The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-06-13

Hot ualinE even 10 ETOGn "nllc the In
dian was saving at Ills scalp with a
very dull knife.
The other instance which has come
under my own observation is that yf
Robert Mc'icc. IN 1864 Mcticc, a
slc"1"r STRIPPING Of a lad, came ~
Learonvorth, Kan, seeking employ
mcnt. That town was the !.usc Of
government supplies for All the from.
tier military posts even rs far away as
Arizona. a frci ght caravan was at
that time loading for Fort Union, y.
NJ. The wagons and whole outfit
were owned by a contractor named II.
g. Barret, but he would not take the
chances Of the long and p >rilous trip
of more than 700 miles through the
Indian infested plains unless the gov
ernment leased the train outright, or
gave him an indcmnifying bond and
assurance against loss. The bond was
given and Barret proceeded to hire
teamsters, hard task on account of
the danger attending 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 the conau-
ence with the Walnut. The region
was very rough and called the "dark
and bloody ground" for some of the
worst Indian massacrcs of the plains
were perpetrated there. Some insig-
nidcant skirmishes with the Indians
had taken place, but nothing to cause
any serious alarm and now, as the
caravan was approaching the vicinity
of Fort Larned, its proximity was be-
lieved to be sufficient protection from
further possible danger.
On The afternoon of July 1S-it had
been an excessively hot day-the car
avan wont into camp at an early hour.
The eseorting troops stacked arms
about halt n mile distant, but in full
view Of the train. The men should
have kept good lookout for surprises,
propable did in way, but there was a
feeling of security in the knowledge
that regular attack by savages is
rarely made until the early hours Of
the morriag when sleep is heaviest.
About 4 O'Clock, however, a band Of
Brule Sioux, under the lead of Little
Turtle, descended from the sand hills
in all the fury Of tornado, uttering
their wild war whoops, and of all the
small army Of men employed by the
caravan young Robert MoGee alone
came out alive to tell the story Of the
massacree. Every Individual was
dead end soalped as he lay or eat at
the mess table. The mules, Of course,
went to swell the herd Of the savages,
but the wagons we're destroyed by fire,
their canvas powers cut up into breach
clouts and the -four with which the
caravan was loaded emptied from its
sacks On the prairie.
Young MoGee was attacked By
Little Turtle himself and knocked
to the ground BY one blow Of his toma.
hawk. As he lay there, partially
stunned and bleeding, Little Turtle
fred two arrows into his body, PIN
ming him to she earth. Then in a
transport Of fienIishness, he took
Roberts own pistol and shot him, tho
bullet lodging in his backbone. Not
quite satisfisd that he had made a
good Job Of il, he stopped over the
PROSTATE boys body, and, running his
knife around his head, lifted sixty
four square inches of his scalp, trim
ming It of just back of the ears.
Believing his victim t. be dead By
this time, the chief abandoned him,
but others Of the band in passing
hacked him with their knives and
poked holes into him with their long
lances. All the others in the train
were long sinoa dead, killed outright,
and their bodies mutilated.
After the savsges; had completed
their work they rode, whooping and
yelling away, and troops that had
witnessed the whole affair from heir
vantage ground, came upon the soe1e
60 investigate and !, arm whether the
Sioux had been properly met or not
By the ill'fated men Of the caravan.
The oaiesr in command was vary prop.
efly nbsst.msstialed and dismissed in
disgfaas from the service. Ha aevsr
gase any satisfactory, reason for his
ontrsgseaa ma couardiy conduct.
I ssIhs esly pa,s ths ,treops teok ia tho
aaair SaG 80 bury the daad. Whentl
they q i ss.sstsnptsd s.t o. put young MeGee