Year: 1869

jumped on the fore part of the jackstaf,


and told him to put that pole down; he


cursed me and abused me in all kinds of


language. After about two minutes he


put the pole down again; walked off


to the pilot house, talking to the pilot; l


made the boat fast and launched one


stage out the second stage had bold of


with the other man; the mate (Garrett)


was behind my back and pulled my sail


or's knife from out the sheath and threw


it cowardly overheard; had no time TO
turn myself to get away; he struck me


with the knee right in the back, and


struck nae with the lead In the back; the


lead is used to sound the river; it weighs


from four to five pounds it struck me in
the middle of the back. I was staggering


aud ho then seized me, pulled his pistol


and struck me couple of tines Then


he held the pistol close to my mouth and


said, (" You DIN son of O b--h I wouldn't
shoot you;" and he shot, the bullet,


sliding along my teeth, knocking outtwo


Of my teeth and passing out through my


cheek, on the left side. He then took the


butt Of his pistol and knocked me on the


head three or four times, me trying to get


away from him; Icould not getaway until


the bar-kseper came running down the


stairs and said to the mate, Don't kill


this man." u The bar keeper came right


between and got me off. was right on


the stage when got clear Iwent ashore
aud sat down, bleeding powerfully out OF


the head, out of the mouth, and out OF


the back. / sat there for awhile. Iwent


up to the stage. When was about half


way to the stage the mate came and


stopped me. asked the mateDto. let me


go and lay down in the engine room. He


said, I" No, you dTdson of b--h; take


log on your back" i was praying to
let me on the boat, when he took his


pistol again in his hand.As soon as /


saw the pistol / went ashore. | laid


down on q log until the boat had very


nearly finished wooding. raised up and


went to the mate and asked him if he


would not let me on the boat and give me


my clothes. He said :: You did son


of a BIB, get away from me-" | went
and laid down; the boat left me on the


sand bar, surrounded by water. There


was nothing on the sand-bar except
driftwood., This wss about ninety miles
below Fort Buford. / remained on the


island from that morning until the next
day near noon. I got off on o log that
came floating along the sand.barL The
sand bar was very near the middle, of the
river. l hoated for about two hours, or
two and half, / cannot tell which, until
1 struck on another sand -bar and could
get on it. There was very little water
between the last sand-bar and the main
shore. was up to my hips in the water
in walking from there to the main
shore. l sat down on the shore on the
left hand side going up. Fort Buford
is on the oother side. II walked along,
trying to get out of the brush. saw
three Indians. As soon as was trying
to hide myself away, and they sung out
to me, stopped, and they came around
me and looked very bad at me, aud
talked to one another, and took me by
the arm aud pushed me along; they
marched me, thought, about two hours,
until they got me to their settlement;
when they got me there | was standing
there about FIVE or six minutes when they
came iu a rush and stripped me of every
thing had on me; they then took my
hand, and, seeing the ring had on, COM
meneed pulling at my finger; they could |
not get the ring; there came squaw,
and she tried it; after she could not get
it of, the biggest Indian in the crowd
took the knife, and / thought he was go
ing 10 cut my finger off; he made a stab
at my finger With the knife, and then
tried TO get my ring off; the squaw was
ouarreling with the Indian Icould not
understand what the Indians said; my |
finger was fearfully bleeding, and the
So uaw put il in her mouth, and, taking
the ring in her mouth, worked until she
got II of. Then the Indians got q rope
aud tied my hands together, aud took me
under a tree; two or three of them bad
hold of me, and the1other, one on his /
pouy was alongside Of the tree making
me fast The Indian on the horse sung
out to let me 70, leaving me hanging with
my hands above my bead. My feet at
frst could not touch the ground, until !
about tifteen or twenty minutes, and 4
could then only touch with my toes.
They had big FIRE. right within seven,
eight or nine feet of the tree. / could
not exactly tell. The Indians sat down
at the FIRE aud qusrrsled. After quarrel
ing for a considerable while they got up
and danced allaround me; the squsw she
came up and talked to me, but i could
not talk to Der !. yss very near gone
from the amount of pain, 1 did not
scarcely know suyt thing the squAw went
up 10 the FIRE; they were passing very
near me, and got to fighting by The way
they acted could not understand All
at once:the sqnaw came. mp to me she
had knife In her hand and cut the rope;
/ feIl right under the tree, and laid there
about half an hour, think; could not
tell exactly; / had no watch two OF the
"a uavs raised me on my feet and after
thay got me on my feet they PIT little
buck skin apron before me. Witness
here produced apron in court; They
raw. =. some kind, bf an old rag or
to pot roand ~ mack neA'
got to the ssak ct the river
iust at daylight and sat down there,
praying for mercy to Be relieved hy some
boat. / remained, for two days on the
bank Of the river, the fonrth morning
after had been leff there By the flirt
Ivo passengers Of the Tscony came