St. Landry democrat., 1891-05-09
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.

In June, 1867, while Gen. Custer, with
his command, was at the forks OF the he
publican river, in western Kansas, and the
Indian war had fairly begun, | was doing
duty with several others, as q scout. On
the morning of the 10th a young man
named Robinson reached the camp and re-
ported that he with three others had been
hunting to the west of us, and had been
stampeded by the Sioux Indians. One had
been killed, as he believed, while the others
had made a dash for it and scattered, each
taking his own course Robinson had blum
dered upon our camp after riding all night.
Custer was at this time hopeful of max
ing peace with the redskins, and the camp
at the forks would be permanent for at
least a fortnight. 1t was with this under
standing of the situation that l set out
with Robinson, after he had had an all
days rest, to hunt up his stampeded COM
panions and bring them in. We left camp
just after dark, both of us heavily armed,
and rode straight to the west. AS had
never seen Robinson under fire l was
more anxious than if one of my fellow
scouts had been with me, butsin the course
OF a couple of hours I made up my mind
that he had plenty of nerve and could be
depended on. AS near as he could judge
his party was thirty miles west of the
forks when stampeded. At midnight,
after an easy canter of five hours, we halt
ed, ~dismounted, and ven into camp for
the remainder of the night, believing we
were close upon the spot where the hunters
were attacked. Both of us slept from that
hour until just before sunrise.
As there is another Indian war nov on,
- L. 81, r~J II - - $Ln
red man are under discussion, / shall relate
come particulars which might otherwise be
suppressed. We had a cold bite for break
fast, and had scarcely mounted our horses
when we caught sight of the carcass of a
horse lying on the plains about a quarter
of q mile away. AS soon as we reached it
Robinson identified the animal as having
been the one he saw fall as the stampede
began. His rider was a man named Nc
Henry, who had previously been employed
as q civilian at Fort Larned. The buzzards
and wolves had been at the carcass, but
we made out that the horse had received
three bullets and dropped in his tracks.
Saddle, bride and all other portable prop
erty had been removed. Robinson esti-
mated that the attacking party numbered
fifty. After half an hours search / put
Lu6 uuU1UEE al kWcGGtsE - bClICSCo SAaU
all who dashed away were pursued. /
found that none Of them had been followed
over half q mile.
Had McHenry been killed or seriously
wounded by the volley which killed his
horse, his body would have been found ~
ing beside the carcass. As it was not ]
reasoned that he had been captured un-
hurt and taken away a prisoner. The trail
- +Io TnlsorC lad xN %ha rowfh op / e ~ b.
ing for the south fork of the Platte river,
and we followed it at a cautious pace. At
the end of five miles we came to the spot
night. 1t was on the banks of o small
creek, in a scattered grove, and the first
thins we saw was the dead body of Nc.
Henry. The Sioux chiefs had declared
their anxiety for peace, and were profess
ing the greatest friendship for The soldiers.
Indeed, Pawnee Killer had visited Custer
to shake hands and sign a declaration of
peace. While the old hypocrite was de-
claring and protesting, his whole tribe was
making ready for war and indulging in
atrocities. While the big chief was "how.
howing'' in Clusters camp and declaring
his love for the white man, one of his bands
only thirty miles away was subjecting a
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They cut out his tongue. blew powder into
his body, cut of his toes, broke all his
fingers, pricked him with knives, and
finally ended by scalping him. He must have
suffered many hours before death finally
came as a glad relief. The body was not
yet cold when we found it, and there were
evidences. that the Indians had not been
gone more than an hour.
nf tho fw0 ruhn cxoYppa1od opd 1of n1no~
one went to the northeast and the other
to the northwest. Robinson had held due
north and thus reached our camp, al
though he was not aware. Of its location.
We took up the trail of the one going to
the northeast, believing that he was in the
greatest danger. He went at a wild pace
for at least ten miles, never seeming to
have looked back, and discovered that pur- I
suit had been abandoned or to have |
turned TO the right OF the left, to throw
the redskins off his route after darkness
came. It took us three hours to cover the |
distance he rode in one, as we expected to
see Indians at any moment. About twelve
miles from the spot where we found Nc !
Henry's horse we came upon that of Jack
son. whom we were following to the
northeast. The wild ride had exhausted |
the animal, and as he fell down jackson
had abandoned him and pushed along on
foot. The animal was ON his feet and
grazing as we found him, but SO lame that
he could scarcely move. We removed the
and blankets, and found Jackson,s
revolvers in the holsters.
From this point we had no trail to guide
US, and the ground was badly cut up with
and washouts. We rode forward
the rest of the day, hoping to over.
take the man. and neglecting no precau.
ton TO insure our own safety. just at
shutdown we followed a dry gully up a long
ridge and debouched from Il, seeing a sight
which for the raor2eot appeared 10 be an
delusion. There were Indians on
right, on our left. in front, and
turned in my saddle to see other Indians
in behind us. As we halted and
looked around us many OF the redskins
expressed their humor by grunts. They
had probably been riding to the right and
Of us for hours, and had finally formed
his cul de sac for us to ride into. 1t was
,aking q great deal of pains for nothing.
the Indian sometimes exhibits a queer
rein Of humor. They were not disappoint-
ID I'm thinking we would be surprised.
It was fully two minutes before a chief
ode forward and said "How-how,o and
extended his hand to me, and as he did 30
he whole body closed in. j am so unfort
mate as to be marked on the left temple
nth that birthmark known as a wine
tain, the spot being as large as a silver
lollar. MY hat was well up and my hair
lack as the chief rode up, and the instant
10 noticed the mark be let go my hand
nd said something to those crowding mp
A~atxv cacn he ns.nhad IN npd fn,,chaI rnv III