Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-10


me had ] stood up or moved six feet right
or len. The excitement kept pain away
for an hour, but after that was pretty bad
ly used up, having not drop OF water 10
wash my wounds or quench my thirst
"About one o'clock" he went on, after
short rest, "all firing ceased and l believ-
ed the post had been captured. Half crazy
with anxiety and distress rose up, deter
mined TO dash out, but The bullets came so
fast that l was frightened under cover again.
Few men ever put in such an afternoon as
l did there. Pain and thirst were terrible
enough, 10 say nothing of my mental dis
tress. 1 hadn't the least hope of getting out
alive, and along toward night l got reckless
as to consequences. should have made a
dash for the river, which was in plain sight
and not over half a mile away, and was just
on the point of rising when yells and shots
from my cabin held me. For about Eve
minutes there was lively roar Of firearms,
and over all other noises i could hear that
carbine going boom boom boom The
Indians who had been left TO watch me now
opened fire and began yelling, and it wasn't
long before l suspected the truth. You see
as 1 suspected and as the boy afterwards re-
lated, the murderous devils found they
couldn't capture the post by assaults on the
doors. That brave little woman and poor
children were too much for forty or fifly
Indians. After losing nine or ten killed
and over dozen wounded, the reds collect
ed at the west end of the store-room, out OF
range, and went to work TO tear out the logs.
They were three or four hours gettin5
things ready, but when tho time came all
the end of the building went down at once.
My wife and children were ready for 'em.
They defended the doorway for full fileen
minutes, or until all but this boy was shot
dead. When the Indians finally swarmed
| in he was the only one left TO wreak ven
geance on. They tomahawked him, started
to scalp him, and he was the same as dead
| for hours. lie is sure the others were dead
before the Indians got through the door,
and praise God for that consolation, while
| it drives me crazy to think Of it,"
There was period of silence, the boy
weeping bitterly, and then Greer braced
himself anew aud continued:
"And what did do? God forgive me
but couldn't do anything2 1 was wild
with excitement, and while was trying 10
plan something the reds made dash at me.
| They poured down at me as If there were
no end TO the number. They were right on
me the first 1 knew, shooting stabbing and
striking al me with their guns. | got this
rap on the head then, and also this bullet in
the shoulder, but they didn't finish me. l
| fought 'em, but how long don't know, for
| was crazy. l remember of them lodging
around me, of striking at them, and of feel
ing the rage and strength of wounded
lion. 1t was long afer dark before cooled
dow and knew my situation. was then
carrying this boy in my arms 10 the river.
Where I found him don't know. After
plundering my post the Indians set fire to
1t. This child must have crept out and hid
in the bushes, while the bodies Of the dead
| were burned. He says be was conscious
when crept upon him, and that when he
begged for water took him in my arms
and started for the river. Well, wounded
as was felt better in the cool night air
l wanted 10 save the boy, and that helped
me nerve up. The cool water eased ouI
hurts and refreshed us, and between II
o'clock and daylight next morning walk
ed twenty-five miles, carrying the boy hal
the time. You wonder that we are moi
dead, but it wasn't 10 be. The boy has beer
pretty tenderly treated, but haven't fool
ed with the doctors much. They dug ou
some of the lead, bandaged me up, and III
soon he all right again. I'm going TO take
Charlie 10 Vermont and then I'll go back
| II 4 linz
I've made a vow-rve sworn by all that:
good and sacred-that I'll enter into no 9th
err business and have no other plans but tC
kill Indians whenever and wherever car
find them I'll shoot down old and young
I'll keep on killing through war ant
peace y
He was asked If he had read General,
Mcdowell and Towards official despatch
es, and he excitedly exclaimed:
81 have, curse 'em They are making
great blow and brag, while scores of settler
are besieged or have already been murder
ed. The government was informed months
ago that everything pointed 10 war, but i
slept on and left us 10 meet 1t when 1t came
When these generals telegraph that only
few settlers have been butchered they lie
Dozeus and dozens of pioneer families, sit
uated as mine was, have been wiped off tn
face of the earth, and the red 6ends are still
at it. Folks said the boy and l would d
if we didn't 60 10 bed for six months, but
wouldn't wait day. We've travelled ly
ing down, sitting up, standing and ever.
other way, but we both feel better thai
when we started. l will go back ! I'll stal
and shoot and destroy till death takes me
I'll be a shadow to strike terror into tn
heart of every Indian in the territory, AM
I'll be a tiger which shall quench its thirs
with nothing but blood r.
So said the man over and over, and h
will keep his word.