Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1875 — Captive Among the Comanches. [ARTICLE]

Captive Among the Comanches.

A young Texan who was captured by the Comanche Indians about a year ago gave the following account of his experiences recently to a correspondent of the Galveston Hetcs: I was trying to get five beef steers back to the herd early one morning last May, when I was suddenly surrounded by about twenty-five Comanche Indians, and taken prisoner. This happened near sunrise. I was tied on my horse and carried some thirty miles that day. At night we arrived at a sort of camp, where we joined fifty more Indians, and I found they had another white man prisoner. I was not allowed to speak with this man, but I could see from the blood on his face and clothes that he was wounded. As soon as the Indians had kindled a fire and eaten some meat they began to torture this second prisoner, though for what reason I have never learned. They beat him with a cartridgebox strap with a large buckle ou the end of it, after stripping him of his clothes. They cut gashes ou him with knives. They sawed off his thumbs with an old cavalry saber, and mashed bis toes between a rock and the butt end of a carbine. After gouging out some of his teeth with a bayonet, and sticking cactus thorns in his flesh,’ they poured powder , in his ears and burnt it. All this time the man did not complain or cry out, as he probably expected by his fortitude to induce the Indians to spare his life. But in this he was mistaken, for they, finding that he did not complain at all these tortures, began to cut pieces of flesh out of his legs and back and eat them; or at least pretend to eat—l think they only chewed up the flesh and spit it out. Seeing that all of this torture did not make him cry out (for he had fainted), the chief stepped up with a sharp knife and cut out one of his eyes, and put a live coal of fire in the socket, and then put an end to his life with a knife. The Indians then had a grand dance. I was led to a small tree. I had no water or anything to eat for thirty-six hours. The next day about midday the party moved in a northwest course, traveling about twenty miles: and after this we moved in a northwest course about 300 miles, where we met several large parties of Indians, some of whom had been on raids in Northern Texas. I remained in that section of country with the Comanches, and was kept employed mostly herding ponies, and sometimes dressing deerskins and buffalo hides. My clothes were all taken away from me a few days after I was captured, and I had only* a Fair of drawers and a blanket afterward. often had to eat raw venison, and buffalo meat without salt. After I had been with the Indians some six months they ceased to treat me as a prisoner, and I

was allowed to go some distance from the camp, I think it was about the Ist of Febrflflry I left them. I was heading ponies, and waa allowed to ride one of the best ’Rithotit a saddle. The flecqfid night I took my buffalo-robe and used it as a saddle, filled a sack with dried meat, and struck for the settlements, which I reached toward the last of the month. I sold my horse and buffalo robe, and collected three months’ pay that was due me at the time I was captured; and now, with God’s help, I shall keep out of the way of the Indians hereafter.