The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-05-25
THRILLING ADvRNruRE.
RrMarkAbic Escape from Party u they.
etncs.


ennes.
On the 9th of April Inst train left
Camp Rene, Wyo. Ter. for Fort Fettcr.
man for grain. They cncainl,cd ut tl,e
Dry Turks of Powder river the first night
nut. several citizen. who Ind been work.
ing ut lscno, nna who hn.l been Ills.
charged. accompanying the train. I've
of tl,cse men were ON their why 10 pen.l.
wotsl. crnok's trnil RIMS Ia III tllc forks,
anl the next morning they left the train
IN the Fettcrmnn rnad. They started
for Den.lwN,M on the trail vim Pumpkin
bnttes. lnynn karn, soldier oI
the Nintll Infantry, accompanying them
lia having LIFT the trnin without author.
ity. On tho second .lay ont. about ION,
miles northeast NJ tho bnttr.. III, ~ were
tired upon by ambnsh.sl Indians. II.
uHe the survivors, words "l'Ile first
knew waS likenn explosion. crack. crack
Smith md ] were walking side l,y ai,lc,
and oll man Rand VIVA leading tl,r
packed animal. Smith wns killed III.
Htantly, the shut striking him Ia tl,c lnark
III the l,cnl, eeming mt II iis forehead,
The oll MAJ, wn4 alot III tho lett lnng,
and, wonderful ~ aay, the shot struck
my gln Just back of tic hen.l, glanced
lown tho mmrnl, struck the trigger
guar.t, and entered my shoulder. iniiict
ing u painful wound Az Hpon ~ could
renlize my position, immediately fell
fiat down and loa,lcL my gnn. unfortu.
natrly for the old man, l,c wns In M ~.
poscd position, nn,l, bcinR severely
wounded, could not crawl IL tl,e buffalo
wnllow. which, fortunately, was only Il
few feet - the left. Wl.rn the Indians
first Are,l they wen only about 20O ynrl,
from IN, Az SOON m Tho old glnii ha,l
been killed the firing ceased. md, think.
ing TINT they were trying ~ surround
n,e, ran alnut forty feet further 10 i
rnvine. wllicl, .nbsc,l lnently proved 10 ls
the only possible safc place ior me. The
sun WINS now nearly down, aud wnr
very fnint from loss of bl0sl, when,
provi.lcntinlly looking around, near IN,
fcct was some snow watcr. from which
rrfreKlled myself. Az .tpn IN the sun
hal gone down 1 made all preparations
Tor my escape, Int something told me
lla.t better slay. About h n'clMk thai
evening snw two iircs about iuO yard,
Oh the knoll from mr, and twelve ln,li
ans came down 10 where tl,e b.slies were
carrying the tircs. which srrmcl IL Ii
cOnpD~csluf some rsino.s matter. The,
all carried their guns with them. mn
werc On loot. On coming ~ the lsslics
they ss't their llrcs down. anil proceeded
10 scalp and horribly mnlilatc the l,nlicr
II my companions. All this time WIN
only tiftccn feet from them. could
have killed two u them .grily, Int
knew TINT would ln sure ,lratli ID me, III
they would have held council nn.l
starved me out. After cutting anil hMk
Ing tho balicH ior alout MI hour thr,
retirssl behind the knoll. now lcgai
10 f.sl very cold nnd weak. l,a4l ii.
cont Oli, nnd only Government shirt ui,
and was nftnid would catch cold III
my wound. began to consider whnt
had better ID. | had iIfty miles ~ walk
10 the fort, The nearest place u civilixu.
tiOn, with nothing IN cnt AMI n painful
wound. l concluded, finally, ID stay tilI
early slnybrAk, and then tO TAKE my
chanecs. accordingly waited I'LL about
hnlf f-l,ast I, when cixwlcd out u ths
holc that ! hasl made. and cautiously, ou
hands and knees. wcnt 10 Tho brow u
ti,c hill. To my Intense delight NAN
Tho Indians about q quarter u mile
away, going In thu direction u the
feL Cloud agency. tllcn went hAck |.
thu dcad men, and nav smcl, siglt III
almost caused me tu faint with horror,
They Ind hccn mntilat4sl III the mu.i
horrible manner, nlld NnllAsl on lntl
ai.lcs oi the hcad"