Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-08
INDIAN scALPING STORIES.
PIainsmen Who Were seaIped and Still
Lived.

PIainsnen Who Were seaIped and Still
Lived.
All Indian tribes with which am
acquainted scalp their enemies killed
In battle. OF the origin of scalp TAX
ing but little is known, and that vague
and indefinite. Nearly every tribe
has some wild. weird legend to ac-
count for the custom, but these ira
ditions vary widely as to the cause.
That raising Of the hair CT an enc
my is Of great antiquity there is no
doubt, for in the Bible 1t Is related
how the soldiers tore the skin from
the heads of their vanquished foes.
With the North American savage
there appears to be some close afflli-
alton between the departed and his
hair. have often asked many a
blood begrimed warrior why he
should care for the dead mans hair,
says Capt. Henry Inman in the Kan
sas City Star, and invariably num-
Der of reasons has been assigned. 1t
Is as evidence to his people that he
has triumphed over his enemy. The
scalps are very prominent factors in
the incantations of the Medicine
Lodge" a feature of religious rites.
The savage believes there Is a won
derfully inherent power in the scalps
of an enemy; all the excellent quail
titles of the victim go with his hair
the moment It rs wrenched from his
head. II the victim is a renowned
warrior, so much greater is the anx-
iety to procure his scalp for the for
tunate possessor then inherits all the
bravery and prowess Of its original
owner. 90 .H
I never knew Of but one instance
in all my experience with the Indians,
covering a period OF more than the
third of century, where white
man, taken prisoner In battle, escap-
ed death. 1t was a great many years
ago; the party, dear friend, still
living, a grand old mountaIneer but
the homliest man on earth, probably.
He was red faced, wrinkled and
ipock-marked. with mouth as large
and full Of teeth as a gorilla, and
there was no more hair on his head
than there is on billiard ball.
He was captured in a prolonged
fight and taken to the village Of the
tribe where the principal chief re-
sided That dignitary gave one dig
gustei look at the prisoner and said
that he was bad Medicine" II not
the evil Spirit" himself, closely re-
lated to 1T. The chief ordered his sub
ordinate to furnish the prisoner with
pony, loading him with provisions,
provided him with a rife and told
him to go back to his people.
For the reasons stated the Indian
Of the great plains and the Rocky
mountains would rather take one
scalp Of a. famous scout or army off,
Ger who nas successfully chastised
them,-for example, Custer, Sully,
Miles or Crook-than a dozen scalps
Of ordinary white men.
There are many instances on record
where men have been scalped and
yet survived the terrible ordeal, but
In every case the scalper supposed
his victim dead, the latter taking
good care that his foeman should not
be disabused Of the supposed fact
In 1867 party Of Indians took up
rail on the Union Pacific railway
and laid distractions on the track.
After dark a freight train ran into
the trap and was wrecked. The en-
gineer and fireman were instantly
killed. The conductor and brakemen
Jumped off to find themselves beset
by a band Of yelling savages. They
ran into the darkness and all escaped
except one who was pursued, shot and
fell The Indian who had fired dis
mounted from his pony, and strad-
ding that unlucky mans body scalp
ed him, stripped him Of all clothing
but shirt and shoes and rode away.
Early In the morning another freight
train was tagged by hideous looking
object. which turned out to be the
brakeman who had been shot through
the body and scalped! He had recov-
cred his senses, and knowing that the
train was due, walked some distance
down the track to save 1t from being
wrecked. He was taken on board and
the train moved up to the wreck,
which, after plundering 1t, the Indians
left, just as 1t was thrown over through
their devilish act.
saw the unfortunate man some
months afterward. He was perfectly
recovered but with a horrible looking
head. He stated that the bullet, al
though knocking him down, had not
made him unconscious, and the great
est trial during that awful night was
the necessity of shamming death, he
not daring even to groan while the In
dian was saving at his scalp with a
very dull knife.
The other instance which has come
under my own observation is that OF
Robert McGee. In 1854 MCGEE, q
slender stripping of lad, came to LeaV-
enworth, Kan, seeking employment
That town was the base Of govern
ment supplies for all the frontier MILL
tary posts even as far away as Arlzo-
ma. A freight caravan was at that
time loading for Fort Union, N. M. The
wagons and whole outfit were owned
by a contractor named H. c. Barrett,
but he would not take the chances OF
the long and perilous trip Of n'Ore
than 700 miles through the Indian In
tested plains unless the government
leased the train outright, or gave him
an indemnifying bond and assurance
against loss. The bond was given and
Barret proceeded to hire teamsters, a
hard task on account Of the danger at
tending the journey. Young MCGEE
was among the number engaged, and
the caravan started July l, 1864.
1t took the old Santa Fe trail, strik-
ing the Arkansas river at the Great
Bend Of that stream, near Its conf1u-