Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-01-28
LIFE AMONG THE SIOUX.

Sebastian Beck IS name WHICH no
novelist would select for the hero, but
\ man bearing it is now in Chicago,
is heroic enough to be the skeleton of o
most entertaining frontier romance.
Mr.. Beck is fifty years of age,
sunbrowned and considerably shattered
in health, but he is intelligent, and his
story is vouched for in several letters,
he carries from we'll known army
officers who have had means OF
determining its truth.
From 1867 to 1870 the subject OF this
article was soldier in the regular army,
and when mustered cut was a private in
Company E.. 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 shoemaker. Business was
good, and, himself and three other
workmen had ell they could attend to
but his years of army life, during which
his regiment had been frequently trans
ferred from one fort to another on the
frontier, had rendered him uufit for the
unexciting life of cobbler, and in 1875
he sold his business, determining to seek
fortune in the West. The gold dis
coveries in the Black Hills about this
time began to excite public interest,
and MIR. Beck was among the number
who caught the mining fever.
He packed up his household goods,
and with his wife, two daughters and a
son of 10 years, he left Chicago March,
10, 1875, and landed in due time ut
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, command
ing the arrest of all persons who should
attempt to cross the line into the Sioux
reservation, which included what is now
the prosperous Black Hills gold mining
region. However, this party was not
detected by the troops, and they reached
Deadwood Gulch in safety, and part O
them went to work developing the st
John Mine. Beck was of this number
and he erected log cabin about three
quarter of mile from the diggings
which himself and family called thei
home.
All went we'll with the daring miner
until July IS, when they were sur
rounded by Sitting Bulls band of Siou
and were made prisoners. Beck wa
separated from his family, and has neve
seen or heard of them since. He wa
taken with several men of the compan,
. 70 the Indian village OF Rosebud, the
. consisting Of four hundred lodges, an
a expected to be the victim of an ext
A scalp dance. The Indians, howeve
8 offered the white men their choice b
tween death and becoming members
y the tribe. Death is not often the choi
!. of the Caucasian, and Beck formed ]
4 exception. He dotted his mining ga
& and assumed the blanket, paint a,
4 feathers of Sioux brave. He was Civ
! young Cheyenne squaw, about Gig
i teen years of age for his wife, and so
o became to all appearances thoroug
going Indian.
= Moneka was the name of his dus
? sweetheart and bride. Moneka,
. the Sioux tongue is translated 81
- Glove" She had been made captive
:. this band when but eleven years of al
and Beck became strongly attached
: her. He soon learned the langua
? of the Sioux, and adopted himself
his surroundings. Five weeks after
= captors he was an unwilling participl
=, in the massacre on the Little Big Ho
- He followed the fates of his capt
- through all the weary months VIII
"' followed while the war continued. a
. at last with them, crossed the bounds
y into the British possessions.
Il, His story Of the sufferings of the
Va braves and their wretched families
~ that wintry cline are enough to exc
~ the hearers compassion. Their Gle
:. ing worn out, their game supply sea
=. and the deep snow and severe cold W
~ bravely borne, and they struggled alo
4 Sseeping soul and body together as k
W as their pride could endure. but fina
'ne were forced to surrender. Beck and
'no other captives returned to ciyilizat
md with their red comrades at Stand
has Rock agency, but so bronzed by eS
out sure that they could with difficulty
to tablish their identity as white men.
ven Mr.. Beck says he could have esca
cir almost any time since they crossed
it border, but his attachment TO the gel
and Moneke had grown upon him and b
My cemented by the birth of two papoo
sea- and he could not consent to leave Il
Ayyfrl 4 L -.