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
Each man was busy preparing the supper; Mr. Larimer and Frank were
making the fire; Mr. Wakefield was getting provisions out of the wagon;
Mr. Taylor was attending to his team; Mr. Kelly and Andy were out
some distance gathering wood; Mr. Sharp was distributing sugar among
the Indians; supper, that they asked for, was in rapid progress of
preparation, when suddenly our terrible enemies threw off their masks
and displayed their truly demoniac natures. There was a simultaneous
discharge of arms, and when the cloud of smoke cleared away, I could
see the retreating form of Mr. Larimer and the slow motion of poor Mr.
Wakefield, for he was mortally wounded.
Mr. Kelly and Andy made a miraculous escape with their lives. Mr. Sharp
was killed within a few feet of me. Mr. Taylor—I never can forget
his face as I saw him shot through the forehead with a rifle ball. He
looked at me as he fell backward to the ground a corpse. I was the last
object that met his dying gaze. Our poor faithful Frank fell at my feet
pierced by many arrows. I recall the scene with a sickening horror.
I could not see my husband anywhere, and did not know his fate, but
feared and trembled. With a glance at my surroundings, my senses seemed
gone for a time, but I could only live and endure.
I had but little time for thought, for the Indians quickly sprang into
our wagons, tearing off covers, breaking, crushing, and smashing all
hinderances to plunder, breaking open locks, trunks, and boxes, and
distributing or destroying our goods with great rapidity, using their
tomahawks to pry open boxes, which they split up in savage recklessness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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