Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-08-17
A Black Hills Romance
fI.nllsne &c TIL


A Black Hills Romance.
lKansns city Tirnesl
Old Jimmy Ramon is the hero OF
a romance. A real, complete, nat
ural romance, one that has never
been in print. The old man loves
to tell it, and the main details have
been fully corroborated by others.
His romance is as follows: A few
years ago Jimmy was lettering about
Fort Laramie, receiving his 50 per
day as government scout and inter
prefer. One evening the post was
startled by the report that an emf
grant train had been massacred
about two miles and half from the
fort. Worse than all white woman,
Miss Mary Brand, had been car
ried off by tho Sioux. Ramon vol
unteercd as guide for a company Of
cavalry. At dark the cavalry halted
for the night in rayine about ten
miles northwest of Fort Laramie, on
the Rawhide trail. All the white
men In the train on the Platte had
been massacrcd, and no one had been
left to tell the story except an Irish
man, who died, soon after being
found. lie had been fishing with
Miss Brand, some distance from the
main camp, when the Indian attack
was made. From him Ramon
learned enough to satisfy him that
the Sioux had gone over to Rawhide
River. There he resolved to go
alone and ahead Of the soldiers, and
If possible effect rescue. He
reached the Indian camp about
midnight and secured his pony to q
bush in the valley, and soon after
ward crawled into the Indian camp.
His long residence with the Indians
taught him where to look for the
captive. He was soon lying fiat on
his belly in the rear Of the lodge con-
tanning Miss Brand. He found one
old sguaw sitting in front Of the
lodge, humming doIeful dirge, and
on raising the edge Of the tepee or
lodge he discovered
ANOTHER OLD HAG
seated near small fire feeding q
feeble flame with straws. He also
saw the captive white woman lying
with her head to the outside OF the
tepee less than two feet away. He
whispered words Of caution and
cheer TO Miss Brand, who started up
In alarm. This startled both Of the
squaws. and the one on the outside
walked round 70 the rear of the
lodge, where she met sudden, q ST.
lent death at the hands of the old
scout. The other squaw suspecting
something wrong, gave the alarm.
Quick as flash Kannon raised up
the edge Of the lodge and drew out
the captive, and throwing her upon
his shoulders made a dash out into
the darkness. The camp was soon
in an uproar. But Ramon made
his escape with his horse, although
an arrow pierced his body through.
He took course eastward down the
Rawhide, while tho Indians started
toward Fort Laramie, which was due
southwark from their camp. Find
ing himself getting weaker from loss
Of blood, Ramon drew forth the ar
row which had passed through his
body and projected out in front, and
filed his. buckskin shirt around the
wounds with wet mud, and then con-
tinued his flight. At daylight he
found himself on the head Of Dry
Cottonwood Creek, twelve miles
from Laramie. But tho Indians
were between him and the fort. lie
kept out Of sight, and saw them
meet and engage the soldiers he had
left the night before, and made his
way half dead to Fort Laramie
without being discovered by the In
dians.
THE SEQUEL.
The result Is soon told. Kannon
was taken into tho post hospital and
his nurse was Miss Brand, tho res
cued white woman. She stood by
the side of the prisoner until he re-
covered, and being without friends
or home, all having been taken from
her In the massacre, she married tho
old scout. Mrs. Kannon lives in
Keytesville, station on tho North
Missouri Railroad, where she waits
longingly for this cruel war to end.
Jimmy Ramon Is now with General
Crook, and Is one of his most trusted
scouts. He is the last survivor of
the massacre OF the Alamo, where |
his parents were killed. His early |
life, up to the time he reached the
age of manhood, was spent with the |
Comanches, who, with General Santa
Anna, massacred Davy Crockett and |
his brave band Mt San Antonio.
-
An Enc idcnt Of Cusrerss Career.