Samuel Germain (German) was the oldest son of Zachariah German and Mary (Polly) Chamberlain. Samuel was born on June 15, 1834 in Delaware County, NY and died on January 30, 1901, in Richardson County, NE. He married Augusta Bisbee in Freeport, IL on January 21, 1859; Augusta died March 13, 1874. Samuel then married Ellen Lynde on September 3, 1874 in Pawnee City, NE. Samuel moved to Ogle County Illinois, probably in the spring of 1855, with Zachariah and his younger brothers Pratt and Abel. During the first half of the 1860's Samuel lived in Butler County, Iowa, where he enlisted in the Army; he moved to Richardson County, Nebraska c.1866. Sometime prior November 12, 1866 Samuel, Augusta and their six children had occupied 160 acres of land near Humboldt, Nebraska under the Homestead Act. By March 31, 1873 he had "built a house thereon 12 x 14 feet in size with good roof and good floor, with one door and two windows and is a comfortable house to live in." In 1873 Samuel received a patent (title) on this land. Samuel sold the property in December 1875 and in early 1876 purchased 160 acres a few miles further west, nearer the no-longer existent town of Athens, Nebraska.
 Samuel and Augusta are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, south of Humboldt, Nebraska, along with their oldest daughter, Amanda Mellie (or Millie) Carter. In Nebraska, Samuel lived within three miles of Albert Feldman. Albert married Sophia German, one of the survivors of the 1874 German Family Massacre (see descriptions at bottom of this page). Sophia's family was descended from a southern branch of the German family that may have moved from New York to North Carolina sometime in the 1700's. After the massacre the surviving German girls were eventually taken to Ft. Leavenworth, KS, before being ultimately raised by Mr. Patrick Corney of Kansas. It may be nothing but a huge coincidence that one would up living so near her distant cousin Samuel.  Taken from Richardson County, NE biographical sketches: SAMUEL GERMAIN, farmer and stock raiser, Section 20, Speiser Precinct, Humboldt P. O., was born and reared in Delaware County, N. Y., and came to Nebraska in 1866, and located here, where he has very successfully carried on his present industry since. In January, 1860, he married Miss Augusta Bisbee, in Freeport, Ill. She was born and reared in his native county, and who departed this life March, 1874, and is buried in the cemetery, Speiser Precinct, leaving a family of four sons and three daughters--Amanda, Osmer, Homer, Jennie, Adelbert, Samuel E. and Ida. In December, 1874, he married Mrs. Ellen Law, formerly Linn, who was born and reared in his native State. They have a family of two sons and one daughter--Kirtland, Myrtle, and Alvin. Mrs. Germain's family are--Eliza, May and William Law. Mr. Germain has always worked actively in the furtherance of such measures as tended to develop the home life of his locality, since his coming here. His military service began in August 1862, in Company E, Thirty-second Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was actively engaged till September, 1864, when he was honorably discharged on account of injuries received, and pensioned.  Pratt German, b.c.1837, was the second son of Zachariah and Mary (Polly) Chamberlain. He moved to Ogle County Illinois, probably in the spring of 1855, with Zachariah and his brothers Samuel and Abel. Pratt's name appears in several land transactions in Ogle County and Carroll County, Illinois in the late 1850's and 1860's, including one in 1857 where Zachariah transfers land to Samuel and Pratt as trustees for Polly. Pratt married Lydia Gibbs in 1856 in Lee, Illinois; the 1860 census shows them in Mount Morris, IL with a daughter named Mary, age one year. The book "Mount Morris: Past and Present" on pages 74-75 shows Pratt as an eligible voter in Mount Morris, Illinois in 1860. The 1865 Illinois census shows Pratt living in Brookville, IL with one adult female, one daughter and three sons. The 1870 census shows Pratt with Henry Gibbs (Lydia's brother?) in Brookville, IL; we cannot find a record of Lydia or the children. In an 1878 directory of Carroll County, Pratt was shown as a farmhand living in Lima Township Section 10. That is actually just across the border in Ogle County, two or three miles north of Brookville. We find no trace of him after that.
The German Family Massacre
The Atlanta Constitution
March 26, 1875
Indian Atrocities
Surrender of the Murders of the German Family-
The Story of the Survivors.
[Cheyenne (Indian Nation) Letter to N. Y. Herald.
This wild western country, uninhabited save by big strolling bands of Indians with,
here and there a government post, has never known a tragedy that equals that committed in Central Kansas, September 11, 1874.
General Thomas Neil is the commander of the post, and in answer to a question by the
Herald correspondent as to the manner of the surrender of the Cheyenne’s he said:
“Stone Calf, the chief of the Cheyenne , came into the post on February 9th, saying that
the tribe would surrender. I sent out an ambulance for the two German girls, Catherine and
Sophia and on the 25th they were brought in. They were in a terrible condition. All the garments
they wore was an old army blanket, and their face and bodies were daubed with paint.
Mr. John D. Miles, the United States Indian Agent, took them immediately to his house,
where they were dressed and properly cared for.”
Catherine, the eldest is but seventeen years old, and is a young lady of neat figure and rather handsome.
From her manner it is evident that she has been well reared and that her family was well to do in the world.
Sophia fared better in here trials. She is eleven years of age, and like her sister, has dark hair ands blue eyes.
She is tall and well developed foe one of her years. Both of them were treated very horribly while with the
Indians, as their present condition shows.
Both were subjected to indescribable indignities and beastly outrages by nearly all the male Indians.
The family consisted of John German his wife, Lydia, and seven children, as follows:
Rebecca, 21; Stephen, 19, Johanna, 15, Catherine, 17; Sophia, 11; Julia, 7, and Nancy 5.
Five years ago they left Morgantown, Fannin County, Ga., and removed to Howell county, Mo.
In May, 1872 they removed to Merryville, Stone county, Mo., and in the following September
they emigrated to Elgin Howard County, Kansas, from which place they started to Colorado and
on the journey they were all with the exception of four murdered. On arriving at Smoky Hill River,
in the central part of Kansas only about fourteen miles from the Kansas Pacific Railroad, and
within thirty miles of Fort Wallace, they were attacked by the Indians.
CATHERINE’S STORY
Catherine, in an interview with a reporter of The Herald, said:
“Just as the sun was rising, and while engaged in driving the cattle up the river bank towards the wagon,
I heard shouts and yells, and running closer, saw my father fall, shot through the back by an Indian.
I was terribly frightened, but I can never forget the spectacle that there ensued.
My brother Stephen was a half mile away hunting up some stock, and he had a gun with him.
As poor father fell mother rushed toward him only to receive a shot from another Indian
who fired at her head, killing her almost instantly. My father was not killed at once, for
he moved his arms about as he was scalped by one of the party. They also scalped my mother.
An old squaw picked up our axe and struck it in my father’s head, leaving it fixed in his skull.
During the time this was going on one party rode after Stephen and shot and scalped him.
My sister, Rebecca, made a brave defense with an axe; she knocked down one of the Indians,
and would have killed him if she had not been tomahawked from behind. While half insensible,
and scarcely alive the Indians (five or six of them) despoiled her person and after that scalped her.
They then carried her neat the wagon tore off her clothes, piled them over her, with some other
things from the wagon, and while she was still alive set fire to the pile ands burdened her up.
Here the broken hearted girl broke down and the reporter waited some time before she could
proceeded Amidst sobs and tears, and in broken utterances she continued as follows, occasionally assisted by Sophia:
“After all were killed but we five sisters, they gathered around us to see which one should be put out of the way,
as they said they could only take four along. One Indian, who seemed to be a chief, came up and
looked at Johanna and me, suddenly drew up his gun and shot my sister’s head off. I was so
frightened that I could not stir for a long time. As soon as they got everything they wanted they
set the wagon on fire and killed the cattle; then made Sophia ands I get on horses and tied us on,
took our to little sisters up in front of them and started off as fast as the horses could go.
We traveled all day, going due south. I should judge. One squaw tried to save
Rebecca’s life; but the Indian she hit with the axe said he would have her scalp, and so she was shot.
After traveling two days we crossed a railroad track. The day after we got over the railroad Medicine
Man, with a small party left, and were gone until late in the afternoon. When they came up to us they
had three fresh scalps and a number of articles of wearing apparel that must have belonged to a man,
woman and small child; also had a lot of canned fruit and oysters.
after keeping us riding nearly two weeks the main camp near the Staked Plains was reached.
Stone Calf had command and when they brought us in all the tribe turned out and had a great time.
The same night they had a big scalp dance over the scalps of our family and made us all look at it.
Two days after the main body of Indians was reached. They took sister Julia and Nancy away
from the camp and I have never seen them since.
Sophia saw them once, about December but for only a few minutes.
Al of us were one day placed on horses and after the Indian fashion made to ride as fast as
horses could go and the Indian who caught us had to take care of us for good.
Soon after this the whole body started north to get out of the way of the troops which, it was reported,
were close at hand. Stone Calf, with Sophia, was left behind with about one hundred more, and the rest
under charge of Gray Beard, Eagle Head, Heaps of Bird, and Lean Bear still kept on the north.
In about a week, while encamped on Wolf Creek, the soldiers again made the Indians run.
I did not see them, but heard the guns. All of this time I was on horseback, and a good
deal of the time very sick, had to ride all the time and at night was often whipped and
beaten because I could not carry as much wood and water as some of the squaws.
All this time I was under charge of Long Back. At times I was nearly frozen, having
nothing but a blanket to keep warm with at night. Sometimes there would be a foot
of snow on the ground, but they made me work just as hard This was about December 1st.
My feet were frozen, and the nails on my right foot all came off. In January I met sister
Sophia for a short time, and she told me we were better to be killed.
The reporter asked Catherine if she thought they would kill her, and she answered,
“No; I always thought the soldiers would release us some time, and told Sophia not to be afraid.
In the latter part of January I received a letter from General Neil, brought to the camp by a Kiowa scout,
telling me to keep up good spirits and the soldiers would soon capture us.
A second letter was received after this but the Indians would not let me open it.
They said (this section black, blotted) ????? not let me take it. ?? hands. As soon as the letter was received I felt ever so much better.
We had little to eat. Horses and dogs were all the meat we had to eat.
(Next10 lines looks like ink blot unable to read)
With Stone
Calf. At last Medicine Water came to my lodge and told me I was to be given up. I asked him to let
me see Sophia, and he answered, sister dead. I did not believe him, and one day Stone Calf told me she was alive and well.
About two weeks ago I saw a four horse wagon coming toward our camp, and as soon as it was near enough
I started to run out to meet it. The Indian would not let me, but made me go in to the tent.
Soon Romeo came to me and spoke to me in English. It was the first time I had heard it for months. He said
I might go with him and he would take good care of me. I got into the ambulance, and there for the first time in two months saw Sophia.
We at once left the Indians behind in two days came in sight of the soldiers tents where I saw General Nell,
Mrs. Miles and all the rest who were so kind to me. I could not help crying.
Mrs. Miles is as kind as a mother to us.
Did they take all the clothes away from you at the time you wee captured?
Yes; and only gave me an old blanket to keep warm with.
Can you identify the Indians who made the attack on your family?
I have seen them 50 times since and can tell them all.
How many were there?
Seventeen men and two squaws.
Have you seen the squaw who hit your father with an axe?
Only once.
Was Medicine Water one of the war party?
He seemed to be the leader
Did they scalp all the family after they were killed?
All except Johanna. She had been sick and her hair was very short.
How was Sophia treated after she left you?
From what she tells me she had a much easier time than I had.
She was only whipped once or twice and did not have to carry so much wood and water.
Where will you go, now that you are rescued from the Indians?
I don’t know yet, she replied. I would prefer to remain her rather than return to Georgia.
If Sophia and I can get a good education here, I had rather remain here than go any where they are so good to me.
GERMAN SISTERS. The four German (Germain[e]) sisters, Indian Captives, were the daughters of John and Lydia (Cox) German, who in the 1850s established a farm near Morganton, Fannin County, Georgia. They were Catherine E. (b. March 21, 1857), Sophia L. (b. August 11, 1862), Julia Arminda (b. March 23, 1867), and Nancy Adelaide (Addie, b. April 26, 1869). During the Civil War German fought for the Confederacy and was taken prisoner. He returned in 1865 to find his farm devastated and decided to make a new life for his family, which grew to seven children. Encouraged by a letter from a friend, the family set out for Colorado on April 10, 1870. Eventually they made it to Howell County, Missouri, where they stayed among relatives for over two years before moving on. In Elgin County, Kansas, German and his eighteen-year-old son, Stephen, plowed fields for pay on the Osage Indian Reservation for ten months before moving on. In August 1874 the family reached Ellis City, where they were advised to take the stage route up the Smoky Hill River to Fort Wallace, since water was more readily available that way. On September 10 the Germans camped on the trail a day's journey from the fort. The next morning as they were breaking camp they were attacked by a war party of Cheyennes led by Chief Medicine Water. John and Lydia German, their son Stephen, and daughters Rebecca Jane and Joanna were killed and scalped. The Indians then took any goods they deemed usable and set the wagon afire. Captured and eventually taken into the Texas Panhandle were Catherine, age seventeen; Sophia, twelve; Julia, seven; and Addie, five. The Germans were victims of the Cheyennes' retaliation for their losses at the second battle of Adobe Walls on June 27.
After a scouting party from Fort Wallace came upon the scene of the massacre a few days later, the military campaigns against hostile Indians in the Panhandle were intensified. In the meantime, the German girls were subjected to exposure, malnutrition, and occasional maltreatment as their captors traveled southward. Catherine, in particular, recalled instances of gang rape by young "dog soldiers" and indignities at the hands of Cheyenne women, particularly Medicine Water's obnoxious wife, Mochi (Buffalo Calf Woman). Eventually Julia and Addie were traded to Grey Beard's band, who for the most part neglected them. Grey Beard steered his following down the east side of the Llano Estacado, while Medicine Water joined with other groups and moved down the west side, probably crossing at several points into eastern New Mexico.
By November 1874 Grey Beard had set up camp north of McClellan Creek, about ten miles south of the site of present-day Pampa. On the morning of November 8, Lt. Frank D. Baldwin's column charged the Indian encampment. So complete was the surprise that the Cheyennes abandoned the village and left most of their property intact. Riding through the deserted camp,William (Billy) Dixon and other army scouts noticed movement in a pile of buffalo hides; they were astonished to find Julia and Addie German, both emaciated and near starvation. Dixon later recalled how hardened scouts and soldiers turned aside to hide their emotions as the little girls sobbed out their story.
At the main supply camp on the Washita River Col. Nelson A. Miles placed Julia and Addie in the care of an army surgeon, who took them to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In January Miles and Col. Thomas H. Neill sent out friendly Kiowas as messengers to find the Cheyennes and induce them to surrender. The Kiowas located the camp of Stone Calf on a tributary of the Pecos River near the New Mexico border. When Stone Calf, who was bringing his people back from exile in Mexico, was told that peace was dependent upon the safety of Catherine and Sophia German, he had them moved into a lodge next to his own. They were released in March, after Stone Calf, Grey Beard, Red Moon, and other chiefs brought in their bands to surrender at Brinton Darlington's agency. The sisters pointed out to the officers the individuals who had murdered their family and those who had abused them, including Medicine Water and Mochi. These, along with others singled out for various crimes, were placed in irons and sent to Fort Marion, Florida, for incarceration.
Catherine and Sophia were subsequently reunited with Julia and Addie at Fort Leavenworth, and Col. Miles was designated their guardian. Congress set aside $10,000 from Cheyenne annuities as an endowment for the girls' support and education. On reaching the age of twenty-one, each sister received $2,500. Reared by Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Corney in Kansas, all four girls eventually married and settled in Kansas, Colorado, and California.
In 1927 Grace E. Meredith, Catherine's niece, published her aunt's narrative of the German sisters' captivity. The following year, Mrs. Adelaide German Andrews and Mrs. Sophie German Feldman stopped in Pampa while en route to visit their sisters, Mrs. Catherine German Swerdferger and Mrs. Julia German Brooks in California. Timothy D. Hobart, with whom the sisters had corresponded, took them to the site of Lieutenant Baldwin's attack on Grey Beard's camp. Several dignitaries accompanied them, and the event was well covered by area newspapers. A Texas Centennial marker was placed near the site in 1936. In October 1952 Julia Brooks was guest of honor at Gray County's fiftieth anniversary celebration in Pampa.
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Samuel Germain 1834-1901 and Pratt German c1837- unknown
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