The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-03-19
STANLEY'S CURIOSITY.
His investigation of a Mummified
Indian.
An Incident of the Great Explorers So
journ in the Sioux Country Quar-
ter of Century Ago-Buriai
Customs of That Tribe.

In recent interview the incident OF
Henry NJ Stanley's part in dlsroblng
the mummified body of an Indian maiden
in 1867, while with the Indian Peace |
Commissioners, was given so briefly and
hurriedly, says writer in the ST. Louis
Post Dispatch, as to put the matter, per-
haps, in disadvantageous light. Civ
ing the facts as they occurred, as fully
as memory serves after lapse OF near a
quarter of century, will set the matter
right, besides afford an opportunity OF
relating one or two other personal Incl
dents connected with the Indian method
of burying their dead. 1t is we'll known
that the various bands of the Sioux tribe
followed the custom of disposing of their
dead by placing them on scaffolds and in
the branches of trees, when available, to
prevent them from being devoured by
dogs and the coyotes or prairie wolves,
the hyenas of the western plains.
The first we saw of this method OF
burial was at Fort Laramie, where in
the soldiers cemetery in the rear of the
town and overlooking the barracks, were
three coff1ns, each covered with pail OF
bright crimson cloth, elevated on the
top of four stout cedar posts some
twelve feet in height.
One of the coffins contained the body
of "Pink," an Indian woman, well
known for her attachment to the whites.
In another were the remains OF young
child, the daughter of an Ogallalah
squaw and wealthy post trader, and
the center one contained the body of
Mon-i-ka, the daughter of the
famous chief, Spotted Tail, the
romantic history of whose life and
death were eloquently described by
the correspondents. Her dying wish
was to be buried among the whites, near
the fort. In compliance with her re-
quest, her father, with three hundred
warriors, came down in the month of
February, 1866, after a journey of fifteen
days, and the commanding officer Or
dered that the girl should be buried in
the soldiers cemetery. The scatfold
was erected and the dead maiden's two
ponies were slaughtered and nailed to
the posts, the heads and tails of which
were still dangling there when we Wis
tied the cemetery.
Near sunset procession of three hun.
dred Indians and all the officers and
soldiers of the post marched with the
solemn music of the military band to the
place of sepulture. Tho services were
performed by Rev. A. Wright, Chaplain
of the post. Chaplain Wright kindl.
furnished Stanley and the writer with ;
comfortable room, and one day he pilotet
us two or three miles above the fort t.
of a T,or ami
river, where, in a large grove OF cotton
woods, he pointed out some ten o
twelve skeletons of Indians, grated, a
it were, on the trees. The bodies wer
wrapped in blankets and buffalo robe
and deposited in sort of trough mad
of poles, the ends of which wer
fastened to limbs at a height of abou
twelve feet from the ground. MI
Wright pointed out the wrappings of
chiefs daughter that had bcen reposin
for many years undisturbed in larg
cottonwood tree, and we began OF
archaeological explorations. The Chal
lain returned to the fort after remint
ing us that our scalps would not be sal
should stray Indian happen along, ;
they beld it as the highest desecration
disturb their dead. gf@
The Indian maiden was found wrappt
in bundle of cerements composed
the skin of an antelope, a plaid shaw
several patterns of colored calico print
and over all was bound buffalo rob
tied with thongs of bulls hide. II
face was not unpleasant, though Il
skin and flesh was shrunken to the bon
presenting the appearance of an Egy
tian mummy, the dry climate producil
an embalming effect. The wrappin
were restored to the condition in whi
they were found, and Stanley broug
away ring from one of the toes, Al
myself a nicely-worked figure with pc
cupine quills on the buffalo sbe, whi
soon after was cast away in disgust.
that, our curiosity being appeased,
did not amount to case of body-snatC
ing.