The New York herald., 1878-11-03
THE VALLEY OF VENGEANCE.
Settlers Murdered, Houses Burned and
Stock Slaughtered.
OUTRAGES WORSE THAN DEATH.
Conduct OF the Troops Se-
verely Censured.


Is sale to presume not ten OF the READERS
Of tho HERALD knew where these streams were
located The two streams are al the scsne OF tho
massacre, little more than brooks rising In the ex-
tremely western portion Of Kansas and flowing north
east into the Republican River II is region remote
from the highways OF travel and has hitherto been
but little known except among cattle men AZ good
grazing range. 1t 10 only accessible by seventy
mile ride the prairie from Buffalo station on
the Kansas Pacific Railroad or by still longer ride up
tho Solomon or Saline valley and thence across the
great watershed OF Kansas and Colorado. Tho former
trip has just been made by your correspondent,
who is, therefore, In position TO testify 10 the
tedium and fatigue OF such journey across the great
PLAINS. Some years since Lieutenant Henley sur
prised band of sixty Northern Choyennss at the
head of Sappa Greek, and so thorough was the amb-
tious young officer that very few escaped 20 toll the
tate OF their comrades Some did escape, however,
and since that time the Sappa Valley has been set
down as object OF the vengeance Of the punished
tribe The first stroke Of that vengeance has iallsn
and fallen heavily that It will be many years be-
fore its effects Will to be felt The valley has
now been settled about hve years and has from ffty
sixty families scattered along IT'S banks for dis
OF forty miles from It's head TO its mouth Tho
Beaver Valley Is so hned with sctters ana but Tor
the spring would have seen at least
two hundred families settle IN the two valleys.
But the destruction of property and loss Of life will
prove serious baekset TO the community, which was
lust emerging tho nrst struggle for existence In
u country
THE FIRST DEGRADATION.
Tho Indians alter crossing Kansas Pasinc Rail.
road followed lhe great Ogaliaa cattle trail TO the
north FORK OF the Solomon. Al the crossing oi this
strearn was located Sheridan Post Offce rude log
hut owned and occupied by ME- Bayles, who supple
mented his income from prod uets Of hts farm by
the pitlance OF a crossroads postmaster This point
was reached tho afternoon of Septenber 20. Mr..
Bayles them coming over the divide and speedily
placed himself and lamiIy In position Of somparA.
tive safety When savages arrived and found tho
ranch deserted they took tho only means Of ven-
geanee possible and gutted the house. The squaws
ripped open the feather BEDS ano appropriatng the
ticks, scattered the feathers 10 the WINDS Every.
thing movable including blankets and clothing, was
speedily transferred to the pack animals and every
thing br eakable was converted into atoms While
the women thus employed the men were en-
gagged killing the cattle aud hogs, cutting on huge
slices tho still quiveriug flesh and leaving the rest
TOR The coyotes. Having completed the WORK Of de-.
struction they moved about mile down tho creek,
LsathermaLs ranch, which they dcvastated IN ike
manner. Mr. Leatherman also mad warning Of their
approach and escaped.
Before they left Leatherman'stwo young mon, John
Young and Charles Leonard, who had been hunting
land caims drove up tho ranch. with the intention
Of stopping over night As they approached they
were net by party oi Indians, who opened nro upon
them Young was mortaly wouadsd. but Leonard
succeeded getting away By driving over the divide
tow ard tho ssItlcm Prairis Dog Greek, trib
utay the Sappa and about ten miiss IRON Leather
mans.
these young men warned the settlers, so that when
the Indians the Prairie Dog they found the
cabins deserted aud contentcd themselves with gus
ting two or three ranches tho owners OF whcn had
mi
ton OF their properly from thcr hiding places IN the
brusn From Prairie Dog 10 the Sappa s nleen milcs
ana q. seven o. clock on Inc mornlas Of september 80
| tns savages the latter creek. The settlers
been warned and wore pursuing their CUSTOM
| MAssAcRE AT A FARx
| The nrst attack mado npon James g. Smith,
his son and Jobn Hudson, who were loading hay IN
| Smilh.s meadow Attempting 10 seize the horses,
! tho elder Smith rsssted and was shot seven times
/ with arrowa SUI ngnting win his only Weapons
rake-he was shot ~ ics with needle gun receiving
wOu nds from winch hO diea thrty-eignt hours later
Their yoils frightened Hudsons mules, and while
running to eaten tnem he was shot dead Young
4 Smh ran, follow ed bv mounted Indian, who nred
seven shots him from Winchester rife until In
very desperation inc young man turned on mrs assai-
| ant with pitchiork, wnen, nrihg last shot. the
Indian 1cd, leaving smith 10 conceal himself In the
brush :.
| The Indians then proceeded - tho cabin Of Mr.
Cov,n. but that gentleman and mis- vile, armed With
/ a snolgun and rifle, resisted the assault until one
savsgc nad his broken with ball from Ccvin's
| revolver, when they retired.
HORRIBLE oUrRAess ON YOUNG LADIES'
From ColviL's they went TO the cattle trail, whsro
they met wlliam LANG, his youngest SOU, aged our-
teen, ana Two young ladies'. sistersons Of them Tho
aistrct school teacher They approached with signs
| of friendship, and W lilo the old man was shaking
bapds win one another sent ball through his BRAIN
Tne boy Was also shot and the young ladies' dragged
from tne wagon, stripped entirely naked and outraged
repeatedly. Tney were snen % sessd ny mounted
underbrusb, the ponies gong A. rot. until their
bodies were badly acerated then again outraged and
then released half dead with fright and the cruelty OF
| their captors
wilnin sight OF the attack upon Lains's wagon was
kieicr's ranch. An lrishman named Lynch was In
the cabin and as the lndans approached hc shut the
door ana waited or them with a needle gun. After
daDcng around the cabin Tor several minutes one In
| caul,ousiy exposed himself and received a bail
| through mo body. This satisnsd them and thcy
| OTHER ourxAeKs axD MuRpxRa
Tho column then took the road up tue south FORK
OF the sappa, cutting deserted ranches and killing
stock.
A milo above Kciier's thcy met John Lull ana
- Irwin In wagon, whom they killed, taking
| tnsr horses and cutting the harness to pieces
| Al wes,phalien's ranch they found Ferdinand
wcstphalien, hts wife and his son John, about got
ting into their wagon. Inc two men were killed aud
MrA wcstphailen outraged and shot with blunt ar
rows until she save up her money, $3.50
| short distance further on Moses Abernathv ana
| Marcellus Felt we're Killed IN wagon they wore
| ariving along tho roaJ.
Hall a mlle beyond Abernashy was K. p. Humphrey
and mis- son John. also IN wagon. fne old gentle
man was killed, but Jonn escaped into the bushes
| with broken arm.
/ A one.lcgged nan named steadman was then met
aud also escaped with broken arm, LEAVING four nns
horses IN possession Of tho savassa
Tho Indians then crossed over 10 the north ork OIL
| Sappa Creek, where they met Ed Miskeiy, cattle
BREEDER riding along the road. he was killed and mrs
| horse taken.
| HORRIBLE FATE or TWO CHILDREN.
They then struck the mouse oi Wlinam Lains, wnom
they mad killed IN the morning. Mrs. Lsinx was IN
| the house with her two eldest sons and her three
daughters, aged twolve, ten and six. The Two boys
were bu,chered before their mstner's eyes and tns
poor woman was neld ana compelled TO witncss tho
outrsglng oi her little girls 1he children were then
thrown on The bed ana covered with straw mattress
while their mother was beng outrsgsd The Indians
then set fire TO The bed with the intention o. burning
the children, but the hre caught some muslin tnckad
TO the fatsrs spread rapidly tina. they oecame
alarmed and lett the house, suffering Mrs Laipg 10
| rescue Der chidrsn and effect her escape.
Ibis completed their rsvages on tho Sappa. In zen
hours they had killed fourteen men ana lett twensl
families IN absolute destltu tion. They encamPco
Monday night three miles north Of the 5appa.
| HgRDgRs ATTACKED.
Tuesday morning tney attacked nero Of Iexas
cattle on the way 10 the Beaver Three Of the herd
ers were we'll armed aud rspciied the attack, bu,