Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-07

FOsity from Ihe Far NOrI6West.
a correspondent writing from
Fort Walsh, British Northwest
Territories, says:
Major Walsh has just returned
from the Milk river with a Chris
tianized Nez Perce woman, whose
history for the past two months is
one of horrible suffering. She was
one of a lodge-party of nine-fve
men, two women and two children
who escaped from Chief Joseph's
camp on the eve of the battle with
General Miles at the Bears Paw.
They fled by night in northwest
erly direction, and after hard
journey reached a camp of ASSini-
BONES thirty miles south of the
line on Milk river. The Assini-
BONES, who since the memory Of
man have been at enmity with the
Nez PerceS, received them kindly,
to the astonishment of the fugi-
tives, and gave them meat and
clothing. The following morning,
however, the Assiniboines took their
guns from the Nez Perce warriors
and told them to go north into
Canada, and that they would keep
the women and children. The five
men accordingly started north.
One of them was the husband and
another the uncle of the woman
whom Major Walsh has rescued.
An hour after they had left the
camp a body Of AssiniboineS rode
after them, overlook them on the
banks of LeSapine creek and
murdered them, bringing their
bodies back. One OF the Nez
Perce papooses was then killed,
but the other was at the point of
death and the savages spared it.
The five dead bodies were thrust
into the lodge with the two women,
and they remained there for three
days. A number of Gros Ventres
in a camp hard by heard of the
butchery of the warriors, and visit
ed the Assiniboines, thinking that
struggling Gros Ventres were the
victims. Finding the Nez Perce
women there, the Gros Ventres de-
mauded them, and the Assiniboines
promised to deliver them in the
Gros Ventres camp in three days.
In those three days the women we're
repeatedly put to the torture, On
their way to the Gros Ventres'
camp, however, their guards got
drunk, and one of the women es-
capped, and it is reported that she
reached Benton. The Gros Ven
tres, fearing that the escaped wo-
man would give the alarm to the
American troops, ran the other
across the line and had her in q
camp half a mile within Canadian
territory, when a half-breed brought
word of the fact to the police at
this post. Major Walsh, with three
or four troopers, was on Milk river
at the time fitting up a block-house
for videttes, and, on word being sent
to him, he at once rode into the
Gros Ventres' camp and demanded
her release. The sayages at first
denied her presence, but after a
long search Walsh found her lying
bound in a lodge. The In
dians gathered about and told
Walsh she was not a Canadian
woman, and therefore he had no
business with her. For a time a
fight seemed inevitable, but Walsh
announced that he would take the
woman if he had to send for every
police garrison in the Northwest,
and after a parley she was surrer-
dered to him. Walsh started for
this fort with her in the night, fear
ing pursuit, and arrived all safe
yesterday. Major nges, command
ing at Fort Benton, was very anx-
ious to get'the woman as a witness
against the Assinibbines who killed
the five Nez Perces, and offered the
Gros Ventres two wagon-loads of
goods for her, but they refused to
trade. She is a very handsome
squaw, but the horrors Of her cap
tiyity have utterly broken her down.
The Assiniboines branded her on