Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-07-13
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THRILLING STORY OF A woMAN's
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.
Plucky Mrs. Larimer Was the Hero
Inc of an Exciting Adventure with
the Bloodthirsty Sioux In Wyoming
Territory In 1864.

While in Washington one day saw
come out Of the department of justice
woman Of attractive appearance. AS
she paused moment on the step and
looked with bright, observant eyes over
at the White House and along Pennsyl-
vania avenue. she presented picture
of comforta BILE, placid middle age. One
of the attorneys from the Indian depre-
dation claims department accompanied
her to the door, and after she babe him
goodby he said:
''That woman is Mrs. Sarah L. Lari-
mer of Nebraska, and she is making her
yearly visit to Washington. When at
the capital, she always calls on her
friends in the department of justice.
The files of Indian depreciation claims
contain no more romantic and thrilling
incidents than these which relate the
early life of Mrs. Larimer Those who
meet her now as a woman of the present
day, quite abreast of the times in which
she lives. interested in all public ques-
lions and full Of kindly sympathies, can
scarcely realize that in her youth she
was the heroine of regular dime
novel story of the plains
SIN 1864 Lieutenant Larimer, who
had just been honorably discharged
from the Union army, left his home in
Kansas, accompanied by his young wife
and little child, to cross the plains for
the restoration Of his health, which had
given out through hard service in the
war. They were in company with sew
eral other travellers and had with them
valuable personal belongings, consist
ing of several wagons and horses, ex-
pensive clothing, family jewels. COM
plete Photographic outfit and nearly
81, 600 in money. When in Wyoming
territory, they We're surprised by band
of Sioux Indians, who murdered three
of the party, wounded TWO, Lieutenant
Larimer being one of the wounded, and
captured Mrs. Larimer and her child.
The Indians took the woman and child
to their camp, about 70 miles from
the spot where they had attacked the
travellers.
"a day OF two after the attack news
came to the Eleventh cavalry, stationed
at Fort Laramie, Wy, that the Sioux
had attacked travellers on the emigrant
road and had carried Mrs. Larimer and
her child into captivity. Lieutenant
Larimer had been found. nearly dead
from arrow wounds and distracted at
the fate which had befallen his wife
and baby. The officers of the Eleventh
Immediately moved part of their COM
mand up the Platte river and obtained
further information as to where the
raid had taken place. They were about
to move against the Indians with a
force of two companies when Mrs.
Larimer came crawling into camp, car
rying her child in her arms Their con-
dition was deplorable. She and the child
were nearly famished. AS soon as Mrs.
Larimer was able she gave a detailed
account of the position Of the Indians,
their plans and movements, their de-
signs against the command which they
knew would be moving against Them
their numbers and the ambuscades
which they had prepared. Her informa-
ton was so valuable that the officers
We're able to thwart the designs of the
Indians, not only against the pursuing
troops, but against exposed points and
trains that We're on the emigrant road.
''The officers found the information
Mrs. Larimer gave as to the position
and movements Of the Indians to be ex-
actly as she had said and marveled at
the powers of observation and clearness
Of memory which had endured through
the hours of torture she had gone
through. The accuracy of her state
ments was particularly verified by the
fact that one of the lieutenants and a
few of his men, who had disobeyed or
ders and followed trail apart from the
command, fell into an ambuscade de-
scribed by Mrs Larimer and were
killed.
Mrs Larimer was never quite clear
as to how many hours she had passed
with the Indians. From the moment Of
captivity, when they had started off
with her child and herself in their train,
she had concentrated every faculty on
watching for an opportunity of escape.
She had seen her husband struck down
by arrows, killed, as she supposed; had
seen the WAGONS fred and her friends
killed and wounded. She had read of
the tortures inflicted by Indians upon
women captives, never imagining that
one day she would be their wretched
victim. She was determined, it posi-
BILE, to get herself and child away from
their clutches and die in some other
way than BY their fortunes. She had
always been girl of fearless DISPOSE
ton, quick in her movements and very
observant. She pretended to be bodily
in a languid and almost immovable
state. After hours of waiting and
watching their dances and listening to
their plans for further depredations
when they had ceased to observe her
she found a .hance to slip away beyond
the fires into the dark bush For hours
and hours. through two days and
nights, she struggled on, faint, nearly
dead, until she fell exhausted in the
camp Of the cavalry.
1T was happy time. of course,
when she found her young husband
alive. All they had in the world was
gone, but after the horrors of their ex-
perience had passed away little and