Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-10-18
A BRAVE DEFENCE.

A BRAVE DEFENCE.
Our family, which consisted of father,
mother, myself and sister, had been liv-
ing in Minnesota nearly two years when
the Indians initiated that murderous and
historic uprising. was sixteen years
old, and my sister Mamie was twelve
We were living on 100-acre farm, six
miles from the nearest village and mile
from any neighbor. We had snug log
house, barns, sheds, ETC., and had about
fifty acres in cultivation. Three days
before the outbreak my father had
marched with a company OF recruits for
the army, and this same company had
taken almost every able bodied man out
of our neighborhood. The crops were
to be left for the wives and children to
harvest, and the idea Of trouble never
entered any ones mind. While Indians
were more numerous than white people,
nobody had reason TO fear them. They
were under care of the Government.
and, so far as anybody knew, were per.
fectly satisfied, and entertained friend,y
feelings toward the settlers.
My father left home the day before
the outbreak, and mother went along to
see him off. This was the case with
several other women in our settlement.
They left early in the morning, intend
ing to return next day. Sister and I
were left entirely alone, but at about 8
o'clock in the forenoon an Indian named
Long Walk made his appearance. He
had often called at our house, sometimes
staying all night He had bad sore on
his leg, caused by the bite Of dog, and
mother bad made and given him an oint-
ment which was fast healing it up.
Father had mended his gun for him,
mother had mended his clothes, and
Long Walk was indebted to the family
for many other kindne5ses. He was 4
man of about forty, very intelligent,
and, as near as we could learn, had never
been married.
was cutting hay about a quarter of a
mile back of the house, and Name was
spreading it to cure, when the indian
appeared. He had been to the no Use and
found father and mother gone. When
he came down to us he queried:
"Whcre father9"
"Gone with the soldiers, replied.
"Where mother2"
"She has gone to see father of.
He looked anxious and troubled, and
when Iasked if he would have scmothing
to eat he replied III the negative. He
sat down in the shade of tres and had
nothing to say for a while. When re-
peated my inquiry, and Mamie altered to
cook him some breakfast, he rose up and
replied;
"C0me along to cabin
When we reached the house he took a
long look up and down the road. It
was sixteen miles to the railroad station
from which the soldiers would depart,
and Long Walk seemed to be wondering
if he should advise us to set olt for that
point. After time he SCENE to think
it wouldn't do, and turned sad entered
the house. Our cabin was tTo-roomed
affair, with a garnet above. There were
two windows in each room below, but
none above. Long Walk examined the
windows, and then went out to pile Of
lumber in the yard and said,
sect saw-gct hammer get nails
get boards, and fix windows. Make
everything good to-day"
''But why2n naturally asked.
"Suppose bad Indian enme to,mor-
row3" he quoried in reply.
''But the Indians won't kart us"
"Don't know. Indian hap mad. In
dian drink heap whisky. Indian may
kill white folks"
His manner, more Shan his words, made
me feel that danger menaced us and I
got the tools he asked for and began work
at once. He measured for the windows,
and sawed off some pieces of plank.
He then asked for an auger, and before
the pieces were nailed up we cut loop
holes in them, two to each window. We
then removed the ssshes from the win
dows and nailed the planks on the inside
Long Walk examined the front door,
which was the only one, and by his di-
rection [ REINFORCED it and added a
second bar. When this had been done
he asked:
"How much gun in tho housed"
eve had rifle and . shotgun, to-
gether with revolver, which belonged
to young man who had worked for us
in the spring and was chen on farm
about ten miles away. got these arms
together, and Long Walk examined them
with great caro-. We had two pounds of
powder, lot of shot and caps, and three
or four bars of lead. lis seemed to be
satisfied, and then took Iae out of doors
and said:
''Bad Indian no come to-day, but come
tomorrow. Get plenty of water in the
house. Make rain on the roof. If bad
Indian come, shoot him -
"But I can't understand" l said.
"Why should we be afraid of the H.
dians?"
''Indian heap maddox QUIT" he re-
piled, and with that no stalked away,
and would rot even turn his head when
l called TO him.
don't believe I should have realized
The full significance Of his warming had
not an older head come to my assistance.
Mrs. Webster, our nearest neighbor,
whose husband had also gone to be a
soldier, but who had not gone with him
to the station, came over at noon to Dor
row some flour. When told her what
had happened she was very much
alarmed. She had heard whispered fears
Of an Indian outbreak, and she argued
that Long Walk would not have done as
he had if there Yves not imminent dan
ger. She had no children, and was only
a few minutes in deciding to remain with
us until mother returned. Irent to her
house and got Der double-baTrelled shot.