The Hartford herald., 1875-04-28
Captive Among the Comanches.


A young Texan who was captured by
the Comanche Indians about a year ago
gave the following account of his experi-
ences TO q correspondent OF the Galveston
News
was trying to get five beef steers back
to the herd early one morning last May.
when was suddenly surrounded by about
twenty-five Comanche Indians. and taken
prisoner. This happened near sunrise.
was tied on my horse and carried come
thirty miles that day. At night we ar
rived at a sort Of camp. where we Joined
fifty more Indians. and found they had
another white man prisoner. / was not
allowed to speak with this man, but
could see from the blood on his face and
clothes that be was wounded. AS soon
ss the Indians had kindled a fire and eat
en- some meat they began to torture this
second prisoner, though for what reason
have never learned. They beat him
with @ cartridge-box strap with large
buckle on the end of it, after stripping
him of his clothes. They cut gashes on
him with knives. They sawed off his
thumbs with an old cavalry saber, and
mashed his toes between a rock and the
butt end OF q carbine. After gouging out
some of his teeth with q bayonet, and
sticking cactus thorns in his flesh, they
poured powder in his ears and burnt it. AL
this time the man did not complain or cry
out. as he probably expected by his forti-
tude to induce the indiana to spare his
life. But in this he was mistaken, for
they, finding that he did not comPla.> ,at
at all these tortures, began to cut pieces Of
flesh out of his legs and back and eat
them; or at least pretend to eat-l think
they only chewed up the flesh and spit it
out. Seeing that all this torture did not
make him cry out (for he had tainted, }
the chief stepped up with sharp knife
and cut out one of his eyes, and put live
coal of fire in the socket, and then put
an end to his life with knife.
The Indians then had grand dance.
/ was led to small tree had no wa
ter or anything to ea. for thirty-six hours.
The next day about midday the party
moved in a northwest course, travelling
about twenty miles; and after this we
moved in a northwest course about three
hundred miles, where we met several
large parties of Indians, some of whom
had been on raids in Northern Texas. I
remained in that section of country with
the Comanches, and was kept employed
mostly herding ponies. and buffalo hides.
Ny clothes were all taken away from me
few days after was captured. and l
had only pair of drawers and blanket
afterward. / often had to eat raw veni-
500, and buffalo meat without salt. Af-
ter had been with the Indians some six
months they ceased to treat me as pris-
oner, and was allowed to 60 some distance
from the camp. l think it was about
the. 1st of February | left them. l was
herding ponies, and was allowed to ride
one of the best without saddle. The
second night took my buffalo-robe and
used it as a saddle, filled a sack with dried
meat, and struck for the settlements,
which l reached toward the last of the
month. sold my horse and buffalo robe,
aud collected three months pay that was
due me at the time was captured; and
now, with Gods help, / shall keep out oil
the way of the Indians hereafter.