The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1858-10-30
From the san Antonio Heraid-Extra.
CREAM INDIAN BA1vTLEs
EsftyrSIx WarfiOrs Killed

- tu*54A|NRRt t4HCiIp IN Z
received The lfollf 1thg Official report II 3 mos,
brilliant engagement with Tile Comanches, ii
wbbsah fffy-sir warriors srese left dead Oh III.
A.ssHs VIE battle took place near The Wichita
ylih IN the morning Of the list October
HashAs been permitted, Ill ] late hour IssI
night, 70 colpyyihe report Of this signal victory
We iay y be Ye our readers at The earliest
Epossipie moi y, in an extra, and also Id oul
regular y edition-our daily having
That tht i most ~glorions IT il needles.
% annnngsss hongh accompanied with TIKI
sorroWtal the loss Of 4 gallant officer
and Inc sng Of several Others, aiming
Msi' VI J ypid leader q ths% expedition
The Nal ii the supposed invincibls
Gon'anche I'M In their mountain businesses
islglaally demon, tes the wisdom Of our De
mt Comm hder ii organizing this expe
IpeditfVn. But We cannot iilate now upon til
valuable results which we anticipate frnn this
Judicious measure Id subduing the sarages Ga
our frontier. The report Of Maj. Van Dom il
eharacterized By great good taste, and Is d
follows !:
HEAD QRs. W1cH1rA EXPEDITION, j
CAMP NEAR WIcH1TA VILLAGE,
October 5, 1853. y
General IL have the honor to make the
following report OF the operations Of my com
niand since The 25th nit, The date Of my last
report. The stockade work, in progress oi
construction at that date, was completed on
the 18th, and preparations were being made
" move towards the Canadian river the fol-
lowing morning. when two Of my Indian spies
came ia and reported d large Comanche camp
near the Wichita Village. about ninety miles
due east Of the depot. Upon receipt of this
Information. | had all the stores, draught
mules, and extra horses, moved at once into
the defensive enclosure, and marched for this
point, with the four companies Of Cavalry and
Indian allies After milking d forced march
of pinety odd miles in thirty5eight honrs-du-
ring tho last part of which we were ~cnntinu-
ousiy N The saddle for sixteen aud a half hours,
intending the charge AMI parsuit-We arrived
AZ this camp on the morning Of the tit inst.
! had been ii hopes of reaching d: point In
close proximity To the enemy before daylight,
and had made dispositions for an attack, based
on Information received from the spies, but as
dayysbrealt came t,pofl us. some three or four
miles oil, and 1 found them very Inaccurate 10
their information, / moved The companies IN
10 column with intervals Of a hundred yards,
and moved IN the direction of which the camp
was said 70 be, sending Instructions to the
captains t. deploy and charge whenever it was
seen over the crest Of the hills. 10 advance Of
,ts. After ina ching with this formation about
miles at an increased gait, the sound Of
The charge came from towards the left, and ID
Q moment the whole command poured dawn
into the enemies camp IN The most gallant
style, and we soon found ourselves engaged Oh
q warmed defended battle field.
There being many ravines in and about the
up that INSTRUCTED the easy operations Of
cavalry aud gave good shelter to the Indians,
+ wa more than al hour before they were
entirely beaten out. or destroyed, during which
time, there were many bloody handstoshand
engagements, bfth on the part Of The officers
men. The friendly Indians | ordered, in
approaching the camp, to stampede the ami
nals, ard get tsss.ssoHts Of the way. This order
hey eflactually carried ont. The Delawares
and CadAloes also entered into the fight with
the troops, and did effective service, especially
IN The diminishing ID the lieighhoring hills and
rayines. We have gained d compIete and de.
victory over the euamy. Fifty six war
are left dead on the field, and it is pre-.
that many are lying in the vicinity, as
many were doubtless mortally wounded but
to escape Oh their horses from the
cattle teld, How many were wounded is not
Over three hnndred animals we're
captured, abont 10 lodges were burned. Their
,iHppii.y 81 ammunition, cooking utensils. clothing.
iiressed skins, corn aud subsistence stores werasE
" destroyed or appropriated to the coz
naiid. Those who escaped did so with he
clothing they has IN and. their arms,
md nothing is left to mark the site Of their
amp but the ashes and the dead.
! regret that have to report that two In
Ian Women were accidentally killed in the
their dresses only concealed, not indjca-
ing their sex. Two Wichita Indians were no.
identaliy killed, being 10 The Conanche CAMP
he number Of Indians has been variously es-
mated from three To five hundred. / think
here We're over four hundred. This victory
as not yet been achieved without, loss on our
lde, Lieut., tsornellns Van Camp, one of the
aost promising aud gallant young officers Of
iir regiment, fell pierced through the hear, by
q arrow, whist charging the enemy's camp,
u died as the brave alone should die. In his
ass We teel onr victory to be a dear boneht
ne. The following is i list Of the killed and
'oundsd, as furnished me by the captains:
.al. Gompany-wonnded, Brevet Major
,arl Van Dora, severely; Corporal Jos. p.
'aylor, dangerously.
* Gompapy-wounded, private Smith
slightly.
III Company-killed, privates Peter Ma.
AZ aud Jacob Eckard; missing sunposed 10 he
illed, private Henry Howard; wounded. sergI !
Q. Mcfellapd, slightly; Cropl Bishop Cor /,
slightly; Bugler, NJ. Abargast, slightly. F,
riyate &C. Alexander. severely.
Company-wounded, Serg't. j. H.. Gar ,
son; mortally, since dead; private g. G.. :
and A.. Mcnamara, severely; and ,
'ivate ", Frank. slightly.
Mr., j.. Z. Ward, Snller to the command.
ID Mr.. s. Ross, in charge Of the friendly In.
ans, were also wounded ii former slightly. /,
g latter quite severely. :
am so greatly indebted to all the officers t
the command, collectively, for the energy.
9 zeal, the ability. and gallantry, with which
ey aided me in achieving this success, that |
Il II impossible to name one as being disen-
Iished above the Others. ! am equally in
bted in the SAINT manner to all the non.com- ]
issioned officers and soldiers OF my command,
40 under MI the cire instances Of the forced
arch, aud The battle, proved themseS$ es to be c
oilers worthy of the name. Their ess9lantrv. Is
daring, and fearless intrepid ~, are I
9 admiration Of their officers. but Il " end o
emselves unable to discriminate VI ere NIL b
re barye. The officers present we're Can. CT
ms Whiting, Evans, and johnson, I.ieNten-