The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-08-16

LUX phIJ III IL, huu diuOlR bue uedu
that soon strewed the snow, squaws
and papooses were mingled In few
minutes the snow for rods around was
dyed as red with the blood from the
dead and wounded as the paint on
Black Kettles face.
"In hand to hand fight like this of
course it was every man for himself,
and soon found myself on the edge
of the camp firing, and bayoneting,
and clubbing my gun just as the situa-
ton for the mNment required. A mess
mate of mine who was fighting by my
side was killed by an Indian who fired
from behind tent, and he fell so /
was obliged to step over him. As |
did that ball shattered my arm at the
elbow, and it fell helplessly at my side.
Immediately following that shot big
Indian, doubtless the one who had kill.
ed my messmate, sprang from behind
the tent and rushed at me with his
tomshawk raised. My gun was empty,
and my left hand being usele | could
not load would have run my bayo.
net through the advancing Indian,
though, before he could have used his
tomahawk on me, but an Indian
woman had stolen up behind me, and
she threw one arm about my neck
and ierked me backward in the snow.
"None of our men were near me as
the thickest part of the fight was in an
other part of the camp. The big
Indian who had come at me with his
tonahawk seemed to be also the only
warrior of this band who was not in
the general engagement. The squaw
who had jerked me down in the snow
held me there by my hair, and lot of
other squaws and children came swarm
ing from tents in all directions to the
spot. They surrounded me, spit in my
face, jumped on my body, kicked me,
pinched me, thrust the points of knife
blades in my flesh, and tortured me in
every way they could think of. Be-
sides, my arm was paiuing me tremen-
dously and dyeing the snow all around
me with blood that flow ed from the
wound The big Indian stood by
with a tomahawk in his hand, and
fortuna ely for me, he gave the women
and their young devils too much time
to have their sport with me, for sud
denly there came the sound of a gun
near bv, and two squsws fell dead in
the snow by my side. One of our
boys had discovered my situation.
The other squaw5 and their young
ones scampered away, but the big
Indian was determined to run the risk
of getting my scalp any way, and he
pounced down on me with his knees
on my chest, drew his knife, and the
next second although it seemed hours
to me, the top Of my head was in his
hand, and he was gone.
Imagine some one who hates you
with the utmost intensity" Sanbertson
said. in describing the sensation of
scalping, sand he suddenly grabbing a
handful of your hair, while you are
lying PROSTATE and helpless, and Civ
ing it quick upward jerk with force
enough to almost loosen the scalp
then, while this painful tension is not
relaxed, imagine the not-particularly-
sharp blade of a knife being run quick
ly in circle around your seal p with a
saving like motion. Then let your
Imagination grasp, If it can, the effect
that strong, quick jerk on the tuft of
hair to release the scalp from any
clnging particles of flesh that may
still hold it in place, would have on
your nerves aud physical system, and
You will have an inkling of how it feels
to be sca'ped. When that Indian saw
ed his knife around the top of my head
first a sense of numbness prevaded my
whole body. This was quickly follow
ed by fash Of pain that started at
my feet and ran like au electric shock
to my brain. The sensation was but
moment ary, but it was terrible. When
the Indian tore my seal p from my
head it seemed as if 1t must have been
connected with cords to every part of my
body. pain that followed the cut
ting around the scalp had been frightful
but it was ecstacy compared to the tor
ture that followed the tearing of il
from my head. Flashes of pam shot
to every nerve. My knees were drawn
up almost to my chin, aud the finger
of my right hand closed convulsivel.
in the snow, those of my left hand be
ing powerless owing to the shattere,
arm. That was all | remembered
When | came to | was in tent. Tn
cavalry had come up in the meantime
and the Indians were routed. Only
few escaped, but Black Kettle wa
among the few"
, Sanbertson lay for weeks in the GOV
, ernment hospital at Fort Laramie pei
2 fectly helpless and suffering untol
agony. He finally recovered and i
) the meantime his term Of enlistmer
D expired He had no de ire to re-entc
the service, and General Custer iocula
} ly remarked to him that he made
- mistake in quitting the service. "FC
8 think, said the General, Show surpri
l ed and disgusted some red devil of a
!. Indian might DE if you should sta
: with us and happen to fall in hi
/, hands when he went to raise your ha
to find that some one elsa had bee
/ there before him | saw Sanbertso
several years Afterwards, and the sam
! rale red, flat round, bare spot was G
: top of his head, showing whore Ii
/ scalp had been torn away as had see
7 it when he left the hospital. lie sa
it was extremely tender, and 10 dam
e or cold weather was painful.
= The other person | saw a. Fort L.
= mie whose head had ben tsmper,
o with by the scalpiug knife was H
# man Ganzio The Indian who W
e after this mans scalp did not ha
o time to complete the job, for he W
n compelled to abandon it after havir
W got the scalp ready to tear off, GAM
| believe was from Milwaukee, al
lie had been acting as scout and gui,
e, for party of tourists on the plains
g. the summer of 1876. The party W
ir scared away from the valley of ii
lie Creek by Indians, and were on th'
10 way across the country to Rnnnil
TO Water Creek. Gsnzio had gone
e. ahead to pick out good place for
n camp on their way, lie discovered ii
us Indians riding across the valley off