Heading: (Wyoming – Indian wars, 1885)
Author: [Terrell?], Jesse T.
Title: Wyoming Territory settlers fear Indian attack, 1885 letter
Place Published:
Publisher:
Date Published: 1885
Description:

Autograph Letter Signed (“Jesse T.”). Banner, Wyoming Territory. Feb. 15, 1888. 2pp. Pencil. To his sister in Illinois. With original mailing envelope. 

Written almost ten years after Custer’s “last stand” at the Little Big Horn, which was 100 miles north of Terrell’s home in Banner. The last recorded incident of conflict between the Indians and US troops in Wyoming occurred in 1882, but it is clear from this letter that the fear of the settlers remained.

“…our nearest neighbor here talking about the Indians, they nearly scare him to death. I am not afraid of them much, if they come an I see them I am agoing to make a break for the brush and hide they cannot find me or go to some town, the Indians say that they are going to fight the Indians about here on Mountains and steal their horses but the people think it is all sham they think they will turn upon the whites and massacre them, well we will give a pretty close shave in a fight, tell John they make for his red head the first thing, they will scalp him... He had better get his hair should close to his scalp and then they will not scalp him. I do not want you and mama to come out until we find out if the Indians is going on the war path or not and if they are, you had better stay in Illinois and there you will be safe….”

Very good.