Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-02-29
gsress and 9akotaiaa
EARLY CHICAGO HISTORY.

Colonel Darius Head Tells n Deeply
Thrilling story of the Indian Mas
sacre OF 1912.
Chicago Inter Ocean: "The early
days OF Chicagop repeated Colonel
Darius Head, of st. Charles county,
Missouri, as he sat in the office of Gener-
al Ohetlain, whose guest he is while in
tho city. aThe early days Of Chicago?
Why, l don't know anything about
them. My time goes away back beyond
the day when Chicago was dreamed OF
as ever q village or country post-ofice.
l say my time-I msan by that the time
which connects me with the history of
this section, for it was my father and
mother "ho were sctors in q tragedy
here more awful than any you have now
adays on your painted and spangled
stages.
"Yes, it was my father, Captain Head.
who commanded Fort Dearborn at the
time OF its evacuation in 1872. He was
an officer in the regular army, and was
stationed here for three or four years.
About a year and o half bstore ths-
evacuation he had become acquainted
with my mother. She was visiting
Colonel Samuel Wells, a man who had
been captured by the Indians and grown
mp with them, and had married 9
daughter OF Little Turtle, the old warrior
chieftain. He WAS my mothers
uncle, and while she was up here visi-
ting him my father met her. He went
so Louisville the next season and mar
ried her, and their bridal tour was made
nv h1,1ALnnH s~kN~l - ---.A-Y-
train, and at night they spread their
blankets aud camped out IN the I'M
broken forests. That was the early way
Of getting to Chicago. Well, gradually
the forces at Fort Dearborn were with
drawn for uae IN other localities, and the
August OF 1879 found my father with o
garrison force OF about thirty in posses
sion OF the fort. Aug. 10 the Indians TO
the number of about 900, bore down on
the little handful at the fort and wiped
it ont Of existence.
"My mothers account of that fearful
day is very thrilling. They had left the
fort, intending to go 20 Detroit, where
they had been ordered by General Hull,
and when they had gone nearly or quite
q mile they were attacked by the hostile
Indians, outnumbering them fifteen to
one. Colonel Wells, my mothers nncle.
had come down with 9 party of friendly
Indians to escort Them on their journey,
bat on the approach of the warning reds
the friendly ines slunE away aud joined
the hostile party. The fight was sharp and
short, and resulted In wiping my fathers
party entirely out OF existence, except
perhaps four or FIVE, among whom we're
my father and mother. The Indians
4 <uava vnaksnIl,, n.nn1 rzskttE v--1 -I.-N.
had been furnished them by the English,
but many of the slain soldiers bore only
the wounds of poisoned arrows. MY
father received several wounds, his death
resulting in later years from q bullet
lodged in his thigh. My mother, too
wss wounded in several places, bat both
of them lived TO be- captured. The death
OF Colonel Wells, however, WAS very aad
and fred shot after shot into the at
taoking party, and carried the sting o,
death into more than one red mans
breast, and finally fell, bleeding from q
dozen wounds, shot through the leg by
q bullet that killed his horse, and with &
ball piercing his lungs, and died by my
mothers side, Almost before the breath
had left his body the od-thirsty ras.
Gals had cut his quivering heart into
minute pieces and were eating il with
ahAs Nnendish relish that only such
wretches can feel. My fsi.aer was Jap
tursd by one party and M. mother b.
another, but In arranging the spoils Of
war, nfter the battle, they we're both
placed 1 n the same party. That night
the squaws cared for their wounds aa
well as they could, but, of course, their
suffering was intense. Well, the next
day the braves all went up the
lake to burn up o few prisoners they
had on hand there, and were COMO ovel
night. When they got home my father
and mother were beyond the reach oil
the next barbecue. On the night o.
August 10th, 1912, they ret out in
birch bark canoe TO cruise elong th.
lakes to Buffalo, and the story Of tha'
trip lie o romance in itaelf. They were
accompanied by an Indian boy. and TO.
food they wore dependent entirely upor
what he could kill. and what berries anG
things of that kind they could find il
the woods and the fshthey canght alonf
the shore. They dared not show them
selves by day for d long time and ID Wal
q long and tedious journey. But finRll,
they reached Buffalo and nay father
gave himself up to the British officers al
o prisoner OF war. He was paroled, and
together he and my mother made thei
way to her old home in Kentucky. Their
they went 90 st. Charles county, Mis-
souri,, and there, in 1882, my father died
my mother lived several years afsel
his deAth--in fact, after Chicago cam,
10 be known as q groLing and promising
place, and aste.; az she would recoua'
the exciting times Of August 1G-16, 1912
she would speak Of reyisiting the seen,
OF those evente. But she never cam
back. and to-day in riding around thii
great metropolis wish Long john Went
worth / could hardly realize that this il
the place where; within the lifetime o
my father and mother, the worst TRACE
dies OF barbarism were the curren
events."
ARE YOUMADE miserable by Indigea
tion, Constipation, Dizziness, Loss Of APP
petite. Yellow Skin? Shiloh,s vitalixer il
q positive cure. Sold by R. NJ. Ward
druggist
1t May NOT be Cleveland.