The Indian Captive: A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of Matthew Brayton in his thirty-four years of captivity among the Indians of north-western America — John Shaqi
The Indian Captive: A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of Matthew Brayton in his thirty-four years of captivity among the Indians of north-western AmericaBrayton, Matthew
History
The Indian Captive: A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of Matthew Brayton in his thirty-four years of captivity among the Indians of north-western America
Brayton, Matthew
Brayton, Matthew, 1818-1862; Indian captivities -- West (U.S.); Shoshoni Indians -- History; United States -- Biography
I was in Cleveland about one day, making inquiries relative to the
Todd family and telling my story, but without getting any information
that was of use. The Todd family had removed many years since, and
I could not learn their whereabouts. I had begun to despair of ever
finding traces of my parents when a friendly colored man who had
met me and learned my story, took me to the office of the Cleveland
_Daily Herald_ for the purpose of telling my story to the editors. We
succeeded in finding one of them, Mr. J. H. A. Bone, in the office,
together with another gentleman. I told my story to them and was
cross-questioned by them very closely. In the end I was directed to an
old citizen of the place for the purpose of making inquiries, and was
told to call again and tell the result.
The person to whom I was directed was out of town, and I learned
nothing farther that night. Several persons took considerable interest
in my story and wished me well in my journeyings. Next morning I was
on the street when I saw some furs and other articles of Esquimaux
dress at the door of a building, and was told that a panorama of the
Arctic regions was on exhibition, and that one of the men belonging to
it--Thomas Hickey--had been in the far North. I went up to see him,
and to him and the proprietor, Mr. La Rue, told my story.
I then accompanied Mr. La Rue to the office of the _Herald_, and there
I again met Mr. Bone, who made me repeat my story and then printed it
with a request that any person possessing information of probable use
to the "Indian Captive" would at once furnish it.
The interest taken in my story by the editors of the Cleveland
_Herald_ has been the means of my return to my relatives.
I remained in Cleveland several days and my story excited much
interest. Some persons furnished me with portions of clothing of which
I stood in need, and I was furnished with food and sleeping room at
one of the hotels. The people at the house were surprised at my
refusal to sleep in a bed and to eat cooked meat or anything that had
salt in it, but I could not endure the method of eating or sleeping
used by civilized white people.
In a few days I learned that some persons in Warren, O., could
probably give me some information, and thither I went, the Cleveland
and Mahoning Railroad Company taking me without my paying fare. On
arriving there I found that the people to whom I was directed had gone
out of town to attend a camp meeting in Mahoning county. Some persons
going to the meeting invited me to accompany them, and in their
company I arrived at the camp meeting.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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