New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-11
THE VALUEFOF A SCALP.
AN INCIDENT OF WAR BETWEEN PAWNEES
AND SIOI'N.


TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
! Sir: ] was born In an atmosphere of Indian war
and excitement: my first breath was odorous of
| eunpowdcr, and the first sounds that reached my
ears those of strife and combat. The DAY
| | was born, my father, captain of artillery. re-
| ceivcd orders from the Secretary of War TO move
with his command TO help stem the tide OF In
| dian Invasion alcady within sevcnty-iivc miles of
| the Missouri River The Indians were under the
| same leadership then as now, and many whose
| names figure prominently in the dispatches to-day
| were then receiving their baptism of fire.
There were only thrcc or four military posts
| between the Rocky Mountains and the loup River,
| and sweeping past these. the savaEes had reached
| a point within two days march Of the town of
Omaha, leaving scarcely 1--we white person be-
| hind them. The column of invasion was met
! and forced back to Fort Kearncy, and westward
where for two years the volunteer troops. increased
| to over 1000 in number alternately chased and
| by the foe were chased n territory 300 miles
| by 400, until in 1866, the Civil War ended, the
| available force of regulars sent out to com
| pet. the conquest.
The narration of the hair-brcadth escapes, the
| battles. often hand to hand, Of those cvcnttu
| years was the first association of ideas and Ian
guage of my childhood. My father with the Tcii-
cence GncXplainablc to my feminine mind so com
|
| into telling any of his adventures, but many an
| old scout or member Of my fathers command has
delighted us children with Indian Stories" which
| always affected me the tale Of old ThernOpylac
| did young SpartacuS. Often, too, have listened
10 conversations between my father and certain
| galvanized" hostilcs who never failed to visit
us when passing through their many jauntS
al Government expense, to talk with the Great
| Father" at Washington.
! Red Cloud, Spotted Tail. an-Airad-Of-lIis
| Horses and many others have held me on their
| knees while these great talks with my father
tranSpircd. All would with grave silence sit and
smoke. the tomahawl; pipe beng handed from one
10 The other without tie ut'crancc of word, for
perhaps an hour. Then short harancuc, hand
shake all around, a pat on my curly head. regards
| to Capins squaw my mother. and they stalled
| solemnly away. old Spotted Tail had named
| me "Spuss- Kcrriwc" Curly Head and SpuS>kcr.
rive have remained with them TO this day have
little doubt that Red Cloud would, if occasion Of
fered, as chccrfrlly take scalp from Spusskcriwc
head as of old he pattcd il while sat on his knees
At least, ] do not feel any curiosity 70 prove or
disprovc the proposition.
| II is possible that few Of these plains ira
ditiOnS and narratives may prove interesting as
| "reminiscences of the wild West which has
| disappeared forever cannot hope to give them
the dramatic effect with which they were told to
| me. There is n flash Of the eye and thrilling
| drop Of the voice, impossible TO put on paper
when the grizzlcd veteran gets IN The place where
and Just at this little bend in the Platte, on
the other side Of those seven tall cottonwoods the
| Iniuns Jumped us" That is the invoriable pbrase
and means that the brown prairie suddenly
waved and rose up, thousand yelling. painted
| demons
On the fourth days march from the Missouri
! River the troops reached the Tawncc Reservation
| The Pawnccs and the Sioux have been al war
| from time immcmoral, and these Indians were
hourly expecting attack from their old and
inyctcratc foes. Within an hour Of the arrival
| Of the troops yells Of alarm and firing of guns
were followed by buglc calls of boots and
I saddles, and the assembly The Pawncc
vldetcs came in on desperate run. and met
| the Pawncc braves going 10 their rescue only
to be driven back pelmcll into the village by
vastly superior numbers of SiouN who killed
and Scalpcd all vino were unable 20 cScape
Although the fight VIZ entirely between the two
tribes of Indians, thd'troops. as in duty bound,
rushed to the defence of the Government build
ings, in which were quartcrcd sevcml teachers
| and missionaries They were not minute too
soon; for al the next instant the victorious SouN
| under the already famous Ran-in-the Face,
| swept into the yard of the mission.
| And herr occurred an incident Characteristic
| Of Indian superstition. 4 young squaw fleeing
| from the advancing Sioux, reached the incosurc
| pursued by halt score Of painted devils. their
| hands already rccking with Pawncc gore. Seeing
| escape impossible. she fell fiat on the ground
| and pulled her blanket over her head 10 lose
| sight Of the descending blow. 1t came from
| tomahawk that glanced of her skull without
| penetrating it, The whites were within few
| rods, hrng as they ran. and one Of the SonA
braves fell shot dead. beside the prOslr woman.
| Another, however. erked the blanket from her
bleeding head, ard with haste born Of fear cut
| around aud cruelty lifted her ,c'hp she conscious
| all The time, but never utcrIng a sound. The
| savage fled with his bloody trophy 10 rcioin hs
| comrades. The troops came to The rescue Of the
sadly OutnuEIbcrrd Pawnces. and together they
succeeded in putting The Sioux 10 TOut. When the
panic subsidized the wounded squaw was borne
into the mission hospital and her Injuries dressed.
In spite 4i the scalplng, she babe far t. recover
Strangc TO relate, however. her li"ndS showed
great reluctance to fIcr receiving medical treat
mcnt claiming that according 10 all Indian pre-
ccpt and example. sea ped person should he dead.
and her recovery would only bring bad
| medicine To her tribe. The woman acquicsccd
in this opinion, and expressed perfect willingness
TO be sacrificed to the ancient customs The next
morning the squaws cot was empty and the
patient nowhere to he found.
Two days later. some troopers hunting u stray
horse on the river bank. miles away. were
startled 70 hear gr0ans coming from neighbor
ing thckct. Thinking that some wounded Sioux
had been abandoned 10 die, they cautiously APP
drifting sand was the scalpcd squaw. still alive
and conscious They dug hcr out and brought her
back 10 the mission, thoroughly cured Of her
willingness 10 die. She told how she had been
stolen from the hospital by her own family and
buried by the river bank. She now wanted 20
live and a close watch was kept 10 prevent her
being again offered MS victim 10 savage super
stitiOn. Once aftcrward when walking in the
yard, she was spirited away by the Pawnecs and
hidden III tcpcc. that, when night fell she
might be buried more securely Again she was
Of military vengeance should anything occur 20
her IN future, the poor creature was allowed by
SPUSSKERRIWE.
New-iork Jan o. 1891
This Interesting narrative illustrates anew the
curious lancies involved in the magical religion