The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-03-12
THE BATTLE. Gr BEAR RIVER.

.U
The Despret News Of the 10th ult.,
gives full particulars Of the battle of Bea,
River. that took place on The 29tl, Of Jan
uary. between a little over Il r.. e hundred
volunteers under Col Cannon. and large
ly superior force of Indians. These In
dians are the most desperate on tho norh
ern emigrant route. having for the past
fifteen years been the terror Of emiSrapts.
and on two occasions defeated regular
troops .,,s.ts..
The forces Of the prssen, expedition
consisted Of sixty nine men Of Company
X, Third lnfautry. under Captain Hn,t
and two hundred aud lw-niy men Of
Companies A, Il. n and K, FL C.valry.
under Major McGarry. These. together
with twelve mounted man as an esrort 10
the baggage train, and Colonel Conuor,
Major @eGarry. Major Gallagher and
Lieut.. Berry, constituted the entirr 6gh.
ing force that went north Guides and
others attached 10 the company are. oI
iurse, not counted. Five or six rlegu
lars. among them "Dutrh Joe. a gen
l.m-n with whom We have no acquain
,ance, went in md had free fight. BY
way Of wipiug of all scores with the Iu'
dams so altogether the force exceeded
little over three hundred men.
THE ARRIVAL AT BEAR RIVER.
On reaching Bear River. though il wa'
yet early daylight. by the aid Of his field
glass, the Colonel could pl.inly disrovel
the posi- ion Of thu Indians on the norll
side Of the river. 'Ths cavalry dismonnt
ed. loaded arms, and remonnted. and Ma
j r McGarry had orders to lead acios'
the river, and, il possible surround th'
Indians. Companies X aud NJ. Lieut.
chase and Capt. Price. FIRST reached tn
banks on The north side, after considers
ble difficulty from the ice in The bottom
OF he, iiyer, and fromrthe masses Of ic'
that were carried along with the current
Companies H and A, Captain Mclean anc
Lieut.. Quinn. followed close behind them
The first Companies gallopsd up the bas
Of a range of hills 10 the east, ard form
ed in line Of hattie; but hefors all the me,
had dismounted the Indians sent show
or Of lead among them, wounded one o
the volunteers. Tho fret companies w-r
/, drploysa as skirmishers. and ordere
along the trout Of the ravine. The tw
Other companies we're up immediatel
after. and dismounliug, were ordered for
ward in the same mspner ,i 81 eH 1c
!, THE POSITION or THE INDIANS. =
The Indians had excellent winter quai
ters 10 deep rsvine. about three fourtI,
ofa mills long. running almost dirsctl
due north from Bear river in the noun
.ains that formed their protection on thei
left, The banks Of The ravine east an
west were almost perp- -ndiculsr. wit
oSIy three places Of difficult approach
: which the Indians had made for ihci
own otnVsnience, and fhr the annoyanc
Of any approaching enemy Anticipa,in
an attack they had cut steps 10 the eai
side Of the banks Of the ravine, fror
. which they could con vsnleptly IRE with
out exposure, and descend again for pei
, feeSsecufi,y. Besides these natural ad
D vantsges in the fhvine. on each side theD
6 we're rising benches about ten feet apar
r which also Gave the Indians the advar
I iags over. their exposed enemy, who NJ
: 10 discover suddenly ahsS ready iiit
. awaited their approach, 'peye'lAe', I, y, \,
nths rlvihe. the wick.i-ops we're plan
: led among the willows. which PARTIAL
couccalsd them. sud tbe ltver portion