The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-01-29

The Lewiston Journal contains the following
remarkable narratiye:1

The Lewiston Journal contains the following
remarkable narrative:j
franklin Maxwell, man about IS years OF
age, native OF Augusta, with a wife living
with her father in New Sharon, waited upon
us on Monday, and presented papers aud GER
tficates which appeared reliable, and gave the
following account of his life for the past tour
years. Early in the rebellion, Maxwell enter
ed the regular army, and served during the
war without receiving wound. Being dis
charged at the expiration of his term of SER
vice, he returned to Maine, and three years
ago he lett his wife and home for the West to
seek employment. Reaching Detroit, he en-
gagged as wagner for the United States and
was ordered to Colorado where for nearly three
years he was engaged in driving supply teams
from Drytown to various points where the
government had forts or rendezous for troops.
On the 9th of March last as he and others
were conducting a supply train in the Pawn
Tame Valley, about 300 miles south of the Pa
cific r.. r., the train was surprised by Little
Kettles band of Indians, several of the whites
killed, and he and five others taken prisoners
He himself received two wounds in his leg, one
in his side and blow from a tomahawk on his
head. The prisoners were taken to Little Ket.
ties camp, when all but himself were at once
taken out, cut down with tomahawks and
scalped. Two of the whites thus killed and
scalped were William Hanson of Readfeld
and George Town of Winthrop. The scalp:
performed around them.
Maxwell himself came very near meeting
the fate of his associates. Two Ipdians at the
same time seized him by the shoulders while
third began to scalp him. The circular
wounds made by the knife are plainly visible
At this point Maxwell had the presence O
mind to make known by his gesticulations anG
few Indian words which he had picked up
that he had whiskey and tobacco for them-ar
announcement which acted like a magic OF
the red men, and led them to desist. He then
led them to private box in the wagons which
they had overlooked where was small Quan.
tity of these articles. So overioyed were the
Indians at the discovery of these articles, that
they spared Maxwells life, and at once took
him to a wigwam, when a squaw did up his
wound in raw buffalo hide.
Maxwell was made practically slave to the
band-did whatever he was commanded to,
and went with them on their hunting parties.
AT first he was treated harshly, but as he
learned more of their language and adopted
more of their manners, his treatment became
better. When he had reached the point OF
eating raw antelope and buffalo, they were
delighted, and began to think it was time for
him to take squaw for wife. All this time
Maxwell, while appearing to be attracted to
his Indian life, was seeking an opportunity to
escape. Finally on the 10th of last month
when out on a buffalo hunting party with the
Indians, he managed in the chase to separate
himself from his Indian comrades. and after a
fortnighL's wandering reached United States
frontier fort. Here he was enabled to change
his savage garb for some soldiers clothing and
thence was forwarded to Chicago by q. S. Off
GERS. AT Chicago he obtained pass to Maine,
and on Tuesday he expected to 90 to New
Sharon to visit his vile who supposed him
dead.