Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-11-25
raih with Comanche nm.

|
acter:
. incre ha, b.en stopping in this
.ily for e uple of days past, one
II those ch factcss tho have made
or thcmse yes n celebrity for THEN
Bravery and daring on thsplains OF
the far West, among fhc Indians
and buffalo; in rccUhnting whose
deeds, hair,breadth cscnpos and pc,
culiar life, the pages uiromancc are
filled. The person 10 whom We re-
cr is M less character than SEQ,
manche Bill, who is rcputcd to he
hc slayer of no less than Isl lndi
ans lie has been nino years on
rhc plains, part of which time ho
has been in the Government service
ns scout. lie has hunted and kill,
cd Indians for the pleasure and
sweets of revenge, and hunted and
trapped of necessity, He is now
on his return to his old life in the
West, having been on visit TO his
early home in Minnesota. lie is
about twenty.eight years of age. OF
slender build, sandy complcXioncd,
with Il proiusion of hair that he
wears long on the neck. His dress
is pair ofbuckskin pantaloons, or
namuntcd from the outer seams
with row of steel buttons, Il coarse
shirt, an old coat, and broad brim.
med hat. His ego is piercing keen
and he has \ grip like a dozen
blacksmiths. In response to our
question, he said:
Nv name is John w. Porter. ]
have been on the plain, since '62.-
was in the Minnesota massacre,
near New Elm, the Sth of August
of that year All my folks were
killed except me and my little sis
ter, three years old, whom they
took prisoner"
"Whcrc was you?'
81 was away ut the military sta
ton on business; went the day be
fore. The first | knew Of the mas
sacrc, | WAS coming along the road
on my way home, when | saw II lit
tic ways ahcad OF me II wagon filled
with women and child 'tii, that the
settlers had sent to the station for
protection. Just then | saw the
Indians pouncc upon them, and |
dodscd into the woods. | could
hear the hatchets crushing in their
heads. They killed EN- al every
one"
"Whnt did Sou dor
"They scaIpcd en-, and when the
coast was clear got out, and pref
ty soon along came Il company of
cavalry, and we buried them"
"Why didn't you follow after the
Indians? p
Il hhd no lUrst, and the
captain didn't want his men to
90. You sce TINT was in 'G2,
when everything was topsy-tlrvy."
"Did you visit the scene Of the
massacre at New Elm?'
"Ycs. | went there the next day
and saw my father and mother all
scaIpcd and cut up, and my sister
was gone. swole by tho Eternal
God | would never rest until had
revchgc-a bloody revenge.
did you get any trace Of your
sistrrY'
"Why, yes; they was the Yank-
ton Swance and Sioux Indian, and
| knowed them pretty well. learn
ed that they had her. ! know'd
what they'd do with her"
"You have not been successful in
your efforts to secure hcr?"
mo, you see, singlc-handcd and
alone, Il man don't stand much
chance. That's what l had been
doing nll the time. Once, in Arizo
ma, was right in sight of her
The way 1 knowcd 1t was her was,
| had been on the trail Of the ban
of Sioux that had her n long time,
and she was the only white person
they had. This was in 50, and then
she looked just like mother. | wal.
ted and watched and watched, and
picked an Indian off every little
while when he'd get mile OF two
f.om camp; but it was no use. They
kept too good watch over herY'
Were you ever capturcd 2
"Yes. The Blackftct captured
me and Jim Branden in G4, when
we were out bunting. They came
on us with n rush, but they didn't
get us though until l had killed
one young buck"
"What did they do with you?
"Thcy marched ubout twenty
five miles to their camp, and they
stripped us of everything we had, .
and tied us up to a stake, and let
the women pound us with clubs
They did this every day for eight
DAYS. We were tied with buckskin
thongs, and one nigh. it raincd, and
we slipped out of 'em when they
got wet. Jim got away all right,
but just as | was gcttin my things
an old squaw woke mp and gave the
alarm. There was but four Indians
in camp. The rest Ind gone on
hunt. 1 run, with only knlie.@-
They came up TO me, and | had
desperate fight. One shot had hit
me in the left arm" exhibiting
scarf | cut and slashed the buck
that got hold of me, and finally
gave him one under the ribs, so he
can't tic any more thongs, And he
cut me, too, here, and here, and
here" showing scars in his arm,
neck and breast.) "The other buck
never came near, for Id got this
bucks gun aforc he d reached US
The rest of '.Comanchc Bills
story, how he followed bis sister
among the Comanc, &c, End had
fight with the white chief Of that
nation, and other equally interest
ing accounts we shall have 70 omit
But if our readers wish % see gen
uine frontiersman. they should cell
upon the Indian fighter" himself