Year: 1859

The Lafayette Qnd.) Journal pub
fishes lengthy letter from George
Winter, of that city, addressed to his
father, from Carson Valley, on the goth
OF September, giving an account of the
-prIvatlons he had encountered, and the
imminent dangers he had escaped
while on his way over the plains to Cal
ifornia. We make an extract:


was captured twice by the Digger
Indians on the Humboldt River. and
once by the Goose Greek River Indi-
ans. | escaped from them once through
the interference of a white man living
among them-supposed to be Nor
mon-but was not SO lucky the last
time. having received a severe cut with
knife, two inches long, on my left
breast. 1t was not fair blow, or
would most probably have proved fatal.
The Indian who stabbed me almost los,
his life. / drew my revolver and sho,
him in the back of the head, and pre-
pared to shoot him again, but discov.
cred another Indian near. | was afraid
of beirg caught again, so ran as fast
as could to escape them. In retreat
ing for safety l ran into the bushes and
amidst another body of Indians, who
were in the act of stripping the body
of white man who had just been
killed. One bloody devil of an Indian
tore off his scalp. The unfortunate
man belonged to our train, by name
Thomas Harding, from Ohio. In my
surprise and alarm l gave most infer
nal yell, which brought body of our
men from the other side of the creek,
and saved ME from horrible fate
The Indians were surprised, and did
not seem to know how to act.


But sadssand bloody strife cnsued.
Our party killed five Indians on the
spot, and took twenty prisoners. The
remaining nine were hung on the fol
lowing morning. This was done bv
placing the tongues of the wagons to-
gether and tying rope at the apex.
The Indians were made to stand upon
horse, the rope adjusted around their
necks, the horse was then driven from
under the gallows, and each one was
thus launched into eternity. 1t was a
sad scene, but one of the terrible ne
cessities for self-presorvation. One of
them proved to be white man, evil
IDENTITY a Mormon. He was stripped
the iron rods from behind the end gates
of five wagons were used to whip him
until he was nearly dead they were
then heated red hot and pushed into
his flesh


Oh, it was horrible and revolving /;
yet |, with many others, stood and saw
him suffer. They burned him so that
at last he did not seem to care no mors
for it than the mere prick of pin. AT
first he cursed and swore that his friends
(the Indians) would have revenge for
this. They then hung him, and tied
the knot in such way as to prolong
his suffering. He was then cut down
and taken to the willows. He was
watched by men secreted IN the aush-
er; in short time some Indians came
sneaking up to take the wounded man
away. He seemed to revive through
something that was administered to
him. He revived sufficiently to relate
to the Indians his sutferings. In their
effort to run the wounded man off the
party sprang up from their ambush and
shot the miserable man dead, and
wounded another Indian The next
night the Indians slipped into our camp
and killed two men by the name OF
Jefferson, from Indiana. knew them
well they were brothers, and once
lived i'm Lafayette. One Indian was
caught aud put through the tortures
the next day.