Year: 1876




Old Jimmy Kannon is the hero of
romance. A real, complete, natu-
raj somance, one that has never been
in print. The old man loves to tell
it, and the main details have been
fully cOrrObOrated by others. His
romance is as follows: A few years
ago Jimmy was lettering about Fort
Laramie, receiving his SIS per day as
government scout and interpreter.
One evening the post was startled by
the report that an emigrant train
had been massacred about two miles
and half from the fort. Worse
than all Il white woman, a Miss Mary
Brand, had been carried off by the
Sioux. Kannon volunteered as a
guide for company of cavalry. At
dark the cavalry halted for the night
in II ravine about ten miles northwest
of Fort Laramie, on the Rowhide
trail. All the white men on the train
on the Platte had been massacred,
and no one had been left to tell the
story except an Irishman, who died
soon after being found. He had been
fishing with Miss Brand, some dis
tance from the main camp, when the
attack was made. From him Kan
non learned enough to satisfy him
that the Sioux had gone over to Row.
ride river Then he resolved to go
alone and ahead of the soldiers, and
ifpossible effect a rescue. He reach.
ed the Indian camp about midnight
and secured his pony to tree in the
valley, and soon afterwards crawled
into the Indian camp. His long res
idenee with the Indians taught him
where to look for the captive. He
was soon lying fiat on his belly in the
rear of the lodge containing Miss
Brand. He found one old squaw sit
ting in front of the lodge humming a
doleful tune and on raising the edge
Of the tepee or lodge he discovered
another old hag seated near a small
fire feeding feeble flame with straw.
He also saw the captive white woman
lying with her head to the odtside of
the tepee, less than two feet away.
He whispered words of caution and
cheerto Miss Brand, who started up
in alarm. This startled both the
squaws, and the one on the outside
walked around to the rear of the
lodge, where she met asudden, silent
death at the hand of the old scout.
The other squaw, suspecting some
thing wrong, gave the alarm. Quick
as ii flash, Kannon raised up the
edge Of the lodge and drew out the
captive, and throwing her upon his
shoulders made Il dash into the dark
ness. The camp was soon in an up.
roar. But kannon made his escape
with his horse, although an arrow
had pierced his body through. He
took II course eastward down the
Rowhide, while the indians started
toward Fort Laramie, which was due
southwark from the camp. Finding
himself getting weaker from loss of
blood, Kannon drew forth the arrow
which had passed through his body
and projected out ir front, and filled
his buckskin shirt around the wound
with wet mud, and then continued
his flight. At daylight he found
himself on the head of the Dry Cot
tonwood Greek, twelve miles from
Laramie. But the Indians were be-
tween himself and the fort. He kept
out ofsight and saw them meet and
engage the soldiers he left the night
before, and made his way half dead
TO Fort Laramie without being dis
covered by the Indians.


The result is soon told. Kannon
was taken into the post hospital, and
his nurse was Miss Brand, the rescued
white woman. She stood by the
bedside of the prisoner until he re-
covered, and being without friends or
home, all having been taken from
her in the massacre, she married the
old scout. Mrs, Cannon now lives in
Keytesville, station on the North
Missouri Railroad, where she waits
longingly for this cruel war TO end
Jimmy Kannon is now with Gen.
Crook, and is one of the most trust
ed scouts. He is the last survivor ol
the massacre of the Alamo, where
his parents were killed. His early
life, up to the time he reached the
age of manhood, was spent with the
Camanches, who, with Gen. SAINTS
Anna, massacred Davy Crockett anG
his brave band at San Antonia.