Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-07-26


mine, who was fighting by my side.
was killed by an Indian who fired
from behind tent, and he fell 40 |
was obliged TO step over him. As
| did that a ball shattered my arm
at the elbow, and it fell helpless at
my side. Immediately following
that shot big Indian, doubtless
the one who had killed my mess
mate, sprang from behind the tent
aud rushed at me with his tOma.
hawk raised. Ny gun was empty,
and my left hand being useless |
could not load. ! would have run
my bayonet 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.
WNone Of our men were near me,
as the thlckest of the fight was IN
another part of the camp. The big
Indian who had come at me with
his tOmahawk 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 their children came swarmiDg
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. Besides, my arm
was paining me tremendously and
dyeing the snow all around me
with the blood that flowed from the
wound. The big Indian stood by
with the tomahawk in his hand,
and, fortunately for me, he gave
the women and their young devils
too much time to have their sport
with me, for suddenly there came
the sound Of a gun near by, aud
two squaws fell dead in the snow
by my side. One Of our boys had
discovered my situation. The
other squaws and their young ones
scampered away, but the big In.
dian was determined to run the
risk of getting my scalp anyway,
and he pounced down on me. with
his knees on my chest, drew his
knife, and the next second, al
though 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 the scalping, 'and he
suddenly grabbing handful OF
your hair while you are lying pros
trate and helpless. and giving it a
quick, upward jerk with force
enough almost TO loosen the scalp;
then, while this painful tension is
not relaxed imagine the nOt-par-
ticularly sharp blade OF a knife be-
ing run quickly in circle around
your scalp, with a sawing-like mo-
ton. Then let your imagination
grasp, if it can, the effect that a
strong, quick jerk on the tuft OF
hair to release the scalp from any
clinging particles of flesh that may
still hold it in place would have on
your nerves and physical system,
and you will have an inkllng OF
how it feels to be scalped. When
the Indian sawed his knife around
the top of my head, first sense OF
cold numbness pervaded my whole
body. This was quickly followed
by a fash of pain that started at
my feet and ran like an electric
shock to my brain. That sensation
was but momentary, but 1t was
terrible. When the Indian tore my
scalp from my head 1t seemed as
if K must have been connected
with cords to every part of my
body. The pain that followed the
cutting around the scalp had been
frightful, but it was ecstacy com
pared to the torture that followed
the tearing of it from my head
Flashes of pam shot to every nerve
Ny knees we're drawn up almost tC
my chin, aud the fingers of my one
hand closed conyulsiveIy in the
snow, those of my left band being
powerless owing TO the shattered
arm. That was all remembered
When | came 70 | was IN tent
The cavalry had come up in the
mean time, and the Indians were
routed, Only few escaped, but
Black Kettle was among the few.
"Sanbertson lay for weeks in the
Government Hospital at Fort Lar
annie perfectly helpless and suffer.
Ing untold agony. lie finally re
covered, and in the mean time BIZ
term OF enlistment expired. lie
had no desire to reenter the ser
vice, and General Custer jocularly
remarked to him that he made a
mistake in quitting the service.
'For think said the General, show
surprised and disgusted some red
devil of an Indian might be if you
should stay with us and happen to
fall in his hands, when he went to
raise your hair to find that some