AT WASHITA.
What the Victim Says About It.

A victim of Indian vengeance In the
present struggle along the borders and
in the Territories, and one that will for
ever have cause to remember it, arrived
in this city Saturday night, departing
for his home in New York, near Dufield,
Monroe county. His name is Delos G.
Sanbertson, and he lost his scalp at the
battle of Washita. He has been an in
mate of Laramie hospital since that
event, and was discharged about ten
days ago by reason of the expiration of
his term of service. He allowed the GU
rious to examine his poll, and look at
the still red and tender spot from which
the scalp was jerked away was not cal
culated to prejudice any person in ia
vor of Thar lifting" As but few per-
sons have ever undergone the process
and lived, perhaps the sensations eX-
perienced by MIR. Sandbertson will in
terest and enlighten. He says:
Il was in the infantry. Custer had
command of the troops. There was
quite force of cavalry with us, but
they were about mile in the rear when
we first discovered the reds. Some of
the troops had been sent around SO as
to attack from the other side. The reds
were camped i'll a sort of valley, and
we were within eighty rods of them
for half an hour before daybreak. just
in the gray of morning the firing COM
menced on both sides, and we had it all
our own way for few minutes, the
cursed snakes being much confused, aud
not knowing what was up. AT length
they rallied, and we could hear Black
Kettle shouting and ordering. The
Yermin got into holes and behind rocks
anywhere they could find II place,
and began to fight with will. We fired
whenever we could see a top-knot, and
shot squaWs-there were lots of them
just as quick as Indians. We just
went i'll for wiping out the whole gang.
''When it was fully daylight, we all
gave big yell and charged right down
into camp. The lodges were all stand
ing yet, and lots of Indians in them. AS
we ran through the alleys big red
jumped out at me from behind tent,
and before L could shorten up enough
to run him through with my bayonet
Il squaw grabbed me around the legs
and twisted me down. The camp was
then full of men fighting, and every
body seemed yelling as loud as he
could. When l fell l went over back
ward, dropping my gun, and had just
got part way up again, the squaw yank-
ing me by the hair, when the Indian
dubbed my gun and struck me across
the neck. lie might just as well have
lilC puI IIC W. I uSCO "
the bayonet, or didn't think. The blow
stunned me; it didn't hurt me the least,
but gave me a numb feeling all over.
| couldn't have got to my feet then if
all alone, while the squaw kept screcch-
ing and pulling my hair out by the
! handful.
Il heard some of our boys shouting
close by, and the squaw started and ran
One of the boys killing her not three
rods off. The Indian stepped one foot
on my chest, and with his hand gath
cred up the hair near the crown of my
head. He wasn't very tender about it,
| but jerked my head this way and that
and pinched like Satan. My eyes were
partially open, and could see the bead
work and trimming on his leggings.
! Suddenly felt the awfulest biting, cut
I ting flesh go on round my head, and
then it seemed to me just as if my whole
head had been jerked clean off. l new
cr felt such pain i'll all my life; why it
was like pulling your brains right out.
didn't know any more tor two or
! three days, and then 1 came to to find
that had the sorest head of any hu-
man being that ever lived. If the boys
killed the viper, they didn't get back
my scalp; perhaps it got lost i'll the
snow. / was shipped down to Laramie
after bit, and all the nursing l got
haint made the hair grow out on this
| spot yct.'-DetT0H Free Press, June l6.