The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-07-16
THE BIG CHIEF.

THE BIG CHIEF.
Our group of veterans were again gath
cred for q campfire talk and smoke,
when the ex-paymaster, having lit his
cigar, remarked "Boys, did you ever
hear of the Big Chief Sergeant Acker-
man?" It happened that none present
remembered to have heard of him.
''That's strange" said the ex-paymaster.
ST thought he was known all through
the army. But, after all, there were so
many men to be talked about those days
that q sergeant, though he was notable
person, might easily be lost in the crowd.
wouldn't be much surprised, for fact,
if half hundred or so of our generals
were forgotten by the time we get a good,
readable history of the war;" s'Nor I,
was the unanimous response. "Well,
let's support the government, said an
other, "and then, major, you tell us
ex-paymaster, ssand I'll take it sour this
time" The licensed sub-collector of in
ternal revenue supplied the party with
the beverages called for, made his collec-
ton and retired; when the ex-paymaster
relit his cigar and proceeded with his
story.
It was in the early days of the great
German immigration to this country
perhaps as late as 1850-that a party of
westward bound emigrant was journey
ing over the plains beyond Leavenworth.
In the party was German family named
Ackermann, the youngest of which was a
small boy just learning to talk freely
with his parents. The train was attacked
by Indians and every one killed except
this boy, Andrew Ackermann. Him the
Indians adopted, and he grew up among
them, trained to their ways and speaking
only their tongue. He was large of his
age and strong, and was enterprising and
bold, SO that ne was regarded by the In
dians as one of their most promising
young hunters and warriors, and had
considerable influence in his band.
In the spring of 1858 or '59, a large
body of these Indians were again in the
vicinity of the overland route, and Acker-
mann was one of party sent to ambush
an emigrant train their scouts had re-
ported to be on the road. The party ap
preached the emigrants' hating place at
night time, and was AVaiting for the
most favorable hour to make an attack,
in the morning when Ackermann, who
had approached quite near to the emil
grants, heard some of the early risers in
conversation. They were Germans, and
he, who had not heard q word of
his native language for nine years,
recognized it as the language of
his father and mother. He was,
except in the color of his skin, savage
in appearance as well as in training and
habits, but he knew that he came of a
white race, the speech of which was un-
like that of the few whites he had seen
during his life with the Indians. He
had not had a desire to seek out the peo-
pie from whom he came, OF thought till
now of leaving the Indians. But the
tones of these Germans voices, and the
few words he recognized with faint re-
membrance of their meaning, gave him
a shock which disturbed the savage
training and aroused the original nature
of the lad.
Here the exrpaymaster relit his cigar,
and, after few vigorous puff s of smoke,
every word he had to say was true.
Ackermann withdrew from the vicini-
ty of the emigrants' camp, and persua-
ded the Indians, who had waited in the
rear to hear his report, not to make the
attack contemplated. The train went on
in safety, and it was long after before
the emigrants learned of the danger
they passed and how they were saved
from it. Ackermann soon left the In
dams and made his way to Fort Leaven-
worth. He spoke the Indian tongue as
if he had been born to it, but knew no
English and only few words of Ger
man. There were those at the Fort,
though, who understood his Indian
tongue, and through them he made his
story known; and when he undertook to
pronounce the words of his childhood,
which he remembered he was recognized
as German. His hair had faded to
nearly white in the exposure of his In
dian life, while his skin was finely
Drowned by wind and sun; but when he
was washed clean, had his hair cut and
was dressed in white mems clothes, the
Indian manners soon dropped away from
him. OF course, there was nothing for
him to do but to enlist. He went into
Company E of the Second Artillery and
came under care of Sergeant John
Frerow.
s.Frerow," said the x-paymaster, med
itatively, striking another match and
again lighting his cigar, "Frerow was
killed at South Mountain. He took a
fancy to Ackermann and helped him to
learn to speak German and English and
to read and write. Company E was or
dered from Leavenworth to Augusta,
Ca, and when the war was about to
break out, in 1861, Capt. Elslow
brought the company, with guns
and colors, to Washington. Then
he resigned, went South, accepted
confederate commission, and was
killed in action. Company E had no
officers when the ex-paymaster came to
Washington with the California Hun
dred, /" and he was commissioned one of
it's lieutenants and SO became acquainted
with Ackermann, who was then splen-
did looking giant soldier, six feet four
inches in height and weighing nearly
two hundred and fifty pounds. He was
steady, obedient and well drilled, and
the new officers made him a sergeant.
Once afterwards he was reduced to the
ranks for having picked up pair of dis
orderly soldiers and disabled them for a
few days by knocking their heads to-
gether, but he was soon restored. He
was too good disciplinarian to be left a
private. It was Lieut.. Col. Benjamin,
now of the adjutant general department
then captain of Ackermann's company,
who restored him.
By this time Ackermann's story had
gone the rounds of the camp fires and he
was widely known as Andrew, the Big