The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
TORTURED BY INDIANS
THE STORY OF THE CAPTIVITY OF
INDIAN SCOUT FRANK GROuARD.
six Years with sitting BulI-F0ur
Hundred and Eighty Pieces of
Flesh Cut Ont of Each Arm.
,Iosenh Letter in 81. Louis Glohe-pemo-


ST. Joseph Letter in ST. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat.
Frank Grouard, the Indian scout, who is
now living in this city. has recovered from
the surgical operation in which an arrow
head was removed from his groin, after hav-
ing been imbedded there for nearly a dozen
years. The surgeons who cut the flint from
his muscles told the scout the operation
would probably be fatal. and a few days
later he was told that he could not possibly
recover, but he had endured SO many tor
lures while he was a captive among the
Sioux Indians that he laughed at the fears
of the physicians and regained his health in
spite of their predictions. While the sur
geons were operating on him he smoked a
cigar, and at no time since has he been
impressed with the idea that the injury
would prove fatal. although at one time he
was so near death as to be unconscious and,
apparently, l~ifeless.
The scout has never been willing to talk
freely of his life among the Indians. and all
that has been learned of that period has
been drawn from him by close questioning
in unguarded moments. OF his adventures
as a scout with General Crooks ommand
he talks more freely. SINCE his recovery
from the surgical operation Grouard has
talked more willingly than ever before OF
his life with the Sioux. He was captured by
Sitting Bull and a small band of followers
when nineteen years old, and remained with
the Indians the next six years, a greater
portion of his time in the camp of Sitting
Bull, through whose influence he was saved
from torture and death. At the time Of his
capture Grouard was a mail rider between
Fort Hall and Fort Peck. On the way to
the Indian village he learned the name of
his captor and made up mis- mind that moth
ing but torture was in store for him. Great
was his surprise when the chief announced
in council that he had determined to spare
the captlve's life, and, greater still, when
he was adopted as Sitting Bulls brother.
mo human being who has never been a
captive among savages can realize the hor-
rors that constantly surrounded me, said
GrOuard. II was sent TO the lodge or Sit
ting Bulls morner and sister, ana to these
two savage women l also owe my life. L
had never before TO i've on a
meat diet alone, and l found that was the
Only food the Indians had, without salt or
seasoning. / was stricken with a strange
illness, and do not know how long was
i'll. Nothing would supply my craving for
bread, and in my troubled dreams / saw
loaves of it just out Of reach of my out
stretched arms. White Cow OWNED the
the cause of my sickness. and, in the spring.
when the Indians from the agencies came
out to the hostile tribes, she Dougnt small
quantities of flour, coffee, salt and pepper,
for which she paid an enormous price in
ponies and furs. When / awoke one day
there was a smell on burning bread and
ment l could not realize that | was still a
captive. When the flour was all gone White
pound them into a. pulp. from which She
would make porridge. In time / learned to
live on a meat diet alone.
SIXTEEN MONTHS UNDER GUARD.
Il was closely guarded for sixteen months
after my capture, my guards being Little
Assiniboine and White Eagle, the latter a
cousin of Sitting Bull. 1t was customary
in the spring of the year to move the camp
toward the north. to meet the vast herds
of buffalo coming down, and in the fall
the Indians generally located on the Belle
Fourche or Little Missouri river, where
game was plentiful. 1t was on the first
that 1 killed a deer in a running shot at a
great distance with an old fint-lock gun
that had been given me. The feat so
pleased Sitting Bull that he presented me
with a Hawkins rifle, and from that time
no restrictions were placed on my move
ments. / roamed the wilds at will, and ac-
quired a thorough and intimate knowledge
OF every mountain Q tam pass; crag, ravine and
known as Wyoming. Dakota and Montana.
My name among the Indians was Stand
ing Bear. 1t was given to me because /
was dressed in a fur overeoat. cap and nit
tens when captured. In the winter of 1879 1
went out with a war party for the first
ways at war. About the time we left the
Sioux village we struck the trail of a war
camp, with the evident intention of run
ming off as many ponies as. they could. We
ing them into the Bad Lands, where they
sought shelter in a basin, behind a wall of
rocks. The attack was led by Sitting Bull
himself, and the rush toward the spot
where the Crows were intrenched meant
death to many of the Sioux warriors. The
chief went in advance of his braves.
jumped over the rocks into the pit and had
killed a number of Crows before the others
arrived to assist him. In point of numbers
the war parties were about the same, but
all the Crows were killed and only a few of
the Sioux. The bodies of the enemies We're
There must have been a hundred dead In
dams in that gulch. and it was one of the
bloodiest scenes l ever witnessed.
One of the biggest Indian clean-ups
ever knew anything about occurred a short
time before that on Beaver creek, about
midway between Fort Hall and Milk river.
Four hundred eros Ventre Indians were
camped there. some of them confined to
f faeif m reases ! m raid ' ne f tha yiIis . me snd Bl aosn
two of the eros Ventres escaped alive. We
heard of the massacre. and a party of us
month later 1 passed by the place with a
hunting party. The ha~lf-aecomposed bodies
every direction, and were being eaten by
wolves and other wild animals. None of
them were ever buried; | saw a great many
Indians, but the scene in the Gros Ventre
village after the massacre by the BIackfeet
was the most sickening sight 1 ever wit
messed.
TORTURED BY THE SIOUX.
From the time of my capture up to 1872
l was not required to undergo any of the
self-inficted ~torturas of the Sioux, but after
/ became one Of them, to all intents and
purposes, / knew what to expect. While
we were camped where Glendive, Mont,
now stands. the whole tribe gathered one
day about the sweat, and / was informed
that l was to be put to the test. All the
Indians gathered around, taking positions
where they could watch my face. Sitting
Bull, No Neck, Gall. Four Horns, Little
Assiniboine and ether head men of the tribe
sat near me smoking taeir pipes. Four
warriors Squatted on eacn side Of ME, and
with needles raised up the flesh between the
shoulder and elbow on each arm, and cut
pieces the size of a pea, taking $50 pieces
out of each arm. The skin ana flesh were
taken off in five rcws on eacn arm. 1t was
not painful at first, but before they We're
through there was a stream OF agony pour
ing from my arms to my heart that was
ALMOST unbearab.e. / did not open my lips
me, although the operation afasteIIa four
hours The rext time I was tortured all ip-y
eyebrows and eyelashes We're pulled out.
After that l went through the tortures as
stoically as the Indians themselves. even
including the fortunes of the sun dance.
where horsehair ropes were tied In the
muscles of the breast and back ard form mr.