The Miracle of the Scalped Man

A party of travelers arrived in town on Friday evening from the interior, and a member of the party told a chilling story about one of their number having been scalped by Indians. The victim, F. Woodward, formerly of Boston but lately of the interior, related the story concerning the mills north of Port Townsend. Mr. Woodward was accompanied by T.S. Gay of St. Louis, and Harrison Galpin of Milwaukee, the latter was unhurt. Mr. Woodward, who is now recovering, said: 'I was sent out to look up the trail just before the train was hit by the cold, and with boys mounted, I started from the front end to wait for the wagons, which were slowly coming up out of the valley. When the wagons arrived, we started on alone through the rocks and dense brush to seek camp. A few hundred miles further on, I looked down and away to the right and five Indians rode down the valley. I started to go back to the train, when at least a dozen Indians ran at me out of the brush. I felt a sharp, stinging pain in my left leg, and another in my left shoulder, and I fell. Then they were upon me in a minute, and one of them put his knee in my back, while another hit me a clip with a club or butt of a gun. I knew I was scalped, my hair was held tight. I felt a hot, red hot, stinging set of pain all around the top of my head being torn out by the roots. The boys at the wagons had seen me running, saw the Indians and came up just in time to prevent the devils finishing their work. I came to again, and my scalp was back; it was only torn, and it is growing again.'