The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-03
TALK WITH CAMANCHE Bill.
Ehe MAN who has Killed One Hun
drcG and EiGhty-'Ehree Indians.

Ebe Man who has Killed One Hum
dTeG and EiShty-Fhree Indians
From the Davenport Qowa) Gazette.l
There has been stopping in this city
for couple of days past, one of those
who have made for them
selves a celebrity for their bravery
and daring, on the plains Of the far
West among the Indians and the
buffalo; in rCcOunting whose deeds,
hair-breadth escapes and peculiar life,
the pages Of romance are filled. The
person to whom we refer is no less n
character than "Camanche Bill, =" who
is reputed to be the slayer of no less
than lS3 Indians. He has been nine
years on the plains, part of which
time he has been in the employ of the
government as 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 n visit to his
early home in Minnesota. He is
about twenty-eight years of age, OF
slender build, sandy compleXioned,
with = profusion OF hair that he wears
long ON the neck. His dress is pair
of buckskin pantaloOns, OTname nted
from the outer seams with row OF
steel buttons, q coarse shirt, an old
coat and a broad brimmed hat. His
eyes are piercing keen, and he has a
| grip like u dozen blacksmiths. In
! response to our questions, he said:
"AIy name is George w. Potter; ]
| have been on the plains since '62; ]
was in the Minnesota massacre, neal
| UIm, the Sth of August of that year
all my folks were killed except me
and my little sister, three years old
whom they took prisoner.
"Where was yOu?'
81 was away at the military station
! on business; went the day before; the
| first | knew of the massacre / wa
| coming along the road on my way
home, when / saw a little ways aheaC
of me a wagon filled with women anC
children, that the settlers had sent t.
the station for protection; just then
saw the Indians pounce upon then
and I lodged into the woods; I cOulC
hear the hatchets crushing into heads
they killed 'em all, every one"
"What did you dO?"
"Fhey scalped 'em, and when tn
coast was clear l got out, and prett,
soon along came a company of cavalr.
and we buried them."ss
"Why didn't you follow the In
dians?''
~ had no horse, and the captain
didn't want his men to go. You sc
that was in '62, and everything wa
! topsy-turvy."
ibid you visit the scene ofthe mas
sacre at New Ulm?p
Eyes, / went there the next day
and saw my father and mother al
cut up, and my sister was gone.
swOre by the eternal God l wOul
never rest until l had revenge
bloody revenge"
Did you get any traces of you
sister?''
/ "Why, yes; they was the NanktOn
Swanee and Sioux Indians, and
knOWed them pretty well. / lCaTnet
! that they had her. | knOWed Wha
they'd do with herr
"IIave YOU not been successful il
your efforts to secure hero"
''No. You sec, single handed an,
alone, a man dOn'tstand much chance
Once, in Arizona, / was right in sigh
of her. The way | knOWed it wa
her was, | had been on the trail of tn
band Of Sioux that had her for loni
time, and she was the only white per
son they had. This was in 80, an,
then she looked just like mother.
waited and watched and watched, ant
. picked an Indian off every littl
} while, when he'd get mile or tw
from camp, hut was no use. The,
kept too good watch over her"
''Were you ever captured?n
"Tes. The Blackfeets captured IN
and Jim Branden in ia, when w
!, were out hunting. They came on II
with a rush, but they didn't get u
though until had killed one youn,
buck"
"What did they do with you?"
"They marched about tWenty-fiv
miles to their camp, and there the,
stripped us Of everything we had, ant
tied us up to a stake, and let tn
women pound us with clubs. The,
did this every day for eight days. w
were tied with buckskin thongs, am
one night it rained, and we slippe
, out of them when they got wet. JiT
got away all right, but just as / wa
: getting my things an old squaw wok
up and gave the alarm. There wa
but four Indians in camp. The rer
: had gone on hunt. l run with Onl
] a knife. They come up to me, and
: had a desperate fight. One shot Ia
= hit me in the left ARM (eXhibitin
scar. Il cut ana SIaSneu the Due
, that got hold of me, and finally Civ
, him one under the ribs, SO he can
= tie any more thongs, and he cut ms
| too, here, and here, and here" (shoW
| ing scars in his arm, neck and breast
, "The other buck never came near, fC
: I'd got this bucks gun afore he
} reached u.s."
: The rest of "Cananche Biii's'i stOr
5 how he followed his sister among tn
? Camanches and had fight with tn
5 White Chief of that nation, and Otht
t equally interesting accounts, we sha
fl have to omit. But if our readers wis
t to sec IL genuine frontiers man, the
: should call upon the Indian fighter
I himself