Narrative of My Captivity Among the Sioux IndiansKelly, Fanny
History
Narrative of My Captivity Among the Sioux Indians
Kelly, Fanny
Dakota Indians -- History; Dakota Indians -- Wars -- 1862-1865; Indian captivities -- West (U.S.); Kelly, Fanny, 1845-1904
She was twenty-six years old when I saw and conversed with her, a lady
of intelligence, and once possessed more than ordinary beauty.
She had just received the news of her father’s death. He was killed
near Fort Dodge, Kansas.
Elizabeth related to me many acts of cruelty she had witnessed among
the savages, one of which was to the following effect:
A woman was brought into the camp on horseback, who had been captured
from a train, and an Indian who was attempting to lift her from the
horse, was shot in the act, by her own hand. This so enraged the
savages that they cut her body in gashes, filled them with powder, and
then set fire to it.
The sight of the woman’s sufferings was too much for Elizabeth to
endure, and she begged the savages to put an end to the victim at once,
which accordingly was done.
But although Elizabeth saw many heartless acts—many terrible
scenes—still she had a kindly feeling toward the Indians, for they
saved her from a horrible death by starvation and exposure, and had
been very tender with her. She was somewhat embittered toward the white
people, on account of her sufferings, and treatment.
A short time after, General Sully invited me to Fort Harker, to see
two white captive children, a girl of fourteen and a boy of six. They
had been captured two years before, and the account of their treatment
given me by the girl, was any thing but favorable. The boy was as wild
as a deer.
A Sioux woman at Fort Harker had taken these children into her own
family and cared for them as a mother. She was the daughter of a white
man, was born at Fort Laramie, and had married an interpreter by the
name of Bradley. She was quite intelligent, having been educated by her
husband.
In January, 1868, two other children were captured in the State of
Texas by the Kiowah Indians. They were girls, aged five and three
years. Their parents and all the known relatives had been murdered, and
the children had been recently recovered from the Indians, and were in
the care of J. H. Leavenworth, United States Indian Agent. Having no
knowledge of their parentage, they were named Helen and Heloise Lincoln.
Another interesting family was taken from Texas by the Indians, their
beautiful home destroyed, and all killed with the exception of the
mother and three daughters.
Their name was Boxx. The ages of the children were respectively
eighteen, fourteen, and ten, and they were allowed to be together for a
time, but afterward were separated.
They experienced great cruelties. The youngest was compelled to stand
on a bed of live coals, in order to torture the mother and sisters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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