Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-01
DAVID GREER'S SAD STORY.
Fighting Tor Ten Hours in Vain to Save
Wife and Little Children.
Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer

and his son Charles, bOv of ten
reached this city two or three days ago,
intending to remain here for a week or
SO among relatives, and then proceed
to Bennington, VT, where Mr.. Greer
has two sisters and other relatives.
Both father and son are in a 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 ritie-bulietin his should
er, a bullet-wound in the leg, a stab in
the cheek, and bad wound on the
head where an Indian dubbed him
with rifle.
Up to a few weeks since Mr.. Greer
was citizen of Idaho, having cabin
on the Cottonwood River, near its
mouth, and just where the hostile Indi-
ans put IN their most savage work.
He had 81 wife and three children, and
the boy Charles is the only member of
the family now left to HIM The pion-
Ger 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:
q haven't felt safe for an hour for
the last five years. it was like standing
beside a boiler which you knew would
sooner or later explode. While there
had been no open rupture until this
came, the redskins picked off a 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 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?.
1--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 $4,000, 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 EN-, Civ
en- 'em credit, and made 'em presents
and treated every mothers son of the
gang like a brother. These wounds
here are proof of an Indians gratitude,
-d-n EN- !"
When asked to detail the particulars
of the first outbreak, Mr.. Greer said
"Wel1, | was ready, and yet [ wasn't.
The reds had been skulking around for
a week, and every one entering the
store wanted ammunition and nothing
IL T Id
we'll as [ could, knowing that [ 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 a 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 I
took with me Henry rifle and another
revolver. was in hurry, having my
mind made up that there would be
trouble before night. Having a good
horse under me I 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 half
way home when | heard shots and yells
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 half
mile heard the Spencer carbine
growing away, and I knew that my
wife had not been taken by surprise"
"Weu, 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 and
windows secured and was firing from
the loop-holes / saw two dead Indi-
ans on the ground as [ dashed up,
while a 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 and
struck at every second. [ don't think
my wife recognized my voice, as all of
us were yelling at once, and when [
found that she wouldn't open the door
| made for the bluff half mile away,
followed by over half the gang, some
on foot and some ON horseback. While
riding around the post l got this stab in
the cheek, but didn't even feel it for a
quarter of an hour. While galloping
for cover the brutes put a bullet into
my leg here, but [ didn't know it till [
was running over the rocks to find a
sheltered place. | dropped among
some boulders after bit, and it wasn't
over minute till | knocked over two OF
them. That cooled the pursuit, but
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:
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 q
log and were going to batter their way in
when she killed the two l saw as l rode
up. They then surrounded the build
ing, and the battle opened. There
WASN'T q better wife and mother in this