Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-03-28

ern man, who deserves, and will DOUBTLESS
receive. eternal inf,my for his rifirls 10 IN
! duce horde of savases 10 butcher brave
men I'm had taken up arms TO prevent the
subvrr>i,n Of the Repuhlic-rrpeaed the
ou;rages upon civilized warfare, and the
shocking barbarilies with which our early
history has made us familiar.
They fought as they did in the older
times--in the manner the rebels have Adopt
ed rs treirovn. from behind logs and trees
anxious TO destroy, but fearful of exposure
seeking by every device and deception tC
draw our men into ambush and Stay them
at disadvantage.
in main instances they succeeded, bnI
in others nur mea were as willy as tue alb.
orieines, and defeated them at their own
sanse. Many sasage, Willie he was peer.
ing cautiously around a tree, or through
the bushes, was relieved Of life by mus
ket or rife b;ll crushing 1hrsush his skull
The indians ofen assumed TO be dead
throwing themselves upon their faces on the
ground; and as soon as our troops would
pass, they would rise, take deliberate sina,
fire adm fly Scalping and rebhng were as
of yore, their fsvonie pastimcs. They
plundcred every wounded dying and dead
Unionist they could iind and very frequent
ly murdered those they discovered SO bad
ly hurt as to be incapable Of offering re-
sistance.
The savases indeed seemed demonized,
and it is said the rebels did everything in
their power 10 exciteshers to frenzy, giving
them large quantities Of whiskey and gun
powder few minutes previous te the con-
mencement of hostilities.
The appearance of some Of the besotted
savages was fearful. They lost their sense
of caution and fear, and ran with long
knives against large odds, and fell pierced
by dozens of bullets. With bloody hands
and garments, with glt;ering eyes and hor-
rid scowls, they ragged about the field with
terrible yelis, and So often frightened some
of our soldiers for few seconds as to es-
cape the fate that should have befailen
every one Of their number.
THE REBELS SLAUGHTERED RY THE IN
DAMS.
The Indians in many instances could not
refrain from scalping their enemies, and it
is said that as many as hundred of our
brave men were thus barbarously treated
They frequently scalped the dead they
found on the field. and in ten or twelve
cases so served soldiers who were merely
wounded.
The Indians in the midst of the excite
ment and under The stimulus Of their burn
inc potations became frenzied, lost TO every
sense but that Of slaughter. Friend and
foe were alike to them; they fred at the
nearest mark, and used their long knives
indiscriminately upon all within their reach.
For more than twelve hours they contin-
ued this impartial warfare, killing and
wounding more of the Missouri and Ar
kansas troops, it is believed, than they did
of ours.
On Saturday morning body of 800 or
400 Indians were discovered on the north
side of Sugar Creek, below the curve of
hill, firing from thick clusters of post-oaks
into three or four companies of Arkansas
soldiers, marching in McCulloch's division
toward the upper part of the ridge. The
Major of the battalion seeing this, hallooed
out TO them that they were firing upon their
own friends. and placed his white handker-
chief on his sword and waved it in the air.
The Indians either did not see or did not
care for this symbol of truce but poured
two volleys into the Arkansans, killing
among others, the Major himself. The pre-
then was that the Cherokees had
turned traitors, ana the secession soldiers
were Immediately ordered to charge upon
them. They did so, and for an hour ter
rible fight ensued among the oaks between
them and their late savage allies, in which
it is stated some $50 were killed and wound
ed on both sides. The Indians suffered Sc
yerely, as they were driven from their hid
ing places, and shot and butchered without
mercy. A person who witnessed this part
of the fight says it was the most bloody and
desperate that occurred on the. feld-being
conducted with the most reckless and bru-
tai energy by the two parties, of whom it
would be difficult TO say which was the more
barbarous. On the dead savages were found
In some instances, two or three scalps, fas-
tened to their belts by thongs of leather.
The rebels had calculated on sure vic
tory, and had got in the rear of our army
50 as to cut off retreat. This confidence was
based on the great odds they bad against us.
THE FIRST DAYS FIGHTING.
An attack was anticipated by Gen. Cur
lis from the south, and he ordered Gen.
Carr TO leave Cross IIollows and take his
position on Sugar Creek, which had the adj
vantage of superior strength. He also or
lered Gen. Sigel from Bentonville to the
same neiehborheod, and gave him charge
Of the entire train, Sigel was at that point.
a distance Of two miles from the main land.
when he was attacked by about $500 of
the rebel cavalry, anxious 10 obtain possess |
sion of the baggage and stores. The brave
German had no more than 500 or 900 men
Two baitallions of Missouri troops and
one of cavalry.
To the eastward was Curtis's encamp-
nent, and Sigel was anxious to reach this. |
md at the same time carry the trains with
aim The task was superhuman, the reb-
els being upon his steps, and making every |
effort to surround him. He exhorted his |
followers to perish rather than retreat. and
hey contested every inch of ground as if
heir souls salvation depended on the issue.
Sigel was at last cut off; but his energy
and that Of his men hewed passage through |
The serted ranks of the rebels and once more
the scales of victory hing in equal balance.
For six hours the fray waxed more and
more furious. The cavalry charged and