Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-04-13
BRAVE IN DANGER.
NEBRASKA woMAN'S ExPERI-
ENCE WITH INDIANS.
Mrs. Larimer Recently Rewarded by
the Governments for Valuable Informa-
don Furnished Unissd state. rrseps
In 1864.

Mrs. Sarah L. Larimer 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
dams, q large sum of money having
been awarded to 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
home 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 were 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.
Iarimer 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
dams with force of two companies
when Mrs. Larimer came crawling iE<so
camp, carrying her child. She and the
baby were nearly famished. AS soon
as Mrs. Larimer was able she gave
a detailed account of the position of
the Indians, their plans and 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
thwart the designs of the Indians, not
only against the pursuing troops, but
against exposed points and trains that
were on the emigrant road The Of
f1cers found the information Mrs. Lar
inner gave as to the position and move
ments of the Indians to be exactly as
she had said and marve1ed at the mem
DRY which had endured through the
hours of horror she had undergone.
The accuracy of her statements was
particularly verified by the fact that
one of the lieutenants and few OF his
men who had disobeyed orders and
followed a trail apart from the COM
mand fell into an ambuscade described
by Mrs. Larimer and were killed
Mrs. Larimer was never quite clear as
to how many hours she had spent with
the Indians. She had read of the tor
lures inflicted by Indians upon women
captives and was determined if posi-
BILE to get her child and herself away
from their clutches and die in some
other way than by their tortures She
had always been girl of fearless dis
position, quick in her movements and
very observant. She pretended to be
bodily in a languid and almost immov-
able state. After hours of waiting and
watching their dances and listening
to their plans for further depreda-
tions, when they had ceased to observe
her, she found chance to slip away
beyond the fires into the dark BUSH
Through two days and nights she
struggled on, faint, nearly dead, until
she fell exhausted into the cavalry
CAMP