Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-06-19
sCALPED AT WaA As a.,
How IL was Done, and what the Vie
80 tim SAYS Gift.

IL 1904 SIR atslG 80 - 4tit9pf ~
How IL was Done, and What the Vie
tim Says oft. - 81
sbAIvietim of Indian vengeance In
the presentlstruggle along the Dor
ders and in the Territories, and one
that will forever have cause to re-
member it, arrived in this city
Saturday night, departing yester-
day for his home in New York,
near Rufeld, Monroe county, His
name is Delos g. Sandbertson,- and
he lost his scalp at the battle of
Washita. He has been an inmate
of Laramie Hospital sinee that
event, and was discharged about
ten days ago by reason of the sex,
| piration of his term OF. service. He
| allowed the curious to examine his
poll and look at the still red and
| tenderspotfrom which isscalp was
jerked away was not calculated to
| prejudice anybody in favor of
char lifting" As but few persons
have, ever lived to undergo the
process, perhaps the sensations ex-
perieneed by Mr.. Sandbertson will
interest and enlighten. Says he::-
II was in the infantry. Gustav
had command of the troops, There
was quite a force of cavalry with
US, but they were aboutea 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 in a sort of a valley,
and we were within eighty rods of
them for half an hour before day.
break just in the gray of morn
ing the firing commenced on beth
sides, and we had it all our own
way for a few minutes, the cursed
snakes being much confused, and
not knowing what was up. At
length they rallied, and we could
hear Black Kettle shouting and
ordering. The vermin got into
holes and behind rocks anywhere
they could find a plaee-and began
to fight back with a viii. We fired
whenever we could see a top-knot,
and shot squaws-there was lots of
them-just as quick as Indians.
We just went in for wiping out the
whole gang. When it was fully
daylight, we all gave q bic veil
and p charged right down into
camp. The lodges were all a
standing yet, and lots of Indians in
them. As we run through the
alleys, big red jumped out at me
from behind a tent, and before ]
could shorten up enough to run
him through with my bayonet, a
squaw grabbed me around the legs
and twisted me down. The camp
was then full of men fighting, and
everybody seemed yelling as loud
as be could. When 1 fell, / went |
over backward, dropping my gun,
and | had just got part way up
again, the squaw yanking me by
the hair, when the Indian dubbed
my gun and struck me across the
neck. He might Just as well have
run me through, but he wasn't
used to the bayonet, or didn't think.
The blow stunned me it didn't
hurt in 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
screeehing and pulling my hair
out by handfuls.
81 heard some of our boys shout
ing close by, and the squaw started
and ran-one of the boys killing
her not three rods of. The Indian
stepped one foot on my chest, and
with his hand gathered 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 i could see
the bead work and trimming on his
leggings. Suddenly, 1 felt the
awfullest biting, cutting flash go
round my head, and then it
seemed to me just as if my whole
head had been jerked clean of. l
never felt such pain in all my life;
why, it was like pulling your brains
right out. [ didn't know any more
for two or three days, and then l
came to to find that l had the sore
est head of any human being that
ever lived. If the boys killed the
viper, they didn't get back my
scalp; perhaps it got lost in the
snow. 1 was shipped down to Lar
annie after a bit, and all the nursing
l got hain't made the hair grow out
on this spot yet-"-Detroit Free
Press.