History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 441

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

there being an old trapper in our number who
understood that language. We pulled toward
the shore, but did not intend to land until we
saw two white men who had been stripped,
their skiff scuttled and ten or twelve warriors
around them in positions of hostile demonstration.
We then went over hoping to rescue
the white men. We found that there
were thirty or thirty-five of the redskins when
we touched shore, and that they were Assinaboins,
who were known to be hostile. It
became a problem then to get away with our
hides whole. The Indians began immediately
to pile into our boat and throw out the oars,
take our fire-arms and show signs of fight,
but our old trapper said they were only bluffing
and urged us to offer no resistance further
than was necessary to keep possession of our
arms. We knew that we could ' lick' them,
but we could not hope to get away with all
of them, and those that might escape would
send runners ahead and notify all the Indians
down the river, and we would never get out
in the world. We finally began to bribe
them with tobacco, and while they were interested
with this we gradually pushed away
from the shore, and working out into the
current we soon got beyond reach. From
that day on we were shot at every day by
straggling bands, some of whom made vigorous
attacks, but we kept well out from shore
and managed by skillful dodging and one kind
of a ruse and another to escape without injury.
"After we got pretty well down the river,
we stopped one day at Fort Randall to get
some supplies, and there found a Sioux chief
who had got separated from his tribe. The
agent induced us to take him on board and
convey him down the river to his village.
We did so, taking him some 300 or 400
I miles. When we reached his village he called
llis braves around him, some 2,000 or more

in number, and made then a speech in
which lie told them hlow we had befriended
llint, and illstructe(l them that
they should show us every favor possible.
We were taken in and feasted for two
days and nights, having a royal time, after
which we resumed our journey, whic hwas
completed to Council Bluffs without further
incident worth mention.
1" At Council Bluffs our party disbanded,
Sears, Starks and myself taking steamer for
St. Louis, whence we went to Cincinnati,
down to Louisville and thence to Bowling
Green, Kentucky. There Sears got lnarriel
and Starks and I bought a horse apiece and1
joined a squad of Confederate soldiers. These
happened to be part of Morgan's men who
were then in Kentucky. I was with them in
their subsequent operations in that State and
took part also in the celebrated raid into Indiana
and Ohio. I participated in all the extravagant,
ludicrous, novel and thrilling experiences
of that raid, but will here mention
only what befell me personally. I was captured
with the main body of the army in Ohio
and after confinement at Cincinnati, Indianapolis
and Chicago, being nearly a year in
Camp Douglas at the last named place, I
escaped early in the spring of 1865, and
with the aid of Southern sympathizers made
my way back South.
i" Again in the vicinity of Bowling Green,
Kentucky, I secured a horse and saddle and
started out by the ' Grapevine route ' to reach
my command, or the remnant of it, which
was then near Salt Works, Virginia. On tlhe
way I fell in with Major Jones, who had been
sent back to organize what guerrilla bands lie
could find and conduct then over into Virginia.
A company of twenty-two of us
under his leadership were leaking our way
through hostile lines, fighting from point to

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