Captured and Tortured: Trilogy of Terror

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Here within is a collection of fifty-seven accounts of first-hand narratives of people captured by Indians in colonial times and lived to tell their story of the life, customs, kindness, and cruelties of Native Americans. Various torture methods by different tribes are described in graphic detail by people that witnessed these horrible atrocities. Indian raids on small farming communities were bloody and gruesome events with young and old stripped, clubbed, and scalped. Women were captured and taken to Canada, where they were sold as slaves to the French. While many were treated harshly by the Indians, some were treated with much kindness by their captors. Journals from colonists captured by the Indians provide unprecedented accounts of how the Indians lived and how they existed on the run from the British army and the much-feared Mohawk Indians. They witnessed the colonial men captured and the cruelties, torture, and death in the most horrendous manners in their travels. They were only able to endure these torments by their unwavering belief that God would see them through their terrible ordeal. It is a true testament to the power of faith that sustained and eventually delivered them from their captivity. Warning: This book described acts of terrible violence and should not be read by anyone under eighteen.

Delaware Indians Accused of Being a Witch and Burned at the Stake at Present Day Muncie Indiana

20th  Century History of Delaware County, Indiana  1908   
    Until recently it was supposed that the following incidents, as described by Dillon, took place in the Indian village which stood at the site of Yorktown: "An old Delaware chief, whose name was Tate-e-bock-o-she, through whose influence a treaty had been made with the Delawares in 1804, was accused of witchcraft, tried, condemned and tomahawked. His body was then consumed by fire. The wife of the old chief, his nephew, who was known by the name of Billy Patterson, and an aged Indian whose name was Joshua, were then accused of witchcraft and condemned to death. The two men were burnt at the stake; but the life of the wife of Tate-e-bock-o-she was saved by her brother, who suddenly approached her, took her by the hand, and, without meeting with any opposition from the Indians who were present, led her out of the council-house. He then immediately returned, and checked the growing influence of the Prophet by exclaiming, in a strong, earnest voice: 'The evil spirit has come among us, and we are killing each other.' " A comparison of the different authorities has led Judge Dunn (in an article in the Indianapolis News, March 17, 1906) to the conclusion that "Joshua was killed at the principal Delaware town, which was what the whites called Muncie- town and the Indians Woopicamikink or Wapecomekoke. This is commonly spoken of as being on the site of Muncie, but it was on the north side of the river, directly opposite where Muncie now stands. The traditional site of the mission [the old Moravian mission] where Tatapachkse [Tate-e-bock-o-she] was executed is the southeast quarter of section 17, range 8 east, township 19 north, the location of Little Munsee Town, ' ' in Madison County at the resort now known as ' ' Indian Mounds. ' ' Concerning the old Indian village on the north bank of the river at Muncie there is the following testimony by a pioneer, William Jackson: "The old Indian village and graveyard stood on the north bank of White River, a short distance to the westward of the bridge, on the Muncie and Granville Pike. When I came here many distinct features of the graveyard were still visible. The graves in many instances were surrounded with pens, or poles piled around them. Many skeletons were exhumed and a number of skulls have been preserved."

57 gruesome stories in Indian capture and torture

Scalped by Native Americans

Scalped by Native Americans

     The trophy prized above all others by American Indians was the scalp. Those made in later days by the Sioux consist of a small disk of skin from the head, with the attached hair. It was cut and torn from the head of wounded or dead enemies. It was carefully cleaned and stretched on a hoop; this was mounted on a stick for carrying. The skin was painted red on the inside, and the hair arranged naturally. If the dead man was a brave wearing war feather, these were mounted on the hoop with the scalp.

     It is said that the Sioux anciently took a much larger piece from the head, as the Pueblos always did. Among the latter, the whole haired skin, including the ears, was torn from the head. At Cochiti might be seen, until lately, ancient scalps with the ears, and in these, there still remained the green turquoise ornaments

Apache and Sioux Scalps.

While enemies were generally slain outright, such was not always the case. When prisoners, one of three other fates might await them: they might be adopted by some member of the tribe, in place of a dead brother or son; they might be made to run the gauntlet as a last and desperate chance of life. This was a severe test of agility, strength, and endurance. A man, given this chance, was obliged to run between two lines of Indians, all more or less armed, who struck at him as he passed. Usually, the poor wretch fell, covered with wounds, long before he reached the end of the lines; if he passed through, however, his life was spared. Lastly, prisoners might be tortured to death, and dreadful accounts exist of such tortures among Iroquois, Algonkin and others. One of the least terrible was as follows: the unfortunate prisoner was bound to the stake, and the men and women picked open the flesh all over the body with knives; splinters of pine were then driven into the wounds and set on fire. The prisoner died in dreadful agony

57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture