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31 - Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters · Life and Adventures of Kit Carson

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Speaker 1: Section thirty, chapter seventeen of the Life and Adventures of
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Speaker 1: Kit Carson. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
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Speaker 1: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
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Speaker 1: please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Dion joins The
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Speaker 1: Life and Adventures of Kit Carson by DeWitt C. Peters,
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Speaker 1: Section thirty, chapter seventeen, Part two. The people who formed
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Speaker 1: the chief population of the territory have so often been
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Speaker 1: deprived of their property that it is not strange that
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Speaker 1: they have become poverty stricken and indolent. It is enough
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Speaker 1: to strike down the enterprise of any nation to have
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Speaker 1: been so long badly governed, and then, without any resources
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Speaker 1: in the way of arms and ammunition, to be compelled
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Speaker 1: to beat back hostile Indians. Under the provisions of the
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Speaker 1: government of the United States. They are improving, but yet
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Speaker 1: even now they have not the protection which they require
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Speaker 1: and should receive in their territory. It takes a daring
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Speaker 1: man to venture his small capital in raising stock to
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Speaker 1: be sure. Claims are allowed them by Congress for the
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Speaker 1: losses by Indian depredations, but these usually fall into the
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Speaker 1: hands of speculators, and in reality assist the people to
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Speaker 1: a very trifling extent. It can be said to their
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Speaker 1: credit that Mexicans bear reverses of fortune with a nonchalant
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Speaker 1: seldom seen among any other race. Although generally poor, they
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Speaker 1: are as happy and joyous as it is possible for
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Speaker 1: human beings to be. The organization of the Mexican Volunteers
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Speaker 1: was made complete by the governor of the territory, who
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Speaker 1: selected as their leader mister Saran Saint Vron of Tallos.
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Speaker 1: This gentleman, although he had much important business which called
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Speaker 1: his attention elsewhere, immediately expressed his willingness to accept the
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Speaker 1: word responsible position which without solicitation had been conferred upon him.
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Speaker 1: The commission received by Saint Varrain gave him the rank
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Speaker 1: of lieutenant colonel. Without delay, he set about the difficult
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Speaker 1: and important work that lay before him, bringing to bear
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Speaker 1: upon the details that sound judgment, gentlemanly bearing, and ready
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Speaker 1: zeal which had long characterized the man. He had the
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Speaker 1: good fortune to secure the services of Lieutenant Craig of
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Speaker 1: the Regular Army, whom he appointed one of his aide
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Speaker 1: de camp. Having completed his staff and other arrangements to
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Speaker 1: place his force upon a military basis, he was ready
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Speaker 1: to take the field. The appointment of Saint Varrain as
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Speaker 1: commander of the volunteers was hailed with delight throughout the territory.
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Speaker 1: His great experience in the mountains, his knowledge of the
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Speaker 1: Indian mode of warfare, and the respect which the people
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Speaker 1: he was called to command invariably paid him, seemed to
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Speaker 1: convince every thinking mind that something more than usual was
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Speaker 1: to be accomplished. They felt that the wrongs of their
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Speaker 1: country would now be certainly redressed. The sequel will prove
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Speaker 1: that the people were not doomed to disappointment. Early in
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Speaker 1: the month of February eighteen fifty five, Colonel T. T.
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Speaker 1: Fauntleroy of the first Regiment of United States Dragoons arrived
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Speaker 1: in Taos from Fort Union, New Mexico. Fort Union is
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Speaker 1: the first post met with on entering the territory of
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Speaker 1: New Mexico from the east. It lies on the Santa
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Speaker 1: Fe Road, usually traveled by parties when crossing the plains,
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Speaker 1: and is about one hundred miles distant from the capital.
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Speaker 1: The site of this fort, at the first view, is
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Speaker 1: bold and picturesque, as it is located near the west
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Speaker 1: side of a broad valley which is continuous with the
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Speaker 1: open prairies. The houses composing the fort are built mostly
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Speaker 1: of logs, and as their are quite a number of them,
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Speaker 1: the post has the appearance of a small settlement. The
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Speaker 1: soil about is sandy, and the place being exposed it
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Speaker 1: suffers when the high winds spring up. This fort is
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Speaker 1: usually garrisoned by several companies of soldiers, as it has
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Speaker 1: such free access to the male communication with the States,
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Speaker 1: it is comparatively speaking, quite a desirable fort for an
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Speaker 1: officer to be stationed at. The difficulty of procuring fuel
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Speaker 1: for the fort and also other necessary articles is the
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Speaker 1: great objection to the present location, but its importance more
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Speaker 1: than counterbalances these. Therefore, the post will probably be kept up,
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Speaker 1: either where it is or in the immediate vicinity, for
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Speaker 1: many years to come. Colonel Fauntleroy had received orders from
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Speaker 1: the Department General to proceed to the town of Tags
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Speaker 1: and take command of the entire expedition. The little force
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Speaker 1: had been made as powerful as the resources of the
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Speaker 1: country would permit. The Mexican volunteers, soon after their enrollment,
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Speaker 1: purchased woolen shirts and felt hats, the color of which
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Speaker 1: in each company was similar. This fact with a little
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Speaker 1: drilling gave them quite a military appearance. Never were men
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Speaker 1: prouder of the position they now held than the volunteers
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Speaker 1: under consideration, And a more daring and expert man of
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Speaker 1: horsemen has been seldom collected. So pleased were they at
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Speaker 1: being recognized as soldiers, that they could not, when afterwards
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Speaker 1: marching through their own towns, resist the temptation of jocosely
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Speaker 1: taunting their countrymen whom they chanced to meet, for being
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Speaker 1: obliged to kill the ground. We have before said that
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Speaker 1: these men were mounted. At first sight, it would appear
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Speaker 1: as though they would soon be on foot, for their
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Speaker 1: horses appeared to be in a sad plight for so
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Speaker 1: severe a campaign as that which lay before them. As
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Speaker 1: has often occurred before, looks are frequently deceptive. In this
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Speaker 1: instance it was found to be the case. For no
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Speaker 1: sooner did these hardy ponies reach the mountains than their
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Speaker 1: wonderful powers of endurance began to be exemplified. When the
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Speaker 1: noble dragoon horses began to droop from hunger and overwork,
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Speaker 1: these little fellows were fresh and strong as the day
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Speaker 1: they started. The reason of this was that the Mexican
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Speaker 1: horses were well versed in taking care of themselves, and
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Speaker 1: when the snow fell and prevented their having free access
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Speaker 1: to the dry grass beneath, they were not in the
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Speaker 1: least disconcerted, for with the aid of their forefeet they
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Speaker 1: readily pawed the snow away and thus obtained full rations.
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Speaker 1: But their more enlightened rivals did not fully understand this science,
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Speaker 1: and owing to a want of proper nourishment, their strength
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Speaker 1: would fail gradually until they finally broke down. The only
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Speaker 1: real inconvenience under which the ponies seemed to labour arose
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Speaker 1: from tender feet, for the rocky trails in the mountains
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Speaker 1: rapidly wore away and broke off their hoofs. This continued
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Speaker 1: so that, at last, reaching the matrix of these horny growths,
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Speaker 1: their feet became very sensitive. Many of the Mexicans had
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Speaker 1: taken a precaution to guard against this before leaving the
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Speaker 1: towns and military posts which lay on their route. They
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Speaker 1: had obtained horseshoes with which they shod the ponies. We
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Speaker 1: remember seeing a large party of them thus engaged as blacksmiths.
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Speaker 1: It was at night. While some held burning torches, others
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Speaker 1: were busy with hammers stones and hatchets, in applying all
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Speaker 1: sorts and sizes of horse and mule shoes with which
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Speaker 1: they were content, provided they approached the diameters of the
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Speaker 1: hoofs to which they were to be nailed. Strange to say,
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Speaker 1: this rough work answered the purpose, and but few, if
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Speaker 1: any of the animals so shod, went lame after the
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Speaker 1: command had got under full headway. If any of these
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Speaker 1: ponies became so tender in their feet as to be
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Speaker 1: able to travel only with great difficulty, their riders resorted
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Speaker 1: to other expedients for relieving them. When practicable, they obtained
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Speaker 1: the fresh hides of the beef cattle as they were killed,
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Speaker 1: and binding the material around the injured feet, and making
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Speaker 1: it fast about the fetlocks, they allowed it to dry
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Speaker 1: on in the morning. Thus protected, the horse could journey on.
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Speaker 1: It is customary regularly to shoe those ponies only on
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Speaker 1: the fore feet, as the weight of the animal's head
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Speaker 1: and neck, together with that of the rider, comes harder
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Speaker 1: on these hoofs, and causes them, when traveling over sharp rocks,
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Speaker 1: to wear away quickly. It seldom happens that the hind
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Speaker 1: feet become tender. The Indians cannot understand the policy of this,
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Speaker 1: and one of them, philosophizing on the subject, while visiting
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Speaker 1: the blacksmith shop attached to a military post, made the
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Speaker 1: remark Spanish, after apparently having been for some little time
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Speaker 1: engaged in a deep study, that it was not right.
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Speaker 1: Said he. The horse with his eyes can see where
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Speaker 1: to put his fore feet when traveling over bad places,
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Speaker 1: but he cannot do this with those behind. Therefore you
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Speaker 1: white men ought to put the moccasins there. The Mexicans
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Speaker 1: had so much confidence in the powers of endurance of
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Speaker 1: their ponies while out on this campaign that they hesitated
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Speaker 1: not to run them on races, whatever circumstances and the
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Speaker 1: side of the camp would permit such pastime. The only
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Speaker 1: training required for these trials of speed consisted in the
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Speaker 1: rider foregoing the pleasure of riding for a day or
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Speaker 1: two in order to allow his horse to recruit. As
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Speaker 1: their walking did not in the least interfere with the
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Speaker 1: order of the march, they of course were permitted to
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Speaker 1: race as they pleased, for their services on the march
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Speaker 1: were just as valuable on foot. Colonel Moroy's command, when completed,
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Speaker 1: consisted of four companies of Mexican volunteers, two companies of dragoons,
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Speaker 1: one company of artillery who were performing duty as a
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Speaker 1: rifle corps, and one company of spies. The two remaining
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Speaker 1: companies of volunteers were dismatched to expose towns on the
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Speaker 1: remote frontiers in order to protect them. The artillery company
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Speaker 1: was the only one on foot, but the soldiers who
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Speaker 1: then composed it were known from actual experiment to be
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Speaker 1: more than a match for the horses in traveling. When
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Speaker 1: the party should reach and penetrate the mountains, Colonel Fauntleroy
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Speaker 1: engaged the services of Kit Carson as his chief guide,
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Speaker 1: and having arranged all of his plans necessary for a
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Speaker 1: vigorous campaign, he set out upon its execution. The command
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Speaker 1: proceeded at first one hundred miles due north to Fort Massachusetts,
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Speaker 1: which was to be their depot. Without delay, they left
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Speaker 1: this post and proceeded, encountering snowstorms and severe cold weather.
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Speaker 1: The mercury of the thermometer, for most of the time
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Speaker 1: ranged several degrees below zero. They marched to the Rio
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Speaker 1: Grande del Norte and thence on up this river to
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Speaker 1: where it makes its exit through a deep canyon from
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Speaker 1: the mountains. It was, as will be remembered by the
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Speaker 1: reader on the headwaters of this last mentioned stream, that
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Speaker 1: Colonel Fremont, while engaged in his last great exploring expedition,
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Speaker 1: met with severe reverses in which several of his men
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Speaker 1: lost their lives from exposure, hunger, etc. While he and
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Speaker 1: the remainder of his party barely escaped the same fate.
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Speaker 1: While passing over this point of his journey, Colonel Fauntleroy
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Speaker 1: sent out as an advanced party the company of spies.
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Speaker 1: Their duty was to seek for fresh Indian trails. On
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Speaker 1: reaching the mouth of the canyon of this river, the
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Speaker 1: main portion of the soldiers halted for a short time
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Speaker 1: while their trailers penetrated the mountains in search of the
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Speaker 1: much desired Indian signs. During this resting spell, an incident
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Speaker 1: occurred which, for an hour or two, created some little
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Speaker 1: stir and excitement among part of the men present. A
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Speaker 1: large Newfoundland dog belonging to an officer had accidentally been
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Speaker 1: allowed to follow the soldiers. By his pranks and his
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Speaker 1: good disposition, he had become a general favorite among them.
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Speaker 1: While attempting to drink, this animal lost his foothold on
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Speaker 1: the ice and slipped into the swift current of the river,
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Speaker 1: which was partially frozen over. The dog at once attempted
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Speaker 1: to extricate himself, but with all his efforts he could
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Speaker 1: do no more than stem the flood, making no progress
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Speaker 1: against it. His situation was very precarious, for should his
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Speaker 1: strength begin to give out, he was certain to be
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Speaker 1: carried under the ice and lost. The sympathies of the
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Speaker 1: men were soon well awakened in his behalf, and many
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Speaker 1: plans were devised to rescue him, But Maal proved abortive,
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Speaker 1: until at last a Mexican approached him with a lasso, and,
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Speaker 1: after making several vain attempts, succeeded finally in encircling the
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Speaker 1: dog's head with the slip noose. On tightening the rope,
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Speaker 1: he found that he had the animal firm, and soon
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Speaker 1: dragged him from his perilous position. The Spies were not
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Speaker 1: long in discovering a trail made by the Indians to
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Speaker 1: which they led the main portion of the command. This
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Speaker 1: trail had been so frequently used of late by the
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Speaker 1: Indians in driving stolen bands of sheep and cattle over it,
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Speaker 1: that it was now a well trodden road, and therefore
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Speaker 1: there was no difficulty in keeping on it at all
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Speaker 1: hours of the day and night. Being accustomed to perform
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Speaker 1: his duty carefully and at the same time to use dispatch,
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Speaker 1: the colonel, in the course of a few days, led
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Speaker 1: his party to the entrance of the Katchi Pass, which
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Speaker 1: is the great natural opening in the mountains that bound
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Speaker 1: on the west the valley of some As they approached
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Speaker 1: the mouth of the pass, the men were traveling close
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Speaker 1: under the hills. Therefore, on coming to it, and in
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Speaker 1: order to follow it up, it was necessary to turn
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Speaker 1: off almost at a right angle. The Spies, as was
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Speaker 1: usual when the command was on the march, were considerably
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Speaker 1: in the advance. They had hardly entered the pass, and
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Speaker 1: had just reached the summit of a knoll which lay
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Speaker 1: at their path, and which had hitherto prevented their seeing
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Speaker 1: up the valley, when all at once the long looked
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Speaker 1: for Indians were presented to their view. They were but
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Speaker 1: a short distance off, and, as if surprised at thus
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Speaker 1: so suddenly discovering each other, both parties halted. During this
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Speaker 1: state of suspense, the white men noticed that the Indians
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Speaker 1: were arrayed in their war costume, showing that they were
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Speaker 1: bound on another plundering expedition. Everything went to show that
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Speaker 1: the visit which the white men were making to their
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Speaker 1: mountain haunts was unexpected by the Red men. The Indians
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Speaker 1: quickly recovered from their astonishment and began to form in
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Speaker 1: lines of battle by spreading themselves out across the valley.
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Speaker 1: They were evidently emboldened by the small force with which
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Speaker 1: apparently they had to contend, and felt certain that a
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Speaker 1: victory would be both easy and sure. Having taken their position, Blanco,
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Speaker 1: their chief, was easily recognized by the red woolen shirt
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Speaker 1: which he wore. He was busy riding along in front
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Speaker 1: of his warriors, occasionally stopping to give some command as
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Speaker 1: they were near enough. So to do, the Indians opened
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Speaker 1: a warfare of small talk in the Spanish language. They
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Speaker 1: charged their adversaries with being afraid to advance or to
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Speaker 1: use their expressive words. The Americans were as cowardly as
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Speaker 1: squaws to these taunts. No reply was made but to
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Speaker 1: keep up the decoy. The few soldiers who were exposed
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Speaker 1: to view remained stationary while word was passed to the
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Speaker 1: rear of what was transpiring in the advance. Thus, several
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Speaker 1: minutes passed by that they were not thrown away. During
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Speaker 1: this time, most of the dragoons and volunteers were relieving
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Speaker 1: themselves of such extra luggage as overcoats, blankets, et cetera.
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Speaker 1: Saddle girds were tightened and weapons put in order for
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Speaker 1: immediate use. The Indians were finally mounted and about two
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Speaker 1: hundred and fifty strong, and as their wild career had
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Speaker 1: gone so long unchecked, their bravery was aroused to its
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Speaker 1: highest pitch. All things being in readiness, the bugles sounded
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Speaker 1: the command a charge when away dashed the gallant soldiers,
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Speaker 1: eager for the affray, and each trying to be foremost
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Speaker 1: in the fight. As they came bounding over the knoll
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Speaker 1: before spoken of, the Indians began to see the delusion
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Speaker 1: under which they had been laboring, and at once turned
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Speaker 1: to fly, but not in time to escape, for the
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Speaker 1: soldiers were soon among them, and with their revolvers and
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Speaker 1: small arms, were fast thenning their ranks and sending many
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Speaker 1: a brave to his final home. A running fight ensued,
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Speaker 1: which was continued up the valley for about eight miles,
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Speaker 1: when a majority of the Indians gained the mountains and
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Speaker 1: made good their escape. Their chase was a splendid affair,
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Speaker 1: to be polled, and many feats of horsemanship were performed
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Speaker 1: that would be difficult to excel. Among the foremost in
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Speaker 1: this skirmish was as the reader might readily imagine, Kit Carson.
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Speaker 1: The pursuit was continued far into the mountains and was
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Speaker 1: only given over when night came on. The soldiers then
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Speaker 1: retired to their reserve guard, who had established a camp
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Speaker 1: on a small stream which runs through the center of
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Speaker 1: the pass, where their pack, animals and stores could be
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Speaker 1: easily guarded. During this exciting fight, several of the soldiers
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Speaker 1: were slightly wounded. With this exception, the command came out
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Speaker 1: of the skirmish unharmed. On the side of the Indians,
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Speaker 1: affairs in this respect were quite different. Their blood had
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Speaker 1: well sprinkled the battle ground, and several of their swarthy
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Speaker 1: forms were stretched out at full length, sleeping that sleep
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Speaker 1: that knows no wakening, except it be at the final
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Speaker 1: judgment day. Had it not been that most of the Indians,
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Speaker 1: as is usually the case with them when in action,
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Speaker 1: were tied on their horses, this number would have been augmented.
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Speaker 1: The bloody trails that were afterwards found in the mountains
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Speaker 1: went to prove that many of the wounds given to
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Speaker 1: the escaped Indians were mortal, and while their horses were
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Speaker 1: carrying them from the danger, they themselves were sinking from
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Speaker 1: furious hemorrhage. Early in the pursuit, a fine warrior was
18:33
Speaker 1: thrown from his horse. As he had been crippled by
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Speaker 1: a ball. He could not recover himself and make off.
18:40
Speaker 1: For some time he lay alone and neglected, But when
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Speaker 1: the rear guard came along, they noticed that he was
18:46
Speaker 1: playing a game by pretending to be dead. But he
18:49
Speaker 1: had closed his eyes too firmly for a man in
18:51
Speaker 1: that condition, and this fact attracted the notice of the
18:54
Speaker 1: pastor's by a Mexican raised his rifle and fired at
18:58
Speaker 1: the grave, but the bulletin only served to cause another
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Speaker 1: flesh wound. This so irritated the would be dead savage that,
19:05
Speaker 1: seizing his lance, which lay by his side, he attempted
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Speaker 1: to reach and kill his adversary with it, but others
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Speaker 1: coming up, he was soon dispatched. While this running fight
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Speaker 1: was in progress, the author met with an adventure which
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Speaker 1: came near costing him his life. It was my duty
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Speaker 1: to follow the charging soldiers in order to be near
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Speaker 1: at hand to render professional services to the wounded, should
19:28
Speaker 1: there be any. I was mounted on a mule, and
19:31
Speaker 1: when the dragoon horses started off, he became frightened and unmanageable.
19:36
Speaker 1: I soon found that this mule lacked the speed of
19:38
Speaker 1: the former animals. Hence he was in a short time
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Speaker 1: left far behind, but not until he had fallen and
19:45
Speaker 1: thrown me into a thrifty bed of prickly hairs, the
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Speaker 1: thorns of which did not in the least save me
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Speaker 1: from being hurt. On regaining my feet, I found that
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Speaker 1: my injuries were but slight, and that I still retained
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Speaker 1: my bridle rein Therefore, or I quickly regained my seat
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Speaker 1: in the saddle and started on again, remembering the old
20:05
Speaker 1: proverb which says all is fair in war. While riding on,
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Speaker 1: I was joined by a soldier whose horse had broken
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Speaker 1: down in the charge. As we now advanced together, our
20:15
Speaker 1: route led us by some large sand hills behind which
20:19
Speaker 1: several Indians had sought refuge when hotly pursued. Seeing that
20:24
Speaker 1: they had been overlooked during the excitement of the moment,
20:27
Speaker 1: they remained quiet until we came along. When they made
20:30
Speaker 1: a dash at us and commenced firing their arrows in
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Speaker 1: fine style. We returned their volleys with our revolvers, but
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Speaker 1: whether we produced any result further than preventing their coming
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Speaker 1: too near, it is difficult to say. Several of their
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Speaker 1: arrows came in close proximity to our bodies, and one
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Speaker 1: struck the soldier's horse in the neck and wounded a
20:52
Speaker 1: main artery, which fled for a time furiously. As danger
20:56
Speaker 1: was thick about them. The Indians soon left us to
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Speaker 1: effect their own escape when we halted and attended to
21:03
Speaker 1: the wounded horse, whose life we were so fortunate as
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Speaker 1: to save by putting a ligature about the bleeding vessel.
21:11
Speaker 1: The night succeeding the day on which this fight occurred,
21:14
Speaker 1: with his single exception, passed by quietly. A soldier who
21:19
Speaker 1: lay near the center of the camp had retired to rest,
21:22
Speaker 1: perhaps impressed with the belief that he and his comrades
21:26
Speaker 1: would be attacked by the Indians before morning. This train
21:30
Speaker 1: of thought had led him into dreams of war, and
21:32
Speaker 1: while reveling in them, he imagined that danger was at hand.
21:36
Speaker 1: Suddenly starting up and seizing his rifle, he fired at random.
21:41
Speaker 1: His bullet came near, striking a Mexican sentinel who was
21:44
Speaker 1: on duty, and who was making his rounds. The sentinel
21:48
Speaker 1: was very naturally startled by this unaccountable noise in the camp, and,
21:53
Speaker 1: supposing that the Indians had unobserved crept within the lines,
21:57
Speaker 1: he returned the compliment by discharging his head piece in
22:00
Speaker 1: the direction of this supposed danger. The report of these
22:03
Speaker 1: firearms had the effect of arousing the entire command. The
22:07
Speaker 1: men were quickly on their feet and ready for active service.
22:11
Speaker 1: In the confusion which ensued, several more rifles were fired,
22:14
Speaker 1: but fortunately no harm was done, and as soon as
22:17
Speaker 1: the cause of the trouble was explained, quietness and order
22:21
Speaker 1: was promptly established. At the break of day on the
22:24
Speaker 1: first morning, the soldiers were up and preparing for their march.
22:28
Speaker 1: The Indians had on this morning made fires and even
22:31
Speaker 1: presented themselves to view on the mountains, but they were
22:34
Speaker 1: few in number, and it was well known that this
22:37
Speaker 1: was only a ruse to allure the white men to
22:39
Speaker 1: the wrong trail, while their families should have time to
22:42
Speaker 1: escape in the contrary direction. Hence little notice was taken
22:47
Speaker 1: of these demonstrations. Colonel Fauntleroy here determined to relieve himself
22:52
Speaker 1: of all drawbacks which should in the least tend to
22:55
Speaker 1: prevent his now giving full chase to the Indians. Accordingly,
22:59
Speaker 1: he left his bagging and provision train under escort of
23:02
Speaker 1: the foot company and quartermaster men, the whole being placed
23:06
Speaker 1: under the command of Lieutenant Lloydville of the second Regiment
23:10
Speaker 1: U S Artillery, with instructions to meet him at an
23:13
Speaker 1: appointed rendezvous in the Wet Mountain valley. It required but
23:18
Speaker 1: a short search by his guide Kit Carson and his
23:21
Speaker 1: spies to put him on the right trail taken by
23:24
Speaker 1: the main portion of the enemy. When it was found,
23:27
Speaker 1: the pursuit was resumed and kept up vigorously. Late and
23:31
Speaker 1: early the soldiers followed on this trail, and although the
23:34
Speaker 1: Indians purposely led them over the worst conceivable routes, yet
23:39
Speaker 1: they gained nothing substantial by it. On one occasion, when
23:42
Speaker 1: the men were pushing on as fast as possible, their
23:45
Speaker 1: advance guards surprised three Indians, one of them a woman,
23:49
Speaker 1: while they were leisurely watering their ponies. These Indians attempted
23:53
Speaker 1: to fly and succeeded in making a good run for
23:56
Speaker 1: about four miles, but at the end of that distance
24:00
Speaker 1: two of them were overtaken. A Mexican who was mounted
24:03
Speaker 1: on a very swift horse was the first to come
24:06
Speaker 1: up with the savages. He fired and brought the woman
24:09
Speaker 1: to the ground. Quickly dismounting, he made a trophy of
24:12
Speaker 1: her scalp. The other Indian, being arrested by a slight wound,
24:16
Speaker 1: was made a prisoner. On questioning him, it was found
24:20
Speaker 1: that they all belonged to one family. The man who
24:23
Speaker 1: had made his escape was the husband of the woman
24:25
Speaker 1: who was killed, while the prisoner was her brother. These
24:29
Speaker 1: Indians had heard nothing of the recent fight in the
24:32
Speaker 1: Sakachi Pass, and had the soldiers dropped down from the heavens,
24:37
Speaker 1: they could not have been more surprised at thus unceremoniously
24:40
Speaker 1: meeting them. It was very much regretted by those present
24:45
Speaker 1: that this Indian woman had lost her life, but as
24:48
Speaker 1: she was dressed in the disguise of a man, her
24:50
Speaker 1: sex could not be recognized. There are many of our
24:53
Speaker 1: readers who will perhaps censure this Mexican for his barbarous
24:57
Speaker 1: action of scalping a human being, But it it must
25:00
Speaker 1: be remembered that the education of his people is different
25:03
Speaker 1: from our own. The taking of Indian scalps for a
25:06
Speaker 1: long time has been authorized by the Mexican government as
25:10
Speaker 1: a means of lessening their savage enemies, and handsome premiums
25:14
Speaker 1: have been offered as an inducement to obtain them. In
25:17
Speaker 1: the case of this Mexican, there were extenuating circumstances which,
25:21
Speaker 1: if they did not warrant such a cruel act, yet
25:24
Speaker 1: they rendered him somewhat excusable. He had recently lost a
25:28
Speaker 1: near and dear relative by the hands of these same Indians,
25:31
Speaker 1: and the appearance of this mangled body was still fresh
25:34
Speaker 1: in his memory, making him to thirst for revenge. It
25:39
Speaker 1: must not be supposed for a moment that the commanding
25:42
Speaker 1: officer of this expedition had sanctioned such a mode of procedure,
25:46
Speaker 1: for he had no knowledge of the matter until after
25:49
Speaker 1: it had been ended. It was not within his province
25:52
Speaker 1: to preach humanity to a people who had been so
25:55
Speaker 1: greatly outraged by savages. He came to punish, and not
25:59
Speaker 1: to intercede for wild men who had long been a
26:02
Speaker 1: terror to the surrounding country, and upon whom, in order
26:07
Speaker 1: to reconcile them, every kind act had been expended in vain.
26:11
Speaker 1: It may possibly be asked whether or no a man
26:14
Speaker 1: who has simply lost his scalp can recover. In reply,
26:18
Speaker 1: we can safely say that without any other wound, and
26:22
Speaker 1: under favorable circumstances, with good care, the sufferer stands a
26:26
Speaker 1: chance of being restored. To help, there was a man
26:29
Speaker 1: who formerly was living and working at his trade as
26:32
Speaker 1: a blacksmith in Santa Fe, who, in a fight with
26:35
Speaker 1: the Comanches while crossing the plains, was wounded by a
26:38
Speaker 1: lance and then scalped. After a long period of suffering,
26:42
Speaker 1: this person entirely recovered, although the si patrix of the
26:46
Speaker 1: wound was ever afterwards a source of annoyance to him,
26:50
Speaker 1: compelling him continually to wear a skull cap made of
26:53
Speaker 1: oiled silk. The size of the scalp as usually taken
26:57
Speaker 1: off by the Indians varies. Sometimes they remove only the
27:01
Speaker 1: back covering of the head. At other times they cut
27:04
Speaker 1: off the whole, running down even with the margin of
27:07
Speaker 1: the ear. When a man has died in a manner
27:09
Speaker 1: of which the Indians style as brave, that is, desperately
27:13
Speaker 1: fighting for his life, and never for once showing fear,
27:17
Speaker 1: they take two scalps, one from either side of the head.
27:21
Speaker 1: The object of this is to have scalp dances for
27:24
Speaker 1: each as they consider such a man as deserving the
27:27
Speaker 1: fate of two ordinary men. These scalps are often stretched, dried, decorated,
27:33
Speaker 1: and frequently kept for years as trophies. The more scalps
27:37
Speaker 1: a warrior takes, the greater favorite he becomes with his tribe,
27:41
Speaker 1: and finally, having obtained a given number, he is considered
27:44
Speaker 1: eligible to fill the office of war chief, provided he
27:48
Speaker 1: has other qualifications, such as the power of quickly conceiving
27:52
Speaker 1: the right plan on which to act in case of emergency.
27:57
Speaker 1: When a party of Indians in the Rocky Mountains have
27:59
Speaker 1: been on a waril, met the enemy and vanquished them,
28:03
Speaker 1: they appoint a brave who is honored as being the
28:06
Speaker 1: scalp bearer. This warrior carries a long pole to which,
28:10
Speaker 1: at suitable distances from each other, the scalps are attached.
28:14
Speaker 1: When the party returns to and enters their own village,
28:17
Speaker 1: this brave is the observed of all observers, eagerly by
28:21
Speaker 1: the old men, women and children. These bloody trophies are
28:25
Speaker 1: counted for each of them offers an occasion for rejoicing
28:29
Speaker 1: to be at separate intervals of time. They are then
28:32
Speaker 1: each synonymous with the phrase a fate day and the
28:36
Speaker 1: scalp bearer is looked upon with the same jealous eye
28:39
Speaker 1: which greets the color bearer of an army after having
28:43
Speaker 1: been engaged in some great battle which has proofd successful.
28:46
Speaker 1: To his standard. An Indian will not remove as a
28:50
Speaker 1: general thing a scalp whige contains gray hairs. This he
28:54
Speaker 1: considers to be a business fit only for women. The scalp,
28:58
Speaker 1: which is to cause a general jubilee on an appointed evening,
29:02
Speaker 1: is attached to the top of a long pole planted
29:05
Speaker 1: in the earth at a suitable place. The warriors who
29:08
Speaker 1: have been instrumental in tearing it from the head of
29:10
Speaker 1: its owner form a circle around the pole, outside of
29:14
Speaker 1: which are arranged the spectators. By the aid of one drumstick.
29:18
Speaker 1: The person who has been detailed for this duty keeps
29:21
Speaker 1: up a beating motion on a sort of kettle drum,
29:24
Speaker 1: the noise of which serves the purpose of marking time.
29:28
Speaker 1: The voices of the dancers make the music. At first,
29:31
Speaker 1: the song is a mere humming sound, but after a
29:33
Speaker 1: time it grows gradually louder, until the participants in the
29:37
Speaker 1: dance being excited to the highest attainable pitch with interest.
29:42
Speaker 1: In the ceremonies it becomes terribly hideous, almost naked. With
29:47
Speaker 1: tomahawk and hunting knife in hand, the warriors imitate the
29:51
Speaker 1: process of dispatching and tearing off the scalps of their victims.
29:55
Speaker 1: So excited do the dancing savages sometimes become while reveling
30:00
Speaker 1: in these fantastical scenes, that they frequently are aroused to
30:04
Speaker 1: a pitch which borders on frenzy. The spectators of these
30:07
Speaker 1: sites get so deeply interested that it is not an
30:11
Speaker 1: extraordinary matter for them to appear as if almost deranged.
30:15
Speaker 1: Their excitement breaks out into exclamations of encouragement and applause,
30:20
Speaker 1: until at last they can control themselves no longer, and
30:23
Speaker 1: on their own account, commence making bodily demonstrations of joy
30:28
Speaker 1: by jumping about. The scalp dance may last an entire night,
30:32
Speaker 1: or until worn down with fatigue, the actors are willing
30:36
Speaker 1: to forego their pleasure and seek rest. The Mexicans on
30:40
Speaker 1: the frontiers have fallen into this Indian custom, and they
30:44
Speaker 1: can go into the spirit of the scalp dance with
30:46
Speaker 1: a relish which fully equals that exhibited by their savage neighbours.
30:52
Speaker 1: This is not true as a general rule, but very
30:54
Speaker 1: many of their people really enjoy these ceremonies. Colonel Fauntlero
31:00
Speaker 1: and his men traveled at such a rapid pace that,
31:03
Speaker 1: in the course of a very few days, they succeeded
31:05
Speaker 1: in once more overtaking the main village belonging to the enemy.
31:09
Speaker 1: The Indians took refuge in a steep and rocky mountain.
31:13
Speaker 1: A skirmishing fight immediately commenced, which lasted several hours. During
31:18
Speaker 1: this engagement, a large number of the savage warriors were killed,
31:22
Speaker 1: their band completely routed, and the inhabitants of the whole
31:25
Speaker 1: village made to scatter in every direction in order to
31:28
Speaker 1: save their lives. At first, the braves attempted to make
31:31
Speaker 1: a stand, but they were driven back from rock to
31:34
Speaker 1: rock until they broke their ranks and fled. It was
31:38
Speaker 1: about the time of this crisis, and when they were
31:40
Speaker 1: most needed, that the dragoon horses began to break down
31:44
Speaker 1: and die. End of Section thirty, Chapter seventeen, Part two
31:50
Speaker 1: recording by Dionjine's Salt Lake City, Utah,