Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-03-09
Exciting Renconter with Camanche
Indian.


Exciting Renconter with Camanche
Indian.
A correspondents Of the National In
telligencer relates the following incident
as having occurred some time ago in
Texas between young Lieutenant Of
cavalry and Camanchc indian:
Upon the evening that | arrisad from
"a party of men came in and ra.nrted
having seen upon neighboring eNsk~
whore they were hunting, partyof
Camanches (the fercest ard wildes
tribe) driving herd of animals which
they had evidently stolen from some Of
the settlers
Capt. - ordered me to take a
party ofmen and pursue and attack them.
| saddled up chat night, and riding all
night, at daybreak was at the seputed
place. Finding their trail, pushed on
and followed it rapidly all day, until it
became too dark to see any longer, when
! encamped for the night, having been
sixteen hours in the saddle and ridden
about sixty miles.
AT daybreak next morning was
again upon the trail, and about Ill A.
NJ, saw two Indians driving quickly be-
fore them herd Of some twenty odd
animals. | halted my men where could
not be seen, and ordered them to throw
away any extra article, then taking a
fast gallop was within three hundred
yards Of them before l was seen. Giving
the command charged / was soon upon
them.
{" One threw himself from his horse
and ran for some woods close by, int
was soon Killed by some Of the men; the
other, mounted on feet horse, pressed
him at his topmost speed across the prai-
RE, shouting and yelling his war whoop
as he ram Calling 20 the men to let
Miune-ha-ha' out, but he reached an
adjoining woods unframed by the bullets
that whistled after him.
Having thus lost sight of the Indian
! was obliged to follow his horses track
which led me into a number of hills
separated by deep and crooked rayines,
covered with close growth Of cedar.
Dismounting, the Indian had concealed
his pony in one Of these ravines, and at
tempted to make his escape on foot, but
| dismounted and followed his nioccasin
track, and finally came to little preci-
pice, down which | saw his red blanket,
which he had dropped. Clambering dowrsl
that, | picked up and examined lis
blanket. ! was then whiting six feet IF
him and did not know it.
Seeing where he had jumped dbwn
another little descent by ledge ofrdks,
| jumped down also, and in an infant
he sprang upon me, leaping in the air
and alighting with his breast upon my
head
+" He had an arrow in his bw, the
sharp point of which he placed against
my breast, but just as he shot, i sprang
enc side and the arrow passed Through
the sleeve of my coat. Graphing with
him, | wrenchcd his low out oihis hands
and taking my pistol, bclabored him
across the head and eyes Finding,
however, that he pressed me SO tight
that | could not get chance to cock my
revolver, dropped it, and, Selling him
with both hands near the waist, raised
him high above the ground, trippcd him,
and fell with my whole weight upon him, 4
but then was in . qaandary.
"IIerc was I OIL top, holding down,
breast upon breast, d live Camanche, and
a very slippery one, with nothing to kill
him with Fortunately just then oncl Of
my men came up md assisted in hold Ing
him until I could get my pistol, when /
soon sent him t9 his happy hunting
ground to rejoin his companions"
It only remains to be told that the
victor broughtoif tho arms Of his foe, In
GLIDING his lafce and shield.