Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-02

very pale, and that her hands trembled
but she kept the Spencer going. Lying
among the rocks, nearly a mile away,
and with an Indian rifle popping at me
every second, [ heard that carbine
above all the din. My post couldn't
stand an Indian attack, and / knew it
as there were too many windows and
doors to defend. The house and store
room were connected by a door
way, but there We're no loop holes at the
end Of the store-roOm, and the Indians
could gather there and be safe. 1t was
about S o'clock in the morning when |
took to the bluffs, and when noon came
[ could still hear that carbine going. I
was wondering all the time why the dew
lis didn't set fire to the post, but they
had other plans. | had three kegs of
powder, lots of lead, two barrels of flour,
twenty pair of blankets, fifty powder
horns and various other goods in there,
and they wanted them. They several
times called upon my wife to surrender,
but she kept up the fire and encouraged
the children. About l o'clock all the
Indians surrounding me, except about
half dozen, drew off and Joined those
around the post. [ was in a safe place,
and yet it was a bad place They
couldn't reach me with their bullets,
and yet they had positions from which
they could have killed me had [ stood
up or moved six feet to right or left
The excitement kept pain away for an
hour, but after that / was pretty badly
used up, having not drop of water to
wash my wounds or quench my thirst.
about o'clock" he went on, after
short rest, call firing ceased, and |
believed that the post had been captur-
ed Half crazy with anxiety and dis
but the bullets came so fast that | was
frightened under cover again. Few men
ever put in such an afternoon as [ did
there. Pain and thirst were terrible
enough, to say nothing of my mental
distress. / hadn't the least hope of get
ting out alive, and along towards night
[ got reckless as to consequences. [
should have made dash for the river,
which was in plain sight and not over
half mile away, and was just on the
point of rising up when yells and shots
from my cabin held me back. For
about five minutes there was lively
roar of firearms, and above all other
noises [ could hear that carbine going
boom! boom! boom! The Indians who
had been left to watch me now opened
fire and began yelling, and it wasn't long
before [ suspected the truth You see,
as / suspected, and as the boy after
wards related, the murderous devils
found they couldn't capture the post by
assaults on the doors. That brave little
oh
too much for forty or fifty Indians.
After losing nine or ten killed and over
a dozen wounded, the reds collected at
the west end of the stOre-room, out of
range, and went to work to tear out the
logs. They were three or four hours
getting things ready, but when the time
came nearly all the end of the building
went down at once. My wife and chill
dren were ready for 'em. They defend
ed the doorway for full fifteen minutes,
or until all but this boy were shot dead.
When the Indians finally swarmed in
he was the only one left to wreak ven
geance on. They tomahawked him,
started to scalp him, and he was the
same as dead for hours. He is sure the
others were dead before the Indians got
through the door, and praise god for
that consolation, while it nearly drives
me crazy to think of it"
There was a period of silence, the boy
weeping bitterly, and then Greer braced
himself anew and continued?
"And what did [ do? God forgive
me but | couldn't do anything! Twas
wild with excitement, and while | was
trying to plan something the reds made
a dash at me. They poured down at
me as if there was no end to the num-
Der. They were right on me the first l
knew, shooting, stabbing and striking at
me with their guns. | got this rap on
the head then, and also this bullet III
the shoulder, but they didn't finish me-
thought 'em, but how long don't know,
for | was crazy. [ remember of them
lodging around me, of striking at them,
and of feeling the rage and strength of
a wounded lion. 1t was long after dark
before cooled down and knew my sit
uation. Twas then carrying this boy in
my arms to the river. Where / found
him | don't know. After plundering
my post the Indians set fire to it. This
child must have crept out and hid in
the bushes, while the bodies of the dead
were burned He says he was con-
scious when | crept upon him, and that
when he begged for water | took him in
my arms and started for the river.
Well, wounded as was, [ felt better in
the cool night air. | wanted to save the
boy, and that helped nerve me up. The
cool water eased our hearts and re-
freshed us, and between 10 o'clock that
night and daylight next morning |
walked twenty-five miles, carrying the
boy half the time. You wonder that
we are not dead, but it wasn't to be.
The boy has been pretty tenderly treat
ed but haven't fooled with the doctors
much. They dug out some of the lead,
bandaged me up, and I'll soon be all
right again. I'm going to take Charlie
to Vermont, and then I'll so back to
Idaho and kill Indians as long as live.
I've made vow-Tve sworn by all
that's good and sacred-that I'll enter
into no other business and have no other
plans but to kill Indians whenever and
wherever | can find them I'll shoot
down old and young I'll keep right
on killing through war and peace p
He was asked if he had read Generals
Mcdowell and Towards dispatches, and
he excitedly exclaimed:
q have, curse 'em! They are max
ing a great blow and brag, while scores
of settlers are besieged or have already
been murdered. The Government was
informed months ago that everything
pointed to a war, but it slept on and
left us to meet it when it came. When
these generals telegraph that only few
settlers have been butchered they lie,
sir,-they deliberately and wickedly lie