The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-10-21
TIVE GREAT SCALP RAISER.

From the CHicuUO I1tCuno.I
The celebrated Indian fighter, "Comanche
BILL called at this Office yesterday morning
- nav his respects to the local staff. Bill
was asked if he would like to be 'inter-
Waved - and he inquired if that meant to
tslt y and when informed that an account
of his life and his fights with the red skins
would be very acceptable, he said he had no
objections to telling what be had seen and
done After imbibing two gills OF "hre-
water" he sat down and began
Comanche Bil-The difficulty with me is
to know how to commence. Do you want
me to start out from the time l left Mime
sofa 2
Reporter-Tes.
G. B.-Well, I can just tell you. The
massacre commenced on tie 18Th OF August,
1862, aud my parents were killed the next
day after the massacre commenced. was
thirty miles from home when they were killed
up at Ihe Backwoods Agency.
R.-How old were you then?
C. B.-I was II. When l came back
they were dead got a lock of my mothers
hair, which l have yet. and | swore | would
have scalp for every hair in it, and started
right after them.
R.-What direction did they take?
C. B.-Northwest up through Dakota.
They were Sioux, and the chief of the wa:
party was Black Wolf. 1 tackled him in
1866, on Christmas, just above the canyon
on Silver Lake, near the Yellowstone River.
R.-Was his party with him 2
c. B.-Yes. and his party "got back"
R.-Did you have party with you?
C. B.-Yes; sixty as good men as ever
clum a saddle. We went into them, and
got shot in the jaw. l had chaw Of tobac-
co in my mouth, and it went out student,
tell you /; it played hell with the tobacco,
and l went out of the saddle. Then l had
my jaw bound up. His band was almost all
killed when I met him. He had my moths
er's scalp on his shield. Says I, Now |
will get you" Well, | was just blind with
rage, perfectly wild with rage. and under no
control. | rushed after him, and the chief
of the scouts tried to keep me back. My
knife was about foot long The old man
saw | was determined to go after old Black
Wolf, so he says, putting his hand back of
his neck and drawing blade about eighteen
inches long, $50 at him with this, Bill" |
took the knife aud went for him. l struck
at him, and he threw off the blow with his
shield. | pegged away at him, saying.
You don't make anything by that, you old
| will get you" l made cut at
him and cut him on the arm, cutting into it
below the elbow, clear through the muscles
to the bone. He made grab for me, and
would have finished me. but one of the fe-
lows was about to brain him with his rifle,
when showed my knife into his "wezen''
l was cut all TO pieces got seventeen cuts
and shots in that scrimmage."
R.-Did you Kill him ?
G. B.-I don't know. but lifted his HAIR.
I was cut to pieces. and was taken down to
the Yellowstone. That was in '66.
R.-Where was your sister at this time?
G. B-I knew she was sold to the Chey-
ennes, and | supposed she was dead, and |
did not pay any attention to anything for a
while. l got reckless following around. !
didn't tell you about being among the Black
feet. l was out after my sister, up in the
Wind River country, on a trip, ard | laid
down to sleep. Somehow my horse had got
astray, and | went after him. When | got
up to him, see nobody, but he was corral
led. Then | see some reds around, and one
of them got too inquisitive, and l drove
knife into his ''wezen," and he concluded he
did not want to have any more to do with
me. They took me prisoner, however, and
carried me into their camp, and pounded my
finger nails off.
R.-Why did they do that
c. B.-TO torture me. They tied me down
and pounded my finger nails till they peeled
off. 1t was fun for them, but death on me-
They turned me over to an old squaT about
so years old, and she used to larrup me like
- -- beating tan bark She used
to larrup me every day. Finally. one night,
it commenced to rain, and the thong with
which was tied got wet, and l got my fist
out. When the old woman came in to 90
for me | went for her and bound her, and |
got away, and all | eat for six davs was one
ed tra ,r L 7
blowing, but will swear to it. cot to the
post and had my hands fixed up. and it was
two months before l could lift a bride.
When | could. | lifted ten scalps for the ten
finger nails. 1t was no more than fair. was
1t That is all of that trip. and the pext
thing is something else. | will be id if
know what to tell you
R.-In your fights with the Indians was
there always party with you?
9. B.-No. was almost always alone |
had party oLce with me when | got after
Miss Wilson, who lives in Boston, Mass.
R.-When was that?
G. Bin 1865.
R.-Did you know she was with the H.
dians2
c B.-I see her captured. She was taken
from an excursion train above Laramie.
When / got after her l rode back to the fort
to get some cartridges for my revolver and
rifle, and the old man wanted to know where
| was going | told him to follow me. as |
was going to have that girl if it took years.
/ followed the reds about week. and finally
got sight of them. As luck would have it,
they bad captured a train and got a good
deal of whiskey. l laid there in the bush
near them. and they were raising hell all
night long. | knew where the girl was,
cause | saw them strip her and put her in
lodge. Finally. | concluded would get her
out. | was mad and my horse was mad at
the devils. He wanted TO have something
TO do with it, rode up to within thirty
yards OF the lodge, and made drive for it.
Oue Indian was sitting by the door, but he
Cidn't say nothing. He looked up. and |
put my hand over his mouth and gave him
a cut, and he concluded ne didn't want anv
more TO say. l saw the girl; she was lying
down. Her skin so white | could see
her plainly in the darkness. | got up TO the
place where she was lying, aud when she see
me she was going to give veil but i put