The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1903-03-20
'IATELL, yes, if you want IT," said
w the old cavalry sergeant to

see the play Whefe lht lAnlaH biA-
falls in love with a young officer and
by her heroism saves the garrison
You've seen the play?"
Eyes" his hearers assented.
"Well then III tell you a story some
thing like that in the play. Itwas just
after the Kearney massacre, that is we
whites callit a massacre but if as many
Indians had been killed al there were
soldiers ID would have been nothing
but fight, and say this though have
been a regular for more than 30 years
The whole country up toward what
afterward was the Custer battlefield
was filled with Sioux. There were
old Red Cloud, he was comparatively
young Red Cloud then, American
Horse. and some others, all big chiefs
and bad. who were on the war path
with bands Of young bucks. and they
were burning and lifting hair when
ever they got chance.
81 was a duty sergeant in the Eley-
enth cavalry at the time serving with
IL troop With 81 troop we had been
following the trail Of a bunch of reds.
near the Grand river. We struck 'em
Unexpectedly and killed some eight or
ten and lost four men ourselves. The
rest of the band scattered and got
away. but we made a queer capture.
so Indian on the war path ever takes
O. smaw along with him, that is. if he's
regularly on the war path, but that
bunch had along with 'em the prettiest
Sioux girl anyone ever laid eyes on.
Indian girls amt pretty anyway, but
this one was, and you have my word
for IL. She wasn't more than Is years
old. A lot Of our men spoke the Sioux
lingo and we got her story. Her name
was Winta, and she was the daughter
Of q Sioux chief. She had gone down
Grand river way on visit to a Sioux
village that was peaceful like. Her
father was q tough old warrior who
hated the whites, and he was now mp
near the Black Hills.
"Winta said she had become home
sick and that this rowing band Of
Sioux coming along and being headed
for her fathers headquarters, she had
asked them to take her home. Being
q big chiefs daughter, the braves had
done as she requested.
"This was along in October and the
weather was getting sharp. 'B and
II had orders to go into winter quar-
ters up Black Hills way. We knew we
had to get there pretty soon and pre-
pare things for a long, hard time Of
&c.. We didn't know what to do with
the girl. We couldn't leave her, and
SO we took her along.
eve had a young second lieutenant
with us. He was good-looking fell
low. but If / must say it he had con
siderable conceit. That's neither here
nor there. however. Winta, the Sioux
girl. was as modest a creature as any
prairie flower that ever grew. She
took a shine, however, to the West
Point youngster, and he was mighty
attentive TO her, though all in a fair
and square way. You can bet the old
major commanding our squadron
wouldn't a-had 1t any other way, for.
vou see. woman under the protection
of a bunch Of soldiers is safe, be she
red. white or yellow. Blake, that was
the Youngsters name, used to ride
alongside Of Winta, and he saw to it
that she got the best bits Of buffalo
meat that the carcass afforded. She
used to hang her head on one side and
look at him just the way you've seen
many q white girl look. They're all
alike, these women.
"Weu. we got up near the Black
Hills some time early in November.
and it was getting colder than sin. The
old major looked about for a suitable
place for our winter camp and found
II under the shelter Of some bluffs,
with plenty Of water close at hand.
Our position was al right except
that we were pretty badly open on
one side in case Of attack, but as a
matter of fact we didn't think much
of that because there were sixty odd
OF MS and we thought we were good for
all the Sioux and northern Cheyennes
chat were likely to come. We had the
Indian girl. Winta, with us yet, and
the major gave her a tent by herself.
She was sweeter than sweet still on the
youngster Blake; that is, her eyes
would follow him round, and she al
wavs smiled when he spoke to her,
something she wouldn't do for anyone
else in the outfit, though she was al
WAYS polite and nice enough, Sioux
fashion.
1--WE were running short Of meat and
the major sent out a hunting party
into the hills with a lot Of pack horses
Theyw ere gone ten days and they came
back with enough grub to last us all
winter. but they had bit Of news that
we didn't like. They told us that not
more than Is miles of, where two
creeks came together, there was a
huge encampment Of Indians. evident
ly settled for the winter. They had
counted the tepee poles by the aid Of
glasses and figured that there must
be at least 5000 Indians in the village
which meant a fighting strength Of
about 500 men.
"a soldiers willin' to fight but he
can't fight long with odds Of fourteen
TO one against him. We didn't care
about going TO attack the reds, and we
we're mighty well content if they
wouldn't come to attack us.
"When Winta. the Indian girl. heard
about the village she said that it was
ttrt.4s H.. , Nouno7