Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-02
DAVID GREER'S SAD STORY.
Fighting for Ten Hours i'm Vain to Save
Wife and Little Children.
Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer

Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer.
JACKSON, Micn., July 16.-David P.
Greer, man about forty-five years old,
and his son Charles, a boy of ten,
reached this city two or three days ago,
intending to remain here for a week or
SO among relatives, and then proceed
bloomington, VT, where Mr. Greer
mas two sisters and other relatives.
Both father and son are in weak and
nervous condition; and the reader will
not wonder when it is stated that the
boy is partially scalped and has tom
ahawk wound in the shoulder, while
the father has rifle-bullet in his should
or, a bullet-wound in the leg, Il stab in
the cheek, and a bad wound on the
head where. an Indian dubbed him
with a rifle.
Up to a few weeks since Mr.. Greer
was citizen of Idaho, having a cabin
on the Cottonwood River, near It's
mouth, and just where the hostile Indi-
ans put in their most savage work
He had a wife and three children, and
the boy Charles is the only member OF
the family now left to him. The piOn-
eer says he was comfortably situated
having all the necessaries of life and
saving up something. He had a sort
of trading post connected with his
cabin, and was well patrOnized by Indi-
ans and hunters. When asked what
caused the sudden outbreak he replied:
| haven't felt safe for an hour for
the last five years; it was like standing
beside boiler which you knew would
sooner or later explode. While there
had been no open rupture until this
came, the redskins picked off white
man whenever they could safely do it.
They were always boasting of what
they would some day do, and the long
er peace lasted the more they seemed
to be spelling for Il row. A few old
heads among the tribes were against
war, and their cOunsels have put it off
until now"
Then you knew the war was brew
ing?"
We all knew it, sir; but all we could
do was for each man to look out for
himself | had real estate and live
stock worth 5000, and | didn't want to
jump the country unless forced to.
And [ was fool enough to believe that
the redskins would pass me by if they
killed all the rest; for I've fed 'em, Civ
Ell 'em credit, and made 'em presents
and treated every mothers son of the
gang like brother. These wounds
here are proof of an Indians gratitude,
d-n 'em /"
When asked to detail the particulars
of the first outbreak, Mr.. Greer said
Well, | was ready, and yet wasn't.
The reds had been sllulking around for
4 week, and every one entering the
store wanted ammunition and nothing
else. / had overhauled the houses rs
well as | could, knowing that I would
have to defend them until help came;
and one morning | didn't open the
store at all, but set out to bring in three
horses which were grazing about mile
down the river. | gave my wife orders
to keep all the doors fastened and not
to let any Indians in, no matter how
friendly they appeared. She had a
Spencer carbine and a revolver and |
took with me Henry rifle and another
revolver. | was in a hurry, having my
mind made up that there would be
trouble before night. Having good
horse under me L soon reached the
valley, but my horses were gone-run
off the day before by the Indians. ]
didn't wait around there long, as !
feared an ambush, and [ was about halt
way home when / heard shots and wells
and knew that my post had been at
tackled. The trail was along the river
and | couldn't see the cabins till close
on them. While | was riding That hall
mile | heard the Spencer carbine
growing away, and | knew that my
wife had not been taken by surprise ;
well, sir" he went on, his voice
trembling, there were at least forty
yelling devils around the place, and ]
rode right into the crowd before they
saw me. My wife had all the doors anC
windows secured and was firing from
the loop-holes. / saw two dead Indi
ans on the ground as l dashed up
while Il wounded one was crawling
away. My horse was perfectly wild
but, sir, | rode around the post at least
five times, popping at the Indians, cal
ling to my wife, and being shot at anC
struck at every second | don't think
my wife recognized my voice, as all O
us were yelling at once, and when
found that she wouldn't open the door
| made for the bluff half a mile away
followed by over half the gang, some
on foot and some on horseback. While
riding around the post l got this stab il
the cheek, but didn't even feel it for a
quarter of an hour While galloping
for cover the brutes put bullet into
my leg here, but | didn't know it till
was running over the rocks to find {
sheltered place. | dropped among
some boulders after bit, and it WASN'T
over minute till | knocked over two O
them. That cooled the pursuit, bu
they surrounded me, got secure posi-
tions, and was blockaded."
And your family"
At this question the little boy began
to cry, and the father could hardly con
troll his emotion as he answered:
g 1t was awful, sir. The boy here
says that the Indians appeared soon af
ter | left and asked for powder She
wouldn't open the doors, and they got 8
log and were going to batter their way IL
when she killed the two | saw as | rode
up. They then surrounded the build
ing, and the battle opened There
wasn't better wife and mother in this
world, sir, and never dreamed she hac
such pluck. When l think-when
think, sir, of how she must have looked
for me back, and how she wondered
what had become of me, and how de
spair crept into her heart, II wish
that | were dead. The other two chill
dren were girls, one aged twelve and the
other seven. The boy says that Mary
the Oldest, used the revolver from one
of the doors, while her mother defend
ed the other, and that little Clara car
rIpd p1rtrI6oaS To both Of +I,o,,,