Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-09-11

SanbertBon, of M)nroe County, Mich, Is
the first actual description, | believe, that
any one has ever heard of how it feels to be
scalped. While he was in the hospital at
Laramie l heard him tell the story many
times, and every time it made me shudder,
as it does still whenever think of it.
Sanbertson belonged to the United States
infantry, which was part of General Gus
ter's command in his campaign against the
Indians in 1863 He participated in many of
the engagements of that campaign the most
important of which was the fight with the
celebrated Black Kettles band on the
Ouachita. 1t was in this fight that Sanbert-
son was wounded and scalped by the In
dians, and remember that nearly all of the
old frontiersmen said that he was the only
person they ever knew up to that time who
had been thoroughly and Enthusiastically
scalped and lived to tell of it.
For some days before the meeting with
Black Kettle Clusters scouts had been
bringing in reports that the willy chief was
camped with large following somewhere
on the Ouachita, and that he was sending
out predatory bands of his warriors TO plum
der settlers and immigrant trains. Custer
decided to hunt him up and punish him.
The infantry was two miles in advance of
the cavalry, when one day, just at daylight,
1--WE were on high Hill overlooking the
valley" Sanbertson said, in giving the ac-
count of the affair, 'and the Indians were
below. It was in the middle of winter and
the snow was deep. The Indian camp was
in rocky spot, and as the women and chill.
dren were there it was evidently the head
quarters of the band 1t was determined
to surprise the village, and q portion of our
command was sent through the woods tC
the right to get in the rear of the camp
while the remainder advanced quietly down
the mountain, from the top of which a good
trail led to the valley through the thick
woods. This maneuvering was so success
full that before our presence was discovered
by the Indians we were within four hundred
yards of the camp, and the detachment that
was sent TO open fire in the rear had arrived
in position. We knew by the yells of the
Indians and the great commotion among
them that we were discovered, and we be
gan the attack. Firing began on both sides
of them at once, and this caused what at
first promised to be panic among the In
dians that would make our victory an easy
one, but suddenly an Indian OF enormous
stature and build, his face hideously
streaked in crossbars with bright yellow
and vermilion paint, came dashing into the
midst of the surprised and panic-stricken
band from some place among the rocks, rid
ing black pony. His yell could be heard
above every thing else as he dashed TO and
fro among his warriors, and the effect of his
presence Immediately changed the whole
situation. In less than two minutes every
Indian was in position behind some rock OF
tree, and we knew that the fight would be
a desperate one.
1--WE were in a secure position, but the
| Indians were just as secure as we were
| The only way we could hope TO defeat
them was TO charge upon their stronghold
| dislodge them, and settle the affair by q
| desperate hand-to hand fight We were
ordered to charge down the hill upon the
enemy, and we rushed headlong right into
the Indian camp, every man of us yelling as
hideously as the red devils themselves. As
soon as we had emerged from the woods we
were met with rife balls from every side
and good many poor fellows never reached
| the camp. The detachment in the rear o.
| the camp came into the conflict from tha
| side, and we feecsd the Indians out fron
their hiding places TO tho open ground, anC
| the battle ragged right among their tents
| Black Kettle seemed to be everywhere Hi
| hideOus presence alone prolonged the fight
| He held his warriors to the ground, and the
women, and even the children, took part IL
| il, aud among the dead that soon streweC
| the snow squaws and papOoses were min
| gled In few minutes tho snow for sod:
around was dyed as red with the blood frou
the dead and wounded as the paint on Blacl
Kettles face.
''In hand to hand fight like this OF cours
it was every man for himself, and I sool
found myself on one edge Of the camp firing
and bayoneting, and clubbing my gun jus
| as the situation for the moment required.
| messmats of mine who was fighting by m
side was killed by an Indian who fired frou
behind tent, and he fell so was obliged t
step over him. As did that bal shattere
my arm at the elbow, and it fell helpless q
my side Immediately following that sho
big Indian, doubtless the one who ha
killed my messmate, spTang from behin
the tent sad rushed at me with his toma
hawk raised. My gae sy3S empty, and m
left hand being useless I could not load
would have run my bayouct through tn
advancing Indian, though, before he CO al
| have used the tomshawk on me, but an In
dian woman had stolen Up behind me, an
she threw one arm ABOUT Hay neck au
ierked me backward in the snow.
'None of our men were near me, as tn
thickest Of the fight was IA another part o
the camp The big Indian who had come 4
me with his tonahawk seemed to be ais
the only warrior Of this band who was nc
in the general engagement. The squa'
who had jerked me down in the snow hel
ne there by my hair, and a lot of othe
squaws and children came swarming frol
tents in all directions % the spot. The
surrounded me, spit in my face, Jumped 0
my body, kicked me, pinched me, thru:
the points of knife blades in my fiesh, an
tortured me in every way they could thin
OF. Besides, my arm was paining N
tremendously and dyeing the snow a
around me with he blood that flowed frol
the wound. The big Indian stood by wit
isis tomahawk in his hand, and, forCdlatel
for me, he gave the women and the