South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-09-08
An Indian Killer Interviewed.

An Indian Killer interviewed.
mere nds been stopping in this city for
acoupte of days past, n of those charac-
ters who have made for themselves a
cJiebrity for their bravery and daring on
the plains of the far West, among the
Indians and the buffalo; in ~recounting
whose deeds, hair breadth escapes and
peculiar life, the pages of romance are
filed. The person to whom we refer is no
less a character than "Camanche Bill"
who is reputed to be the slayer of no less
than one hundred and eighty-three Indi-
ans. He has been nine years on the plains,
part of which time he has been in the
employ of the government as a scout. He
has hunted and killed 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 q visit to his early
home in Minnesota. He is about twenty
eight years of age, of slender build, sandy
complexion, with a profusion of hair that
ne wears long on the neck. His dress is a
pair OF buckskin pants, ornamented from
the outer seams with a row of steel buttons,
a coarse shirt, an old coat and q broad
brimmed hat. His eye is piercing keen,
and he has a grip like a dozen blscksmiths.
In response to our questions he said:
"My name is George W. Porter. 1
have been on the plains since go. I was
in the Minnesota massacre, near New Ulm,
the 18th of August of that year. All my
folks were killed, except me and my little
sister, three years old, whom they took
r~1isoner."
Where was your"
81 was away at the military station on
business; went the day before. The first
l knew of the massacre, / was coming
along the road on my way home, when |
sdw a little ways ahead of me a wagon
filled with women and children that the
settlers had sent to the station for pretec-
ton. Just then 1 saw the Indians pounce
upon them, and l lodged into the woods.
l could hear the hatchets crushing into
their heads. They killed 'em all, every
one."
"What did you dos"
"They scalped 'em, and when the coast
was clear, l got out, and pretty soon along
came a company of cavalry, and we buried
them"
"why didn't you follow after the In
dians?"
al had no horse, and the captain didn't
want his men to go. You see that was in
'62, and everything was topsy-turvy."
did you visit the scene of the massacre
at New Ulmf"
"Yes; L went there the next day, and
saw my father and mother all scalped and
cut up, and my sister was gone. l swore
by the eternal God I would never rest
until I had had revenge-a bloody re-
venge."
Ibid you ever get any traces of your
sister,"
"Why, yes, there was the Yankton,
Swanee and Sioux Indians, and l knowed
them pretty well. l learned that they had
her. l knowed what they'd do with
her"
"You have not been successful in your
efforts to secure her.
mo; you see, single handed and alone,
a man don't stand much chance. That's
what l had been doing all the time.
Once, in Arizona, I was right in sight of
her. The wa l knowed it was her was,
l had been on the trail of the band of
Sioux that had her a long time, and she
was the only white person they had. This
was in 80, and then she looked just like
mother. I waited and watched and watch
ed, and picked an Indian off every little
while, when he'd get a mile or two from
camp, but twas no use. They kept too
good watch over her."
WC4C 1O0 CNC1 OdPtuAOO.
ayes. The Blackfeets captured me
and Jim Braden in "a, when We were out
hunting. They came on US with a 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 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 night it rained, and we slipped out
of 'em when they got wet. Jim got away
all right, but just as 1 was gittin' my
things on, an old squaw woke up and gave
the alarm. There was but four Indians in
camp. The rest had gone IN a hunt. 1
run, with only my knife. They came upto
me, and I had adesperate fight. One shot
had hit me in the left arm" exhibiting
scarf. az cut and slashed the buck that
got hold of me, and finally gave him one
under the ribs, so he won't tie any more
thongs. And he cut me, too, here and
there, andhere" Showing scars on his arm,
neck and breast). 1.-THE other buck never
came near, for I'd got this bucks gun
afore he'd reached us"
The rest of "Camanche Bills" story,
how he followed his sister among the
Camsnches, and had a fight with the white
chief of that nation, and other equally in
teresting accounts, we shall have to omit.
But if our readers wish to see a genuine
frontiersman, they should call upon the
"1ndian fighter" himself-DG0e1pOrt
(LoUd) Gazette.