The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-04-11
WHY INDIANS TAKE SCALPS.

When Indians began to scalp, |
do not know, but it is likely they
have pursued this barbarous practice
in America ever since it was discov-
cred by Mr. Christopher Columbus,
in 1892, if not long before that time.
The commonly received opinion
among white men is that Indians
scalp their enemies to prevent them
from making a respectable appear
ancein the Happy Hunting Grounds.
How, says one writer, would a
bald headed Indian look in the spirit
land =!
1t is true that among all the In
dians l have ever met | never yet
saw one with bald head, but it. is
an error to believe Indians scalp peo-
pie to keep them from going to
Heaven or the Happy Hunting
Grounds, as they call their Heaven.
The custom of taking scalps grew
out of the many large stories Indians
told after their return from their war
expeditions.
| killed three of the enemy with
my own hand, said Bauscar of King
Philip.
But, where are their heads ?sagely
asked the king. Methinks thou art
claiming too much valor for thy part
in the battle.
So, after that, when King Philips
men slew an enemy, they cut off his
head and brous hit it to the king that
they might prove to him their valor
in battle. There was no doubling
the warriors statement if he showed
the heads to prove his words. For
a long time, the whole head was cut
off, but these being inconvenient to
carry, the practice OF taking only
the skin of the head began. At first.
the head was cut off and taken II
the nearest camp, where it was care
fully skinned, leaving the ears and
rings on it. In time, only the CT own
of the head of the scalp lock was
taken off. Indians used to sew the
scalps they had taken on the front
OF their lodges, and many ct them
placed these bloody trophies on
poles in front of their wig vans. |
was told of a Mandan once who had
an entire suit made OF the scalps he
had taken, and when he died, they
buried him in this strange winding
sheet. They said he would wear it
in the Happy Hunting Grounds. A
warrior wearing scalps Wa q brave
man, chief, and every honor was
paid to him by his people.
Among the Sioux, a woman, when
she felt bad or had a bad heart, as
they called it, often went with a war
party, and if they were successful,
they brought her the head Of one of
their enemies, which she carefully
skinned and then mashed the skull
with a war-club this always remov-
ed her bad heart and made her feel
quite cheerful and happy.
Did | ever see a man who had
been scalped and who recovered? ?
Yes, once. His name was Thomas
Cahone, and he was freight con-
dnctor on the Union Pacific Rail
road. One dav in April, 1868, as
Cahone was running his train near
Sidney, Nebraska, while crossing a
small stream, he had to halt for some
time, and he and a man named Willis
Edmonston got out to fish. They
were unarmed, but did not think of
danger. although Indians had been
coming and going through the
country. The terminus of the road
was then at Cheyenne. They had
not been fishing long when suddenly
party of mounted Sioux Indians
rushed down upon them although
they were in full sight Of the town
of Sidney. The Indians first at
tempted to run off band of horses
near by, but in this they failed. Tney
then turned upon the poor fisher
men, and, riding up to them, began
to fire arrows into their bodies. Ed
monston received four arrows and
died. Cahone had several arrows
shot into him, the Indians riding up
close alongside and firing at short
range One arrow pierced Cahone's
lungs and he fell bleeding profusely.
An Indian advanced, dlsmounted,
and took Cahone's scalp proper from
the top of his head. Another In
dian rode up and cut strip about
four inches wide and seven inches
long from the side of Cahone's head.
All this time the man was either un
conscious or lay still. The Indians,
thinking him dead, did not mutilate
his body beyond scalping him.
There was at that time a small de
tachment of the United States troops
stationed at Sidney, under COM
mand of Lieutenant now Captain
Bubb, U. S. Army. Seeing the at,
tack from the village, Lieutenant
Bubb and his men, re intorced by
the citizens, rushed out to the assis-
tance of the men. They found Ca
hone still living, took him in, and
sent him to Omaha, where the ar
rows were extracted and his wounds
dressed. 1t was not believed he
could recover but he did, and re-
gained excellent health. | often saw
him afterward on the Union Pacific
Railroad, where he had been ad-
vanced to passenger conductor, and
one day he showed me his head. 1t