The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-09-27
A THRILLING STORY.
Sufferings Of a Pleasure Party Attack
ed by Nez Perces.
How the Sign of the Cross Saved a Mans
Life.

f.. Correspondence of the New York Trlbune.l
Fort ELLIS, Mon, Aug. 2S.-The Nez
Perces having succeeded in escaping
Howard and definite information regard
ing their course being required, on the
23rd, Lieutenant G. B Schofeld, I'd Cav
airy, of this post, was sent on a scout up
the Yellowstone, with instructions to
ascend Mt. Washburn, from which to
view the country. With four soldiers,
and Anderson the scout, he performed
the service, and is now returned. Lieu
tenant SChofeld is brother of the Gem
eral, and young officer of exceptional
merit and competency. The country was
thoroughly examined, but no hostiles
were seen. After the arduous ascent and
the observations had been made, the par
ty returned to its camp when, at P. M.
two women and one man,in woful plight,
came in, reporting one of the most pitt
full stories of the seasons tale of horror.
The women, one Mrs. Cowan and the
other her sister, Miss Carpenter, were
mounted upon Indian ponies, while the
man, Mr. Carpenter (all of Radersburg,
M. T,), came afoot, They had been men,
bers of a pleasure party to the Geyser re.
gion, which had been captured by the
Nez PerCes on the Oath, and had had q
miraculous escape. They were just ma
king their camp when a small party of
Indians came in, soon to be followed by
a second, who told the whites they must
60 to JOseph's camp. This done, the saw
ages moved on, after awhile mounting
themselves on the horses of the excur-
sionists,to whom they gave the use of
their ponies. The second day. when in a
ravine, body ofsome sixty Indians sud-
denly surrounded the devoted party of
ten whites,w were with one exception,
close together, and began firing upon them
-one Oldham being killed, and the three
l have mentioned, and Mr.. CoWan, es.
Gaping unhurt,and the remainder getting
into the timber or being killed; which. is
not yet known. But for the escaping four
an experience was reserved not often re-
corded, except as an episode of Indian
warfare; and may be briefly narrated as
follows:
After the skirmish the two men and
two women were carried along with the
Indians, the monotony of the day being
finally relieved by the shooting of Mr..
Cowan. He fell from his pony and being
caught in Mrs. Cowan's arms, was again
shot and his brains beaten out as she held
him in her arms. He was a lawyer at
Radersburg, and received his first shot
from a Nez Perce who had been wounded
in the head in the Gibbon fight. The Sec
ond shot was administered with revol-
yer by another wounded savage, and a
third completed the work by dashing out
his brains with rock, as his shrieking
wife was pulled off by crowd of Indians,
who thirsted for her blood. The poor
woman, hardly a year married, begged
the savage brutes to kill her outright, mot
supposing she would be spared a moment,
but no murderous attempt was made up
on her or her young sister. The brother,
F. Carpenter, was next singled out, and,
being taken off a short distance and or
dered to kneel, burly savage raised his
gun to tire,when the intended victim, be.
thinking him of the Roman Catholicism
of the Nez Perces, crossed himself. Az
the magic symbol was traced before the
Indian. who was to shoot him, he hesita
ted, dropped his gun, rose to his feet anC
told Carpenter to 60, as, after that, 81 car
no kill you," he said. A council of five
was then held, to decide the fate of the
three trembling prisoners,at which young
Carpenter was present, his sisters being
sheltered for the time, in the camp of the
chief, White Bird. The action of this
chief forms part of the romance of this
episode. From the beginning he seems
to have objected to dealing violently with
the prisoners, and advocated the release
of the entire party. He continued hi
kindly offices even after the attack upor
the unfortunate company, and the mur
der of Cowan. During the council thu
demand for the blood ofthe three prison
ers was loud and determined, one IndiaI
detailing with savage earnestness, the fac
that the whites had killed his squaw, hi
father, and his son, and appealing for thu
chance for revenge, he could not be ap
peased. The while young Carpenter sa
by, his life and that of his two sisters
hanging in the balance, and the argu
ments of the savage council proving O.
deadly interest to him, who, but an houl
before, had knelt down to die, leaving
his sisters to the mercy of the Indians.
While the council was sitting, youne
Carpenter, despairing of escape, and fear
ing for the lives and honor of his sisters
appealed to lit to sacrifice him AMI spare
them; asking if he were to be killed, that
they be sent in safety to the settle
ment. To this a warrior named Joseph
mot the chief, who had shown friendly
intentions from the beginning, Responded
that if possible the wish should be grant.
ed, and that he himself would perform
the service.
But they all escaped. The council oi
five voted three to two in favor of release
and life, and White Bird bore the news
of their escape to the camp, where the
trembling women awaited their fate. And
then White Rird, lately so cool and delib-
crate. became nervous and excited, fear
ing reconsideration by the council, or de.
fiance ofits conclusion by the bloods and
squaws. "You go quiCk-go by this trail
don't stop to camp or eat,or water your
ponies-don't go up the river-hurry to
| the Hot SnrinOa and inin vour naonle