The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-09-14
From the Davenport Iowa Gazette.I
Camanche Bill.

, There was recently stopping in thi
2 city one of those characters who hav
2 made for themselves a celebrity 70
their bravery and daring on the plan
, OF the far west, among the Indian
and the buffalo; in recOunting who's,
deeds, hair-breath escapes aud pecul
: lar life, the pages Of romance are fill
= ell The person to whom we refer j.
/ no less a character than "Camanch,
Bill, who is reputed to be the slaye
of no less than one hundred anC
eighty-three Indians. He has beeI
nine years on the plains, part of which
time he has been in the employ of the
government as a scout. He has hunt.
. ed 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 visit to hi,
early home in Minnesota. He i.
about twenty-eight years of age, OI
slender build, sandy cOmPieXiOned
with prOfusiOn of hair that he wear
long on theneck. His dress is a pair Ol
buekskin pants, ,::Ornamented from the
outer seams with row of steel but
tons, q coarse shirt, an old coat and a
broad brimmed hat. His eye piercing
keen, and he has a grip like a dozen
blacksmiths. In response to our ques-
tiOns he said:
My name is George w. Porter. ]
have been on the plains since 'G2. ]
was in the Minnesota massacre, near
New Ulm, the 18th of August Of that
year. All my folks were killed, ex-
eept me and my little sistsr 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,
was coming along the road on my
way home, when / saw n little ways
ahead OF me 4 wagon filled with wO-
men and children, that the settlers
had sent to the station for protection.
Just then l saw the Indians pOunce
upon them, and I lodged into the
woods. l could hear the hatchets
crushing into their heads. They kill
ed lem all, every one"
''What did you do p
''They scalped 'em, and 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
Indians ?n
81 had no horse, and the captain
didn't want his men to 90. You see
! that was in '62, and everything was
topsy-turvy."
''Did you visit the scene of the mas
sacre at New Ulm ?'
"Ees. went there the next day,
and saw my father and mother all
scalped and cut up, and my sister was
gone. i swore by the eternal God, /
would never rest until had revened-
a bloody revenge"
'Did you get any traces of your sis
ter?p
"Why, yes, they was the Yankton,
Swanee and Sioux Indians, and /
knOwed them pretty well. | learned
that they had her. | knOwed what
they'd DO with her"
"Nou have not been successful in
your efforts to secure her ~
mo; you see, single-handed and
alone, u man don't stand much chance.
That's what had been doing all the
time. Once, in Arizona, was right
i'm sight of her. The way / knOWed
IL " - AANAf AllAAl DEtAA Oll Tie LEdlA vi
the band of Sioux that had her a long
time, and she was the only white per-
son they had. This was in '65, and
then she looked just like mother. /
waited and watched, 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"
"Were you ever captured ?r
"Hes. The Blaekfeets captured me
and Jim Braden in '64, when we were
out hunting. They came on us with
a rush, but they didn't get us though
until had killed one young buck.u
"What did they do with yOu?'
"They marched us about twenty
five miles to their camp, and there
they stripped It's of everything we had
and tied us up to stake, and let the
women pound us with clubs. They
dii tiIis IOr vtsIit days we were JIelf
with buckskin thongs, and one nigh t
it rained, and we slipped out of 'em
when they got wet. Jim got away
all right, but just as l was gettin' my
things ON, an old squaw woke up and
gave the alarm. There was but four
Indians in camp. The rest had gone
on n hunt. / run, with only my
knife They came up to me, and
had a desperate fight. One shot had
hit me in the left arm" exhibiting
scarf. az cut and slashed the buck
that held me, and finally give him
one under the ribs, so he won't tie
any more thongs. And he cut me,
too, here, and here, and here1 Show
ing sears on his arm, neck and breast). |
''Ihe other buck never came near, for
I'd got this bucks gun afOre he'd
reached US"