The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-08-07
A Story of Major Ii. Riley.

Phi Ro writes to the N. Y. Spirit an amusing
story Of Major, now General Bennett Riley
so well known in ST. Louis.
Some time in the year 1872, Major R., of
the Rifles, was sent out, with two companies
of his regiment, to what were called the Span
ish lines, to confer with certain Mexican col
onel.
On the route, the United States troops, for
the first time, came in contact with the Canaan
ches. The prairie chivalry had been perfectly
quiet since the time when, in 1903, they had, in
Kickapoo prairie, annihilated Spanish army
They gathered round the little detachment of the
Rifles, in their paint, with themselves and
their horses naked. They charged again and
again, up to the very muzzles of the Mao s
rifles; and when they saw the gallant fellows,
remnants of old Forsyth's men of 1912, unmov-
ed they wheeled round the sides of the little
square, and rode off,
This operation was performed again and
again; every instance it failed; but, as his men
were fatigued, Major R-detirmned to do
little sham fight on his own hook The Indians
from all sides. When within about thirty yards
of his front rank, in that voice which no one
who ever heard will forget, the commands,
"Readv, aim, fire. were given. Twenty horses
were rderless, and away went the Indians.
About half mile was prairie mound, covered
with amnor lime stone, on which the Indians
took refuge, making all kinds of derisive GEES
lures. Look once into old Rs sharp, equiv
ocally -colored eye, and see if he could submit to
it. With the command was a pound gun,
which, at an immense sacrifice of time and toll,
had been dragged from FortLeavenworth beyo nd
Tie cross tmbers. 1t now came into play and,
giving it an inclination Of about forty-tive de-
grees, filling it almost to the muzzle, it was dis
charged.
"Thank God, says R, 'sit was Spanish
piece, and didn't burst!' The shot fell on the
prairie mound, and, SCATTERING the lamnor stones
to the right and left, laid the sod half dozen
red skins. Away the Indians went, and never
interfered again with "the rifles
Several years rolled by, and Major R
met in the streets DIST Louis gentleman NAM
ed c., who owned large trading establish
ment in the departments of Texas. After some
conversation, said c.:
"Major, you had fight once with the Canaan
chess"
ayes beg fght-al on one side"
| 81 know more of it than you do
"Maybe SO! You can tell me, perhaps, how
many of the redskins were killed?'
"No, but can tell you this. In the summer
| of 1872, some two thousand five hundred mount
ed Indians came to my trading house. lhey
were much alarmed, and GU examination, thus
expressed themselves
"sWe are not afraid of rifles, and laugh at
muskets-but man in the prairie shot wagon
at usl!'" This is a free translation from the
Kiowa.)
1t was true, for the first time in their lives they
had seen artillery,
TBEV'sAND W's.-"Villiam, want my Wig.
'Vich Wig, SIR
"Vy, my vite Wig, in the vig-box, vich wore
last Wednesday vas week, vent to the window
Naddle's Wedding"
~ am very much wexed at your vulgar pro-
nunciation Mr.. Valentine You should say,
wig not Wig But ifyou are going visiting
you had better take your velvet cap that you
had on the last meeting Of the westry.
"Vife, you are always worrying me With your
criticisms upon my words. am not visiting