The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-09-27
OUR STORY TELLER.
THE WIDOW MAJOR.GENERAL.

The man wasn't drunk, and he didn't
want to pick quarrel, but one would
have thought so as he made his way
into a group of seven or eight men sit
ting in front of a Bismarck hotel Just
after sundown, and called out:
"Is thar a man in this crowd says
that little Mrs. Weeks isn't the purtiest,
brayest, sweetest, incest, coolest widder
woman in American
The crowd looked up in surprise, but
no one answered.
$50 thar hain't nobody here as wants
to say anything agin little Mrs. Weeksp'
he continued "Wall, that's good and
all right, and I'll jog along and let the
doctor have another twist at this Injun |
bullet in my leg"
Little Mrs. Weeks had left Bismarck |
that day for Omaha, and dozen other |
people around the hotel knew her story. |
She was short of stature, had dark
brown eyes and wavy brown hair, and
weighed less than hundred pounds.
She had three flesh wounds, but none of
them severe, and she told her story in
that hesitating, half-frightened way
that evidence is given in court by
child. Her home is a few miles out
from Omaha, and her only child, son
ers of Deadwood. One day word came
to the widowed mother that her son was
slowly dying, and that she could be with
him in his last hours if she could reach
that city of shanties in the far-off Indian
country. She went. Alone and unpro-
tected, but yet cared for and respected
by all travellers, she one day rode into
Deadwood and found her dying boy.
The hope that she would come had kept
life in his body after death stood beside
him, and within few hours after her
arrival there was need of a coffin.
The route from Deadwood to Bis
marck, leading across Centennial Prairie,
past Black Point, DEVILS Woods, and
through Crook City was not traversed
by stages last fall, and none of the pres
ent ranches and posts had been located.
Wellguarded trains could make the
journey in safety, but the Indians at
tackled every squad and detachment,
and the trail could be followed by the
remnants of burned wagons and the
skeletons of the unfortunate gold seek
ers. Within week after her arrival at
Deadwood, Widow Weeks had a chance
to return to Bismarck with train COM
ing out. As at first made up, the train
consisted of ten wagons, thirty men, five
or six women and eight or ten children.
Owing to some misunderstanding the
train divided, and four teams started
off alone. This detachment numbered
five men, a boy sixteen years old, two
women and three children over eight
years old. The widows son had a
Henry rifle, revolver, watch and other
personal property, a part of which was
exchanged for a horse for Mrs. Weeks
TO ride to Bismarck. She was trained
in the use of firearms, and the sympa-
thizing miners made her as comfortable
as possible in the matter of saddle.
The first day and night passed away
without unusual incident; but at nine
o'clock on the morning of the second
day, as the party were hauling off the
prairie, band of Indians numbering
thirty-six came riding around Black
Point, mile or so away, and halted di
rectly in the path of the white men
The Indians could see at a glance thai
the train was small and its defender
few, while the white men where thrown
into the greatest CONSERVATION. On,
suggested retreat, another parley anC
a third was ready to cut his horses loos,
and gallop away. The little widow was
the only one in the band having tn,
coolness to comprehend the situation
and make a plan. Knowing that tn
Indians would soon attack, she ais,
realized that the few white men mus
have cover or they would be swept ava,
at the first attack. While the womel
and children were wailing, and the mel
calling to each other, she unfolded he
plan.
Three of the men were mounted, lik
herself, and the other two and the bo
- al, l.
the wagons, she ordered an advanc
straight upon the band of Indians, mean
ing to secure shelter for the wagons i
the broken and timbered ground at tn
point. The boldness of the plan was il
salvation. The awed and mystifed In
dians moved back slowly as the seve
advanced, and in a short time the littl
widow selected position for the wae
ons. They were driven to the left Q
the trail over the broken ground, an
to the crest of the highest knoll for hal
mile around. There were three O
four scrubby trees on the knoll; tn
soil was stiff clay, and in the cavit
of dip between that knoll and a smalle
one sixty feet away, was pond of waite
containing perhaps five barrels of slimy
ill-smelling liquid, collected there frol
the hillsides, but yet wet enough t
prevent thirst from destroying the part,
Three months ago an army officer stoo
on that knoll, marked its advantage
and said:
" could hold this place with one hun
dred men against whole division
veteransw
Even before the teams were unhitche
from the wagons, and while the seve
defenders faced the Indians, the wido
ordered the women and children to co
lect the water in every dish which woul
hold spoonful. The pond was nearl
drained and the wagons parked befol
the Indians made a move. One of tt
savages afterward told an agency India
that his band suspected trap, belle
ing that large force of white men hs
come up and secreted themselves IL
night before, and that the four wagol
had been sent out as decoy. Howeve
after circling around and following Il
wagon trail back toward Deadwood f
three or four miles, the Indians col
pretended the situation and made read
for an attack. The white men, with
single exception, showed the cowardi
of children, and would have surrender,
themselves without defense but for Il
widow while she watched the NOV
ments OF tAS Indians she set the rest
the party al <ork fortifying the kno
Inc SUN clay Was thrown up in Giro
inside the wagons until they had
breastwork two feet high and bull
proof, and into this the women. ch
dren, food, water, and ammunition we
collected. The men obeyed their femf
captain without hesitation, and VIII