The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-04


Mrs Sarah L. Larlmer of Nebraska
has been in Washington recently to
collect a claim against the government
for losses sustained by her from In
dian depredations and for valuable
information given the United States
troops regarding The plans OF the In
dians, a large sum Of money having
been awarded 70 her lately by the
court Of claims. Her story is as fol-
lows: In 1864 Lieutenant Larimer,
who had just been honorably dis
charged from the union army, left his
hcme in Kansas, accompanied by his
girl wife and baby, 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
several other travellers and had with
them nearly $4,000 In money When in
Wyoming territory they we're sur
prised by a band Of Sioux Indians. who
murdered three Of the party. wound
ed 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 seventy miles from the
spot where they had attacked the trav-
elers. A day or two after the news Of
the attack came to the Eleventh Unit
ed States cavalry, stationed at Fort
Laramie, Wyoming territory. Lieu
tenant Larimer had been found nearly
dead from arrow wounds and distract
ed at the fate which had befallen his
wife and baby The officers OF the
Eleventh Immediately moved part Of |
their command up the Platte river and
obtained further information as to
where the raid had taken place They |
were about to move against the In
dians with a force of two companies
when Mrs. Larimer came crawling into
camp, carrying her child She and the |
baby we're nearly famished. AS soon
as Mrs. Larimer was able she gave
a detailed account of the position of
the Indians, their plans hnd move
ments their designs against the COM
mand, which they knew would be NOV
Ing against them. their numbers. and
The ambuscades which they had pre-
pared. Her information was so val
liable that the officers were able to
hwart the designs Of the Indians. not
'nly against the pursuing troops, but
against exposed points and trains that
we're on the emigrant road The or
icers found the Information Mrs. Lar
mer gave as to the position and move
nents Of the Indians 70 be exactly as
he had said and marveled at the mem-
'ry which had endured through the
Iours Of horror she had undergone.
he accuracy OF her statements was
verified by the fact that
ne Of the lieutenants and few OF his
len who had disobeyed orders and
'llowed a trail apart from the COM
land fell into an ambuscade described
Mrs Larimer and we're killed.
Irs Larimer was never quite clear as
how many hours she had spent with
ie Indians She had read of the tor
Tres inflicted by Indians upon women
aptives and was determined II possl-
le to get her child and herself away :
ON their clutches and die in some I
-her way than by their tortures. She
ad always been a girl Of fearless dis e
osition, quick in her movements and +
sry observant She pretended TO be q
IDLY in a languid and almost immov- i
DE state. After hours OF waiting and n
atching their dances and listening 81
their plans for further depreda- Il
'ns, when they had ceased to observe p
y, she found chance to slip away bl
yond the fires into the dark bush. bI
trough two days and nights she Ell
uggled on, faint, nearly dead. until in
e fell exhausted into the cavalry II
MP. ie