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
“I want no peace with you. You hold in captivity a white woman; deliver
her up to us, and we will believe in your professions. But unless you
do, we will raise an army of soldiers as numerous as the trees on the
Missouri River and exterminate the Indians.”
The Blackfeet assured General Sully that they held no white woman in
their possession, but that I was among the Ogalallas.
“As you are friendly with them,” said the General, “go to them and
secure her, and we will then reward you for so doing.”
The Blackfeet warriors appeared openly in the village a few days
afterward, and declared their intentions, stating in council the
determination of General Sully.
The Ogalallas were not afraid, they said, and refused to let me go.
They held solemn council for two days, and at last resolved that the
Blackfeet should take me as a ruse, to enable them to enter the fort,
and a wholesale slaughter should exterminate the soldiers.
While thus deliberating as to what they thought best—part of them
willing, the other half refusing to let me go—Hunkiapa, a warrior,
came into the lodge, and ordered me out, immediately following me.
He then led me into a lodge where there were fifty warriors, painted
and armed—their bows strung and their quivers full of arrows.
From thence, the whole party, including three squaws, who, noting my
extreme fear, accompanied me, started toward a creek, where there were
five horses and warriors to attend us to the Blackfeet village.
Placing me on a horse, we were rapidly pursuing our way, when a party
of the Ogalallas, who were unwilling, came up with us, to reclaim me.
Here they parleyed for a time, and, finally, after a solemn promise on
the part of my new captors that I should be returned safely, and that I
should be cared for and kindly treated, we were allowed to proceed.
In their parleying, one of the warriors ordered me to alight from
the horse, pointing a pistol to my breast. Many of them clamored for
my life, but, finally, they settled the matter, and permitted us to
proceed on our journey.
After so many escapes from death, this last seemed miraculous; but God
willed it otherwise, and to him I owe my grateful homage.
It was a bitter trial for me to be obliged to go with this new and
stranger tribe. I was unwilling to exchange my life for an unknown one,
and especially as my companionship with the sisters of the chief had
been such as to protect me from injury or insult. A sort of security
and safety was felt in the lodge of the chief, which now the fear of my
new position made me appreciate still more.
Savages they were, and I had longed to be free from them; but now I
parted with them with regret and misgiving.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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