The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-02-05
STANLEY'S CURIOSITY.
His investigation of a Mummified
m Indian.
An Incident of the Great Explorers So
journ in the Sioux Country Quar-
ter of a Century Ago-Burial
Customs That Tribe.

In recent interview the incident OF
Henry NJ. Stanley's part in disroblng
the mummiied 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 ~ per-
haps, in disadvantageous ilgnt. CIV
ing the facts as they occurred, as fully
as memory serves after a lapse OF near
quarter of 0 csstesys will set the matter
right, besides afford an opportunity or
relating one or two other personal Incl
dents connected with the Indian method
of burying their dead. 1t is well 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 cotfins, 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, we'll
known for her attachment to the whites
In another were tho remains OF young
child, the daughter of an Ogallalah
squaw and q 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 journey of fifteen
days, and the commanding officer Or
dered that the girl should be buried in
the soldiers cemetery. The scaffold
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 sepulturc. The services were
performed by Rev. A. Wright, Chaplain
of the post. Chaplain Wright kindly
furnished Stanley and the writer with a
comfortable room, and one day he piloted
us two or three miles above the fort to
ofA pf bo 7 nra r
river, where, in a large grove OF cotton
woods, he pointed out some ten oil
twelve skeletons of Indians, grated, as
1t were, on the trees. The bodies were
wrapped in blankets and buffalo robes
and deposited in sort of trough made
of poles, the ends of which were
fastened to limbs at a height of abou
twelve feet from the ground. Mr.
Wright pointed out the wrappings of ;
chiefs daughter that had been reposinl
for many years undisturbed in larg'
cottonwood tree, and we began on
archaeological explorations. The Chap
lain returned to the fort after remind
ing us that our scalps would not be saf
should stray Indian happen along, a
they beld it as the highest desecration t
disturb their dead.
The Indian maiden was found wrappe
in bundle of cerements composed G
the skin of an antelope, plaid shaw
several patterns of colored calico prints
and over all was bound buffalo robe
tied with thongs of bulls hide. Th
face was not unpleasant, though tn
skin and flesh was shrunken to the bon,
presenting the appearance of an Egyl
tian mummy, the dry climate producin
an embalming effect. The wrapping
were restored to the condition in whic
they were found, and Stanley brougl
away ring from one of the toes, an
myself a nicely-worked figure with po
cupine quilts on the buffalo robe, whic
soon after was cast away in disgust.
that our curiosity being appeased,
did not amount to a case of body-snatc
ing. y,