The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-08-01
Little Journeys in
Americana
Indians Adopt James Smith
BY LESTER B. COLBY

uiah war was Just getting under way.
Some time that spring the boy joined
a bodybuilding outfit in Pennsylvania
| Braddock's army was to use that road
in late June on its march westward to
Fort Duquesne-and to defeat.
One bright morning in early sum-
| mer young Smith and a companion
were travelling along this road when
three Indians ambushed them. Smith
was captured and his comrade killed.
Greatly to his surprise Smith was
neither burned to death nor tortured,
beyond being compelled to run the
gauntlet"
He was forced to travel with the
Indians through forests aud over
mountains. Finally, some weeks la
ter, he was adopted into an Indian
family. He lived with the Indians six
years. After his escape he wrote the
story of his remarkable adventures.
| will quote from that story briefly:
1.-THE day after my arrival at the
town called Tullihas, inhabited by
Delawares, Caughnewagas and Mohi-
cans, number of Indians collected
about me and one of them began to
pull the hair out of my head. He had
some ashes on a piece of bark. in
which he frequently dipped his fin.
gers, in order to take tirmer hold
so he went on as If he were pluck.
ing turkey until he had all the hair
out of my head except a small spot
three or four inches square on my
crown; this they cut off with a pair
of scissors. except three locks. which
they dressed up in their own mode.
1.-TWO of these they wrapped around
with narrow. beaded garter made
by themselves for that purpose. The
other they plated at full length and
then stuck it full of silver brooches
After that they bored my nose and
ears and fixed me Off with earrings
and nose jewels.
ssThen they ordered me to strip off
my clothes and put on breech-clout
which | did; they then painted my
head, face and body in various colors.
'sThey put large belt of wampum
on my neck and silver bands on my
hands and right arm; and so an old
chief led me out in the street and gave
the alarm halloo, coo-wigh, several
times, repeated quick; and on this all
that were in the town came running
and stood around the old chief who
held me by the hand in the midst.
"As | at that time knew nothing of
their mode of adoption, and had seen
them put to death all they had taken.
and as never learned that they saved
a man alive at Braddock's defeat,
made no doubt but that they were
about to put me to death in some
cruel manner.
'The old chief, holding me by the
hand, made long speech, very loud,
and when he had done, he handed me
to three young squaws who led me
by the hand down the bank into the
river until the water was up to our
middle.
''The squaws then made signs to me
to plunge into the water but | did
not understand them; | thought that
the result of the council was that
should be drowned and these three
young ladies were to be the execution
ers. They all three laid violent hold
of me, and | for some time opposed
them with all my might which occa-
stoned loud laughter by the multitude
that were on the bank of the river.
"At length one of the squaws made
out to speak a little English, for be-
lieve they began to be afraid of me,
and said, No hurt you On this
gave myself up to their ladyships who
were as good as their word; for
though they plunged me under water,
and washed and scrubbed me severely,
yet could not say they hurt me
much"
Smith tells in detail how he was
next conducted to the council, how
his body was painted, how he was Civ
en- new clothes, pipe, tOmahaWk and
a pouch made out of polecat skin.
After smoking in silence for time
a chief arose and made a speech. This
speech, translated to Smith by an in
terpreter, was about like this:
"My son, you are now flesh of our
flesh, and bone of our bone. BY the
ceremony which was performed this
day, every drop of white blood was
washed out of your veins; you are
taken into the Caughnewago nation,
and initiated into warlike tribe; you
are adopted into great family, and
now received with great seriousness
and sOlemnity in the room and place
of great man.
"After what has passed this day you
are now one of US by an old strong
law and custom. My son, you have
now nothing to fear-we are now I'M
der the same obligations to love, sup
port and defend you that we are to
love and defend one another; there
fore, you are to consider yourself one
of our people"
From that day on, Smith wrote, he
never knew them to make any dis
tinction between him and any of the
red-skinned tribesmen among whom he
lived.
20. 1929. Lester B. Colby1