Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-04-28
LIFE AMONG THE SIOUX.
The Romantic Career or a White
Captive.


novelist would select for the hero, but
q man bearing it now in Chicago, is he
rolc enough to be the skeleton of
most entertaining frontier romance.
Mr.. Beck is fifty-seven years of age, sun
Drowned and considerably shattered in
health, but he is intelligent, and his sto-
ny is youched for in several letters he
carries from well known army officers,
who have had means of determining It's
truth.
From 1867 to 1870 the subject of this
article was soldier in the regular army
and when mustered out was private
i'll company Z. of the ninth infantry
the regiment now stationed at Fort
Omaha. Retiring from the service, he
settled in Chicago, where he worked at
his trade, being a shoemaker. Bust
ness was good, and himself and three
other workmen had all they could at
tend to; but his years of army life, du-
ring which his regiment had been fire.
quently transferred from one fort to
another on the frontier, had rendered
him unfit for the unexciting race of
cobbler, and In 1875 he sold his bust
ness, determining to seek fortune in
the west.
The gold discoveries in the Black
Hills about this time began to excite
public interest, and Mr.. Beck was
among the number who caught the
mining fever.
He packed up his household goods,
and with his wife, two daughters, and
son of y years, he left Chicago, March
10, 1915, and landed in due time at
Cheyenne. Here he joined the com
pany of General Carpenter, of Sedalia,
Mo-, who led twenty-five families into
the hills. They had wagons, camping
outfit and provisions for six months.
Just about this time the president issued
his order to the army commanding the
arrest Of all persons who should attempt
to cross the line into the Sioux reser-
walton, which included what is now the
prosperous Black Hills gold mining
region. However, this party was not
detected by the troops, and they reach
ed Deadwood Gulch ia safety, and part
of them went TO work developing the
st. John Mine. Beck was of this num-
Der, and he erected log cabin about
three quarters of a mile from the Dig
gings, which himself and family called
their home.
All went well with the daring miners
until July 1S,when they were surround
ed by Sitting Bulls band of Sioux and
were made prisoners.
Beck was separated from his family,
and has never seen or heard of them
since. He was taken with several men
of the company to the Indian village of
Rosebud, then consisting of four hun
dred lodges, and expected to be the vic
tim Of an extra scalp dance.
The Indians, however, offered the
white men their choice between death
and becoming members: Of the tribe
Death is not often the choice of the eau
casian, and Beck formed no exception.
He dotted his mining garb and assumed
the blanket, paint and feathers of
Sioux brave. He was given a young
Cheyenne squaw, about eighteen years
of age for his wife, and soon became
to all appearances a thoroughgoing
Indian.
Moneka was the name of his dusky |
sweetheart and bride "Moneka," in |
the Sioux tongue is translated my |
love" She had been made captive by |
this band when but eleven years of age, |
and Beck became strongly attached to |
her. He soon learned the language of
the Sioux, and adapted himself to the |
surroundings. Five weeks after his |
capture he was an unwilling participant |
in the massacre on the Little Big Horn.
He followed the fates of his captors |
through all the weary months which |
followed while the war continued, and I
at last with them crossed the boundary |
into the British possessions.
His story of he sufferings Of the red |
braves and their wretched families Ia |
that wintry cline are enough to excite
the hearers compassion. Their cloth
ing worn out, their game supply scant, |
and the deep snow and severe cold were |
bravely borne, and they struggled along,
keeping body and soul together as long
as their pride could endure. but finally
were forced to surrender.
Beck and the other captives returned |
to civilization with their red comrades
at Standing Rock agency, but so bronz-
ed with exposure that it was with diff
Guilty they could establish their identity /
as white men.
Mr.. Beck said he could have escaped
almost any time since they crossed the
border, but his attachment to the gen.
tie Moneka had grown upon him and
been cemented by the birth of two pa
posses, and he could not consent to
leave them in exile.
After the surrender he Joined wag-
on train en- route to Fort Laramie, and,
with Indian wife and babes, went to that
post, where he left them and started |
east to Chicago. He is now striving to
find his white wife and children, or
learn their fate.