Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-07-07
The PeriIs Of PlOneer Life.

The Perils Of Pioneer Live have not all disap-
peared. The following account from a Leaven-
worth paper of the massacre Saline river sounds
like the old King Philip times On Sunday, |
May 80 as Mr.. Thomas Alderdice was returning |
from Salina to his home on the Saline river he
heard when about three miles from his residence
that band of Indians had been into the settle
ment and murdered q large number of people and
destroyed considerable property. On arriving at
his home he found it deserted, and was almost
paralyzed with grief at finding one of his chill
dren, six years Of age, dead on the ground, with
four bullets in his body, and another of his chill
dren dead, shot with five arrows. third child
had five arrow wounds in his body, one entering
his back to the depth of five inches The wound
ed one is alive and doing well. Mrs Alderdice
and her babe, aged eight months, were carried
away captives by the Indians. 1t seems that the
lndians-who arc supposed to have been members
of the Dog Soldier band Of Cheyennes-ca
upon the settlement about an hour before dark
They divided into bands Of from five to seyen and
made simultaneous attacks in different localities.
Mr.. Wetzel, farmer who lived about two miles
from Mr.. Alderdice's house, was murdered, to-
gether with comrade, and Mrs. Weitze was car
ried of by the sayages in company with the wife
Of our informant The Weitzes were from Han
over, and had only been in the country about two
months. A Danish man and wife were murdered
on Spillman creek, about seven miles from tho
month. silversmith from Chicago, named
Peterson, had his head mashed with his own axe
and they tried to burn his house, but were lrus-
trated in all their attempts to destroy it. young
boy named Harrison, about Is years old, wa,
shot through the head with an arrow, and hi.
head mashed with war club, which was fount
beside his body broken in two. A boy named
Shoots, about 10 years old, was shot through tn,
body, and no. hopes of his recovery are entertain
ed, as the dart of arrow is supposed to be still
sticking in his lungs. The house of Thos Moor
was attacked, and the assailants driven of b,
three Swedes, two of the Indians being wounded
The house of William llendrickson was saved b,
the heroism Of two women-Mrs HendrcksoI
and Mrs. Green-who fired on the sayages seyera
times and finally drove them away When tn
Indians were after young Shoots, boy aged |,
and another aged 0, started to the rescue, th
elder carrying gun and the younger the amuni
ton. They kept the murderers away and pre-
vented them from killing Shoots Thirteen per
sons in all were killed. andall the movable proper
ty in the settlement destroyed or carried away. -
Mr.. Alderdice came to Kansas about six year
ago and has been living out where his family wa
murdered for some time past, Mr.. Alderdico /
here to make his complaints in person to the mill
tary, and see II any assistance can be rendere,
him in looking for his wife and child lie ha
secuted the country for a considerable distano
around the scenes of the outnges, and gives it a
his opinion that the sayages have not left this sec