The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-07-22
Concerning the Scdp-L lifting Habit

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 it 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 it was thrown over through their
devilish act.
l 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 dead, he not
daring even to groan while the milan
was saving at his scalp with very
dull knife.
The other instance which has come
under my own observation is that Of
Robert MCGEE. In 1864 MCGEE, slen-
der STRIPPING of lad. came to Leaven-
worth, Kan. seeking employment That
town was the base OF Government sup
plies for all the frontier military posts
even as far away as Arizona. freight
caravan was at that time loading for
Fort Union, N NJ. The wagons ard
whole outfit, were owned By con-
tractor named II. c. Barrett hut he
would not take the chances or the long
and perilous trip of more than 100 miles
through the Indian-infested plains I'M
less the Government leased Inc tram
outright or gave him an indemnify s
bond and assurance against loss. Inc
bond was given and Barrett proceeded
to hire transfers. a hard task on ac-
count of the danger attending the jour
ney. Young MCGEE was among the
number engaged, and the caravan
started July l, 1864.
1t took the old Sante Fe trail. strik-
ing the Arkansas River at the great
bend Of that stream, near It's cohhu-
ence with the Walnut The region was
very rough and called the DARK ana
bloody ground" for some of the worst
Indian massacres in the history OF the
plains were perpetrated there. Some
insignificant skirrnishes with the In
dams had taken place, but nothihs 70
cause any serious alarm, ana now as
the caravan was approaching the VI
entity of Fort Larned its proximity
was believed to be sufficient projection
from further possible danger.
On the afternoon of July le-u mao
been an excessively hot day-the cara
van went into camp at an early hour.
The escorting troops stacked arms
about half mile distant, but in full
view of the train. The men snoulo
have kept a good lookout for surprises,
probably did in way, but there was
feeling of security in the knowledge
that a regular attack by sayages is
rarely made until the early hours of
the morning when sleep is heaviest
About 4 o'clock, however, band OF
Brule Sioux, under the lead of Little
Turtle, descended from the sandhills in
all the fury of a tornado. uttering their
wild warwhoops, and of all the small
army of men employed blythe caravan
young Robert MCGEE alone came out
alive to tell the story of the massacre.
Every Individual was shot dead and
scalped as he lay or sat at the mess
table. The mules. of course, went to
swell the herd of the savages, but the
wagons were destroyed by fire, their
canvas covers cut up into breech clouts,
and the -four with which the caravan
was loaded emptied from its sacks on
the prairie
Young MCGEE was attacked by Lit
tie Turtle himself and knocked to the
ground by one blow of his tomahawk.
AS he lay there, partially stunned and