, 1890-05-18
UNCLE JIMMIE CANNON.
The Son of Claims Now Visiting
Cheyenne.
He Saw 1856 Americans Massa-
cred by Mexicans.
EyentfuI Career of the Old Vet
eran in the West.

William James Cannon, the noted in
terpreter. vivid liar and chief scout and
guide for the Indian department. The
man is generally called Uncle Jimmie and
is known throughout the country. His
claims to distinction arc numerous.
Many are genuine, but a gOodly array
had their origin in his own powerful i'm
agination. He knows every foot of coun-
try opened in the last fifty years, speaks
thirty-two Indian languages and dialects.
and is in government; pay. He has been
in a hundred or more skirmishes and bat
ties with the redskins and carries sixteen
wounds. His breast is bedecked with a
profusion of medals, including G. A. r.
and Mexican war badges.
The frontier character is of impressive
mien and bears himself with an air OF
dignity nurtured by persistent lionizing.
He has a wonderfully strong face described
as a George Washington cast. His hair
is white and falls to his broad shoulders.
The eyes are keen and restless. He has
a dysentery OF words and will dis
course for hours about the person
he most admires. Cannon's memory is
marvellous. He ayers that its retentive-
ness is second only to that of Jas. G.
Blaine's. This writer, with a condensed
history of the West before him, has lis
tened to Cannon reminisc lenses for hours
and learned that he had the details of
every occurrence touched upon absolutely
correct, He rattles of figures like a
stock brokers' ticker.
Whatever he may not be, Cannon is the
Son of Alamo. His description of that
terrible slaughter is most thrill
ing and is given with graphic
Fidelity, He saw l36 Americans
butchered by the Mexican force. Only
himself and a little girl callel The Babe
of Alamo" were spared. Cannon wit
messed the murder of his father, mother,
two sisters and two brothers on that
irightful field. He was carried away by a
woman with the enemy.
Soon after the Alamo massacre Cannon
fell into the hands of the Kiowa tribe Of
Indians. In 1887 they sold him to the
Ogalalla Sioux and he roamed all over the
West with these people. He traversed
this country before it was owned by the
United States.
1t was in 1889 that the Shoshones COW
eted the white boy and paid thirteen head
of horses for the captive. Mascazurka,
father of WashakIe, made the purchase.
Cannon was then, and it might be re-
marked still is, about the same age as
Washable, who is now suspected of being
on earth the second time. Cannon was
allowed to take for a wife a sister of
Washakie's.
After being an Indian twenty years
Cannon escaped in 1874. He went to
Mexico to fight, but returned to Wyoming
in 1851, making Fort Laramie his head
quarters. He gave valuable assistance in
subduing the Ararahoes. at that time a
powerful and aggressive tribe.
One of the scouts scrap book stories is
this: In 1859, when the troops were on
the North Republican river, Cannon was
sent to reconnoitre the Arapahoes' camp.
When night came he sought shelter in a
cave, leading his horse in with him. Early
the next morning Dave Organ, a famous
Arapahoe brave, came to the
cave to get some water . from
the springs there. Cannon knew
that if Oregon should discover him he
would be slain. So leading bis horse to a
recess he confronted the brave. He did
not dare attempt to save himself by
shooting for fear it would attract the at
t%ention OF other Indians. But both had
knives. He said to Organ: Y gu are
following me up." The brave repliee:
Il am not following you and don't want
you" Then let it be peace, " responded
Cannon. To this the brave made no re-
ply and when an Indian is silent
there is an ominous significance.
The scout and the brave crap
pied and as the latter had
been weakened by sickness Cannon soon
overpowered him and threw him upon his
back in the middle of the creek in the
He buried his knife to the hilt in
the Indians breast but even then his dan
ger was not over, for the blood ran down
the stream and placed the red men upon
the war path the instant they saw it.
Cannon got out of the cave safely but
was chased by the Arapahoes many miles
to the mouth of Driftwood. HIS life was
saved only because he was fortunate in
having a good horse.
Cannon piloted Union Pacific SUI
veying parties. During the building OF
the road he killed Sam H~ll1ebrand, the
famous Missouri outlaw, at Ryan Sta
ton near Green River.