RUNNING AND SWIMMING FOR LIFE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2819, 6 April 1869, Page 4

RUNNING AND SWIMMING FOR LIFE.

The following story is told by the Grand Rapids (Michigan) " Eagle" : — "Michael Tammany, of the township of Tyrone, in this county, who recently returned from a trading expedition through southern Kansas, and along- dro K_o ~_£_.tha_ Hnion "Pacific Bailroad as far as completed, has given us the details of his remarkable escape from the Indians, by whom his partner and a boy accompanying them were murdered in the valley of the Platte River. Mr Tammany, at Fort Leavenworth, met a former acquaintance of his, of the name of Daniel Jones, of Jackson County, Ohio. A partnership was arranged between them for the business of selling goods as pedlars, which business for some time proved successful. On their last trip westward they left the railroad on the first day of September last, at Port Sedgwick — where Julesburg was, but now is not — and proceeded up the South Platte valley, on the north side of the river, making about thirty miles per day without interruption or special discovery until about 11 o'clock of the third day, after leaving the railroad, when they struck a fresh Indian trail, showing that a large body of mounted Indians had passed that point not many hours previously. Apprehending danger, the teams were stopped, and a careful observation with a field glass resulted in the discovery of four Indian huts on the bank of the river, not more than half a mile distant, and about a dozen horses feeding on the grass plat in their vicinity. The travellers bore off a little more to the east, and as cautiously as possible proceeded on their way until about five o'clock, accomplishing a distance of about eleven miles from fchepoint where they crossed the trail. They had just passed through a strip of cottonwood timber, with some rather steep bluffs of land at their right, when they discovered a short distance ahead a plat of about six acres of land covered. with horses, and in their midst a large and compact body of Indians apparently in council, and listening to an address from one of their number. Mr Tammany at once dismounted, and turned the teams off to the right for the pur pose of getting under cover of the bluffs, but the travellers had proceeded bufc a few rods when a band of about fifty mounted Indians, each armed with a brace of large pistols, suddenly appeared in their front, simultaneously yelling their demoniac war cry, and making a rush for their victims. Mr Tammany sprang to his saddle, and made an effort to turn the teams to the right, but the savages cut off tbe retreat in thafc direction, and opened here upon the little party. Mr Tammany saw both his companions fall dead upon the ground, and then made a desperate attempt to escape by putting his horse to his best speed in the only direction which was now left open, the savages having nearly surrounded him. This direction was north and towards the railroad. This line of retreat was soon, however, cut off by his pursuers, and he turned in another direction ; bufc he was again compelled to turn to the southeast, in the direction of Sedgwick. He was sharply pursued by seven of the Indians, on their fastest horses, and for a distance of about fivo miles they were not more than nine or ten rods to his rear. His horse was a remarkably fast one, but his best efforts failed to increase the gap between himself and his pursuers. At length when Mr Tammany had almost despaired of making good his flight, his horse suddenly came upon a bluff bank, dropping off into a deep slough, directly in front of' him. From this bank, which was not less than nine or ten feet high, the horse made a desperate leap, and instantly sunk into the soft alluvium to a depth which completely submerged his body, leaving only his head exposed to sight. At the instant of striking, MrTammany was thrown over the animal's head, and completely covered with mud. The horse was entirely unable to extricate himself from his position, and Mr Tammany closely clung to his neck,

with his face only out of the mire, on the side of the horse's neck opposite the bank from which the jump was made. The Indians immediately appeared on the bank aud fired a volley, several balls passing through the blanket saddle cover, just above the body of Mr Tammany. The firing then ceased — the I Indians undoubtedly supposing they had killed their victim — and Mr Tammany changed his position sufficiently to be able to make an observation of the bank whence the firing had proceeded. The savages had left the bank, and he observed four of them, with long knives in their hands, making an attempt to cross the ravine about ten rods above him, and three trying to get across below. Although the horse had jumped nearly across the ravine, Mr Tammany was at this critical moment so nearly exhausted that he afc first thought he could make no further effort to escape the fate which he knew must be his if he remained a few minutes longer. Bufc he jerked off his boots, leaving them with his helpless horse, and crawled out, until he reached a soil that would support him in an erect position, when he started on a very fleet run for the river ; the dense growth of the alder-bushes, through which he crawled on starting from the ravine favoring his retreat against; the observation of the savages until ho could get some distance away. After running, as he thinks, about two miles, he reached the Platte river, and i hearing his pursuers yelling on his track, jumped into the stream, and swam down it, keeping closo to the clayey bank, which was several feefc high, and so steep in many places as to reach several feet over the water. The water was beyond his depth, but Mr Tammany was an expert swimmer. After swiming down nearly two miles he came to quite a sharp bend in the stream, and upon turning the bend he observed, near the middle of the stream, two or three islands about half a mile below him. Having taken bufc little time to rest during his progress down the river, he felt himself too much, exhausted to hold oufc much longer, and the idea occurred to him thafc he would be safe for a time if he could reach one of fche islands. So he struck out to swim across the channel, which was afc that point thirty or forty rods wide. The rapid current swept him past the firat island, but there was another immediately below ; and knowing he would be drowned should he fail to reach it, he struggled for ifc witli the energy of desperation, and fortunately for him he landed jusfc at the outlet of a narrow gulf which had evidently been the channel of a small watercourse, but was then dry, and bore a rank growth of tall grass. Mr I Tammany slowly crept up this gulf, being ! very cautious not to leave any marks on the \ soil by which he could be traced to his hiding place. Here ho stopped, and, lying on his left side, heavily panted for breath. Mr Tammany kept his hiding place all that night, being without strength to renew his flight and was compelled by prudence to remain in it all the succeeding day, until darkness should screen his movements from observation. When it became quite dark in the evening he carefully raised himself up, intently listened, and hearing no sound indicating the presence of Indians, crawled to the wator, and swam to tlie south shore of the river — a distance of about half a mile. He then seb oufc, bare-foot and bareheaded, in the direction of Fort Sedgwick, keeping at some distance from the river to avoid possible contact with Indians who mighfc be camped near its bank. After proceeding about eleven miles he came within sight of the four Indian lodges he had observed Trhilo .ravelling wifch his companions on the previous day. He then bore off to the south for five miles, and then easfcwardly for about an equal distance, when he again reached the river. Daylight was then appearing, and he swam to an island, where he concealed himself during the day. Hifeet were much swollen and exceed ngly painful, having been badly scratched in travelling through thickets of prickly pears, and his soles were badly lacerated by sand-burrs. The next night he renewed his journey. Sunday morning brought him to the old abandoned Antelope mail station, at which point he stopped, and again found an island in the Platte where he could remain during the day. He had lain but a few minutes when he heard the report of a gun but a short distance from him. He then crawled up to an eminence near him to take an observation. Another report of a gun still nearer him attracted his attention to two objects moving towards him, which he afc once concluded were Indians still in pursuit. But his condition was now such that he had little dread of them. Almost unconsciously, however, he crawled into a thicket of sunflowers to escape their observation. He still carried wifch him a brace of small pistols, and as a last resort he thought of them. They had been through mire and water, and he thought they would of no avail now. But he pricked the wet powder from the tubes, and resolved to try them if his savage pursuers came up to him. Soon hearing their tread he prepared to sell his life as dearly as possible. As the foremost came up within a few feet of him, and as he was about pulling the trigger, I he recognised in his supposed foe two ' boys in blue,' soldiers of Uncle Sam, who were out from Port Sedgwick about eighteen miles on a hunting expedition. The soldiers helped Mr Tammany to their waggon, which was about two miles from the place where they found him, and lifted him into it about sundown. They gave him bread, but nearly starved as he was, he was too weak to eat. Mr Tammany was placed in the hospital, where he received careful and attentive treatment, and at the end of two weeks he was able to get out. Mr Tammany arrived in this city on his way home on Sunday morning, the Ist ult., and claims that their loss of property was about 7700 dollars."