Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-16

l1UNh OfCt thO iolfoO - $3.50
years pass and seem to be child
again, standing beside my only brother
at the back door of my fathers house.
The cav is beautiful, the sun is so
bright. the grass so green, all nature so
smiling, it is hard to realize what is 90
ing on over yonder by the graveyard. in
that crowd of men and women. For
there are gathered together of the Chip
pewss, old and young men, women and
children, who have come out to witness
or take part in this act of retributive JUS
tice. There are blue coats too, and va
rous badges of our U. s. uniform, for
il is necessary to throw some restraint
around these red men, or there may be
wholesale murder; and, borne on the
shoulders of his young men, we see the
form of the wounded, dying chief, regard
iny all with calm satisfaction, and 10
doubt happy ia the the thought that his
death, so near, will not go unavenged =
And there stand the yourg braves who
have been selected as the executioners;
their rifles are loaded, the locks carefully
examined, and all is ready when ths
word shall be given.
There too, under guard, are tie five
men who are to pay the forfeit for the
five lives taken so wantonly and treach-
erously.
Away of, | cannot tell how many
rods, but it seems TO US children a long
run are stationed The Sioux tribe, and that
is the goal for which the wretched men
must run for their lives.
And row all seems ready: and we
stand ON tiptoe, while the balls and chains
are knocked off and the captives are set
free. AT word one of the doomed
men starts, the rifles with unerring-aim
are fred, and under cover of the smoke
man falls dead. They reload,e the
word is given, another starts with a
bound for home; but ali! the aim of
those clear sighted, blood.hirsty red men
is too deadly; aud go one after another
until four are down.
And then the last, "Little Six y
whom at that distance, we children read,
iIy recognize, from his commanding
height and graceful form; he is our
friend, and we hope he will get home
lie starts,-they 6re,-the smoke clears
away and still he is running,-we clap
our hands, and say "he will get home; :"
but another voIley and our favorite, al
most at the goal, springs into the air and
comes down-dead! | cover my face
and shed tears Of real sorrow for our
friend Aud now follows a scene that
beggars description. The bodies, all
warm and limp, are dragged to the brow
of the bill. Men who at the sight of
blood, become almost fiends. tear off til 9
reekng scaIps and hand them to the
chief, who hangs them around his neck /.
Women and children with tomahawks
and knives cut deep gashes in the poor
dead Bodies, and sco"ping up the hct
blood with their hands, eagerly drink it !;
then, grown frantic, they dance, and yell
and sing their horrid scalp songs, recoun-
ting deeds of yalor on the paIt of their
brave men. and telling Of the Sioux
scalps taken 10 different battles, until tired
and satiated at last with their horrid
feast, they leave the mutilated bodies
fostering in the sun.
At nighrall they are thrown over the
bluff into the river, and my brother and
myself ave struck and quiet, trace their
hideous voyage down the Mississippi to
the Gulf Of Mexico We lie awake that
night talking of thu dreadful sight we
have seen, and we try to imagine what
the people in New Orleans will think
when they see those CHASTITY upturhed ia
ces and we talk W til quiveriug lips
and fearful eyes of " Little Six" and of
the many kind things he has dore for
US. the bows and arrows, the mocauks of
sugar, the pretty beaded mocc' sins, he
has given us; and wish, oh! we wish,
he could have run faster, or that the
Chippewa rifles had missed fire. And
we Sleep and dream of scalps, and rifles.
and war whoops, and frightful yells, and
wake, wishing it had all been dream.
Next day the dying chief sat up in
bed, painted himself for death, sang bis
de,th song, and, with those five fresh
bloody scalps about his neck lay down
and died, calmly and peacefully, in the
comfortable hope, no doubt, of wei
come in those "happy hunting grounds. )"
prepared by the GOOD Spirit" for all
those Indians who are faithful to their
friends, and svenge themselves upon their
/ foes.
A few years ago l told this story to
anothef 4" Little Six" "Old Shakopee,"
as he lav, with gives upon his legs, in
our guard house at Fort Smelling, await
ing execution, for almost nunberless cold
blooded murders, perpeirated during the
dreadful massacre Of 90. He remem
hered it all, and his wicked old face
lighted up with JOY as he told me he
was the son of that Little Six" who
made SO brave run for his life; and he
showed as much pride and pleasure IN
listening to the recital of his fathers
| treacherous conduct, rs the children of
our great generals will do some day, as
they read or hear of deeds of bravery
or dar:ug that their fathers have done.
If you haven't business, advertice; if
you have business, advertise. People GO
TO places that are advertised, and thoy GO
by those that are not. A place that adj
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