Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-31
T E r NJ S:
An Indian Killer Interviewed.

An Indian Killer Interviewed.
From the Davenport Iowa. Gazette, Aug. Isl
There has been stopping in this city tor
couplc Of DAYS past one of those characters who
have made for themselves celebrity for their
bravery and daring on the plains of the tar
West among the Indians and the buffalo, IN
rccountng whose deeds, halr-breadth escapes
and peculiar life, the pages OF romance are NIL
cd. The person to whom We refer Is no less
character than 'Camanche Bill, who Is re-
puted to be the slayer of no less than lS% In
dians. He has been nine years on the plains,
,,art Of which time he has been in the employ
ut the Government rs scout lie has hunteu
and killed Indians for the pleasure and sweets
Of revenge, and hunted and trapped OF necessl-
~, He is now on his return to his old llte IN
th. West. having been on :; visit to his early
home in Minnesota He is about twenty-elght
Years of are, of slender build, sandy complex
ion with nrofllSion of hair that he wears
lonp ON his neck His dress is pair Of buck
skin pants, ornamented from the outer seams
with 4 row of steel buttons, a coarse shirt, an
old coat, and broad brmmed hat. His eye
i, ricrcing keen, and ne has u grip like dozen
hacksmiths In response to our questions he
said:
NV name is George W. Porter. | have
been on the plains since ~. | was IN the
Minnesota massacre, near New Em the 18th
Of August Of that year. All my folks were
killed, except me and my little sister whom they
,ouk prisoner
'Wherc was you?
Il was away at the military station on busl-
u,,s: went the day before The first knew
Of the massacre, was coming along the road
on my way home, when | saw a little ways
ahead of me wagon filled with women and
children that the settlers had sent to the sta
ton for protection Just then | saw the In
dams pouuce upon them. and | lodged into
woods. | could hear the hatchets crushing In
to their heads They killed 'em all-every
one.
What did you do?'
They scalped EN-, aud when the coast was
clear got out, and pretty soon along came
company of cavalry, and we buried them: -.
''Why didn't you follow after the lndians?'
Il had no horse, and the captain dldnt
want his men to go. You see that was in '62,
and everything was topsy-tu1ry.,
Did you visit the @eene of the massacre at
New Elm p
Yes. | went there the next day. and saw
lny father and mother all scalped and cut up,
and my sister was gone | swore by the eter'
nal God would never rest until | had had re-
Senge-u DlOOuy revenge. -,
Did you get any traces OF your sister!
'Why, yes they was the lankon, Sawnee
and Sioux Indians. and [ knowed them pret
tv well. | learned that they had her. |
knowed what they d do with her:
You have not been successful in your ct-
forts to secure her.
No; you see, single handed and alone,
man don't stand much chance. That's what l
had been doing all the time. Once, in Arlzo-
nu. | was right in the sight Of her The way
| knowed it was her WAS, I had been on the
trail Of the band of Sioux that had her long
time, and she was the only white person they
had. This was in '65 and then she looked
lust like mother. I waited and watched and
watched, and picked III Indian off every little
while, when he'd get mile ortwo from camp.
but twas no use. They. kept too good watch
over her.
"Were you ever capturedT'
Yes The Blackfects captured me and Jim
Braden, in "a, when we were out hunting
They came on us with rush. but they didn' t
get us though until l had killed one young
buck
What did they do with you?"
They marched about twenty-five miles TO
their camp and there they stripped us of every
thing We had, and tied us to stake and let the
women pound us with clubs They did this
every day. for eight days We were tied with
buckskin thrones and one night it rained, and
We slipped out of 'em when they got wet
Jim got away all right, and just as was gittin'
my things on, an old squaw woke up and gave
the alarm There was but four Indians in the
camp. The rest had gone on hunt | run,
with only my knife They came up to me, and
had desperate fight. One shot had hit me
in the left arm exhibiting scar II cut aud
slashed the buck that had got hold of me, and
finally gave him one under the ribs,so he won't
tie any more throngs. And he cut me here,
too, here, and here, (showing scars in his arm
neck and breast THE other buck never came
near, for I'd got this bucks gun atore he d
reached u.s.
The rest of "Camanchc Bits story; how
lie followed his sister among the Camanches.
and had fight with the white chief of that
nation, and other equally interesting accounts,
to see genuine fronticrsman, they should call
upon the "Tniisn fiphter' himself