River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-16
A STRANGE LIFE.
The History of BENJAMIN Caruthers,
who. Rs "A Sioux Indian, Traversed
the Black Hills Thirty Years Ago.


ST.. LOUIS, No., March 81, 1875.
The biography of the old man has no
necessary connection with his useful
knowledge of the Black Hills, but the
moving incidents Of his life have direct
bearing on his entry into and his wander.
ings over that famons region, and are,
moreover, so
sTARTLIEG AND ROMANTIC
in their nature as to excuse their nara.
ton at this place. | present a lengthy
interview, IN narrative form, and 70.
corded substantially as uttered, the Ian.
guage being changed only for the sake Of
brevity and perspicuity.
My name is Benjamin Caruthers; and
am now 50 years Of age, though | look
much older. In 1929 my father with his
entire family, consisting of my mother,
four sons, one daughter, and negro man,
moved from Copiah county, Mississippi,
to the then Mexican territory Of Texas.
He settled west of all other white neigh.
borhoods, near the confluence Of the
Brazos and Nevasota Rivers, in what is
now, | am informed, Grimes county. The
county was then an unbroken wilderness,
and no white family lived nearer than
forty miles Of US. Ny father established
a small rancho there in the fall of 1929,
and we lived without any trouble for near.
ly year. In the fall Of 1880, band of
Comanches suddenly came upon us, in
the day time, and
MURDERED NY FATHER AND MOTHER,
my three Older brothers and the negro
man. ! was then fourteen years Of age
ard had sister one year older, For
some cause they spared her and myself
and after burning our house and killing
all the stock in sight, took US with them
in north-weSterly direction. The band
that had ms captive gradually pursued
their way to the northwest and that
winter we spent near the boundary line
in the Ell Paso district. | had naturally
a wild nature, and did not have much
hesitancy in adopting their ways and cos.
tune. They required me to dress, ride,
and paint as they did.
MY SISTER JANE
was taken for wife by chief whose
name was Te.wah-mich-na, or the Flying
Bear. For nearly four years we roane d
along the frontier Of Texas, sometimes
making incursions down into Texas or GO
ing on long buffalo hunts in New Mexico
| learned to speak the language thor.
oughly, as did my sister. She grieved
long time over her fate, but finally, Civ.
ing up all hopes Of seeing the whites
again, became reconciled and somewhat
attached to Indian life. When last saw
her was in or about 1884, in the spring.
She was then mother of two children by
Flying Bear. About that time | had a
personal difficulty with a young brave
about the possession of pony, and in a
moment Of rage
KILLED HIN WITH NY ToMAHAwK.
mounted the pony and flew away for
my life. | went northward into the
boundless sea Of prairie, going at the top
Of my horses speed until darkness over.
took me, and my beast fell exhausted. |
knew | would be pursued. and my only
hope was to distance my pursuers The
Indian had killed was great favorite
and son Of one Of our principal chiefs.
slept all night on the prairie, and woke up
: next morning and found my pony per.
fectly fresh, grazing in the tall mosquito
grass. You may ride an Indian pony
down to-day, and tomorrow he will pitch
with you. Fearing might be overtaken,
mounted in haste, and hungry and
thirsty, hurried away in a northerly
course. My hope was to strike some
other tribe Of Indians with whom might
affiliate. knew if | succeeded in reach
ing the country above what is now Arizo.
nl would fall in with the Apaches, who
, then roamed through that district. |
, had no thought nor desire of reaching
white settlements. | would have evaded
them even if had had the chance, Sc
thorough an Indian had | become.
/, Travelled nearly six days without hating
except to sleep subsistiug upon the eggi
5 of prairie hens, which found by dligen
; search, together with the heavy top seeC
y of peculiar kind Of grass which grew
e over that whole country, and which th
Comanches called choppa.
u After had been out six days was
SIGHTED BY a BAND or APAcHEs,
: who came upon me and made me prisoner
\ had a smatteTing of their language. AM
: many Of them spoke Comancho well. an,
= | did not have much difficulty in fndinJ
i protection with them. | spent tina
spring and summer with the Apaches
. though | was treated something like
Q slave. The next fall some of tn
c Apsches made a long trip into the IA
n north, taking me with them. 1t was OF
! this trip that they met band Of Sioux
n and
! WAS TRADED OFF
Il to the latter tribe for buffalo robes.
+ spoke but little Sioux, but soon acquired
It. They, in short time, put me on al
: equal footing with their braves, and be
J. came for all practical purposes a regular
j Sioux savage. From this began my
: knowledge Of the Sioux, and subsequent
h ly Of the Black Hills country.
e grew to be a successful buffalo hunt
\ er, and wss r favorite upon all such ex
! cursions. | was known among them By
Y an Indian name, which signifies 9TH,
Jumper" About 1887 married Siou,
J. girl, daughter Of one of eur principa
9 chiefs. The winter Of 1883 tabout--w,
, only measured timo by moons and ha,
{ lost the course Of the months and years
!, We spent at the mouth Of the Whit
: / Earth River EO uilcs from tha piarl