The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-03-25
THE SMOKY HILL MASSACRE.

Heart-rending Story Of the suferings of
| the eermain Sisters During Their In
oiau Captfvfty-The Story OF the Mas
saere as Related by the Survivors.
The Kansas City Times having sent
] reporter TO the Cheyenne Agency 70
| gather Information Regarding the captivity
of the unfortunate Germain Sisters, who
were recently surren dered by Stone GALE
we coRdense the following from the re-
| port ia the 9l;'ses of the 18th. After de-
| failing the incidents of the formal surren-
says:
The next moruins, Monday, March s,
! General N,ii escorted the reporter about
/ The greanls. showing him where the In
/ dia.is lived. and giving him a variety OF
/ interesting information. In~answer TO a
question by the reporter as to the manner
/ Of the surrender of the Cheyennes, the
/ General replied:
"On the l9ih day Of February we were
| surprised to receive visit from Stone
! Calf, who came in 10 make surrender of
the entire band of Cheyennes who have
/ been avoiding the, troops so long"
What did he say about the German
girlsg" ... TIt
Very little; only that they were alive
+ and well, and would be turned over with
the rest. / Immediately ordered out an am
/ bulance, and instructed Romeo-the cele-
/ bTatsd scout who has been made famousin
| Gen. CuStar's My Life on the Plains Ito
/ go with it to meet the Indians who We're
coming in. After three days drive the
ambulance met The Cheyennes. Stone
| Calf had accompanied them, and lie forced
4 the Indians todeliyer up the captive girls,
some of the tribe objecting. As the ann
! bulance was driven away, the Indians rode
alongside and threw into the vehicle forty
two splendid bufIala robes, which they
doubtless gave to atone for their trear-
ment of the girls Arriving here selit the
| ambulance to the hONse OF Mr.. Miles.
whose wife received the rescued captives. -
i How were they dressed when they
came ID 70 asked the reporter .se fr -
" They had nothing on but an Indian
! blanket. Their faces and bodies down TO
! their waists were besnesred with paint,
and their appearance was heart-rendering
in the extreme.n arrrr -f---ra ..
" What will you do with them, now that
they are here" fss'sl
~ shall hold them until the Government
sends tor,them, or orders them sent else
where" l..---. 81. .-.-.-.-..
| The reporter then called on Mr.. Miles.
who escorted him to his house. where the
| girls We're. Mrs. Miles described E.r Pc
rHE CONDITION or TsE cApsiFEs
when brought 10 hee door by the ambu-
lance more PARTICULARLY than Gen. Neil Pc
She said: i was unprepared to see
such sight as was presented me when
poor Catherine alighJed. Her dark hair
was matted about her head, and her limbs,
| which were exposed as she walked to
wards us, she having nothing on but a
bla xxfaf.a ,ay,,a
weak and sickly condition showed that her
! poor system had suffered more than it
could bear. j took her in my arms and
kissed her, and we both shed tears. So
phia seemed to have Jared better and was
in stronger condition. Catherine seemed
! half craZed when she came IN, and her ac-
! counts were not altogether satisfactory
but she speedily recovered, and is now
rapidly assuming her former condition.
Going into the pleasant parlor of Mrs.
Miles, coy home, the reporter found him.
self IN the presence of the heroines eff this
chapter of real life. far stranger than fic-
ton. ss.
Miss Catherine shows traces of beauty.
and as she told her story her expressive
blue eyes were at times blind with tears.
She will be seventeen years old on the 10Th
of the present month, and is of ordinary
height, with regular features, mass of
! dark hair. and a face OF more than ortli-
nary intelligence. Her language shows
| that she is possessed of "a eommOn-sehOol
education, and in her manners sheis ex-
ceedihgly modest and retiring. She fully
realizes her terrible situation, but is not
dOwncast, seeming to think it more judi
ciOus and sensible to strive and forget her
awful experience. ..
Sophia is only ii years old, but is well
developed and looks older than she really
is. Her eyes and hair are like her sisters,
She has been less cruelty dealt with. and
will soon be us well as ever. --..
/ Many heart will be shocked with the
account of poor Catharine's treatment
while in the power of these lecherous dew
lis that satiated their beastly desires by raw
iShing this helpless creature. She was not
| considered as the wife of any one chief. but
was carnally Known by nearly every de-
mon In the tribe. And this was the un-
/ fortunate girl that had been for nearly
nine months subject to such fieBdish treat
ment as thatl There she sat-nale, wan
! of face, sunken of eye. and heart-broken
in spirits. And outside in lazy Incidence
the vile wretches who had perpetrated
these outrages! Surely every one of them
should be made suffer the full extent OF
the law. She says she can identify every
one of the party that murdered her parents
and brothers and sisters, and the Govern
ment should not be slow in bringing
these e0pper-eOlored devils to Justice
! such as IS served out to white men.
Catherine told portion of the history
Of her family, showing that they were le-
spectacle people in moderate circumstan-
ces, and that the children had been reared
with all the care that loving parents could
/ give. They left MorgamtOwn, Fannin
County, Georgia, nearly five years age
and removed TO Howard County, Missouri,
where they remained until May, 1872.
Leaving there they emigrated to Merry
vile, Stone County, Missouri, living there
until September with an uncle by the
name Of Burton Brown. Johanna, one
of the sisters, being unhealthy, the father
decided to 90 to Kansas, hoping change
would be beneficial They then removed
TO Elgin, Howard County, Kansas, but
remained there only one year, when they
started for Colorado. The family consist
ed of the following, aged as given below
Father and mOther-,JOhn German and
Lydia G. German. Rebecca, 81; Stephen,
10; Johanna, 10; Gathering, Il; Sophia,
| II; Julia,7s and Nancy, .. This mas the
party that started on.
THE FATAL JOURNEY
to Colorado. They had an ordinary Gov
: cred wagon, some provisions and an OK
team. When they arrived at Smoky HnI
River, about II miles south of the track
. of the Kansas Pacific, and within 80 miles
OF Fit. Wallace, they encamped. They
spent the night there, and on the morning
of Friday, September IL, 1874, were NJ
early and preparing to resume their jour
ney.
: From this point forward it will be more
interesting to hear the story from Gather
ines own lips. Being introduced TO The
girls, the reporter politely asked of then
the particulars of the attack on them q
Smoky Hill and the murder Of their fam
: ily. Catherine spoke as follows, the Ian
guage being hers, with few changes:
| CATHERINE GERMANS ACCOUNT OF TIL
: 81 rtt MASSACRE. tt+tE 81
| hi