, 1863-08-19
THE INDIAN WAR.
Battle Of. the Dig hlound Dead
Buffalo Lake, and Stony :.
Lake.
DEFEAT !DF THE Sl0uX--Cl0sE Of
the WAR.


Or the a4tn Of July, about one o'clock, as
the column was moving. along the western
scouts who were In the advance returned,
with the report that we we're IN the immea3ste
yicinlty Of L large camp Of Indians. Other
scouts canne who had seen the 1udilns and be-
1ieyca them to be preparing in great numbers
to engage us-that they were t1en collecting
great hill. Soon the Indians were seen on the
Big Mound, the highest peak Of the hill. The
train Waa turned ott to the right little way
and cor1al1ed on salt lake.
Details OF men were made to throw up en-
trcnchnents, so TINT small number Of men
could defend tho train and camp while tho
main force should be engaged elsewhere.
The camp was encircle1 by several regiments,
with the altillery plnced at Intervals between.
The Big Mound mas directly east OF camp q
mile and q quarter distant. a succession Of
f:om the camp to the Big Mound. There vas
a. rayine directly east of camp, which extended
nearly to tic Big Mound.
The 9Th regiment was placed on the north
side Of the corral, its left resting on the lake
the 10th regiment next to TIE 9Th fronting
7th regiment on the right Of the 10th, front
Ing east and southeast Of the ravino; the cav
nlry .ton the south side ct the camp will its
right flank cn the lake.
These dispositions had hardly been made
before the reror: Of fire arms was heard o.
the hill directly in, front of the 7th regiment
Some Of the ecouts had gone part way up the
hill, and were talking with the Inaians. Dr..
Welscr, surgeon Of the Mounted Rangers,
Joined them a1d shook hands with one ortwo
Indians Whsm be had probably known a. Sha'
! kopec. Ono 1udian Advanced aud shot him
sreaktnga word. The scouts fired aud the
Indiana fell back behiud the ridge, returning
| the fire, one shot takilg effect upon sc tut
| solon SteTeus OF Maukaso. 1t proved to be
! but slight wound In the hip, The ball had
| l.st passed through his rubber blanket which
| was promptly Eent ont, which met the body
| Of Dr.. Wei=er, being brought IN on , horse.
I The first battalion Of cavalry-captalns
! Taylor, Wilson, and AEderson's Companies
was promptly ordered to tho seene OF pf.
| Weiser's death, where the scouts were skir-
miehing with the lcdiaus. They fund the
| ground SO broken that they 1lsmonnted and
| sent their hor:es back to camp. Major Brad.
| leg, with Captains Stevens and GilHla1'a 4
companies, OF the Seventh, were ordered to
the support Of the cavalry; The General
with stx>pou,ider, advanced to Q hi1 on the
left Of the rayiue and bcgan. to shell the H.
diaus at The head Of the raFlnc and about the
Big Mound. Capt. Edgertun's company, o1
the Tenth, supported tho sixspoundeE: >.
Ths 6th regiment was dep1oysd on tie foot
l
north east Of cemp, Capt. Banks company
OF the 7th, ou the right OF the 9Th regiment.
Lieut.. Col. Marshall, with tha remaining t1ve
companies Of the Tth regiment, Captains
Kennedy, Willlstou, Hall, Carter, and Arnold,
advanced up The fayiue toward the Big
Mound. ard deploycd on the LETT Of the dis
/ mounted cavalry and Mnjor Bradley line.
The artillery under the imntedia.e direction
/ Of tue General, drove the Indians out from
| the head Of the rayine and from abou: the
Big Mound, nnd into the bEoken ridges aud
rnVines southvard. They bad conla from
lint quarter, their camp being found around
the hill about five miles from our camp.
The lihe Of the T.k regiment and the three
| companies Of caTalry named, advanced stsadi-
| 1y and rapidly, pouring constant fro into
/ the lndlans. which reached them bEfpre their
shorter range guns could have any effect on
summit Inpge just to the right Of the mound,
| and f1ankiDE the right Of the Indians, swept
around to the southwark aul pursued the In
to and through the ridges and r1vines on the
east Of the rauge, Wllfls Major Bradley and
Captains Taylor and Anderson pressed them
cayalsy croaselt to the right Of the mound, and
| pu1Eued some Indians that separated from
the main body and setrcated more directly
eastward.
The Indians were thus pursued some three
or four miles, and until they vera completely
dlslodged and driven from the hills to a broad
plain EouthwGrd. They would try to hold
! ridge after ridge, and to cover themselves III
tha rayines, but the better Weapons in the
hands Of tic whites were too much for them.
They we're spaeing Of ammunition, and proba'
bly, not ever half had 1ire-arm Their RUN.
her exceed LOCO ra11iors.
| As they were precipltately retreatiDg down
tho rayines toward the plain, after the 1asl
| stand, two companies Of cavalry, Capt. AUS
tins and Ldeut. Baston's, under the immediate
command ot Col AcPhail, took the advance
and charged the Indians, doing execution.
an 1Edfan which he Was riding on to: Col.
AIcPhais thrust bis sabre through the indian.
! It was here that . stroke Of Nghtning killed
| private John Murphy Of Co. B, and his horse,
and stunned another cayalryman. Colonel
McPhail's grasp was loe5encd on bis sTordby
among them. This momcntarify checked The
charge and rendered It less effective, the In
dIans getting out OF the plain where their I'M
mense numbers deferred nny further charge
until the cavalry conid be reinforced.
Lieut.. Col. Marshall had left bis line for {
right flank, charged down the hill With ths
rangers In IN effort to cut OF come Iadtaut
to The right be got into rather close quarters
with como Of them. The thundcr-strokt
checked the cav1lryrnen that be Thought weEs
following him in the dash. He wheelel hi'
T -AAAsAA"+@%* N>A
counter with . dozen warriors.
| While tho lismountel companions Of car
nlry wero getting their horses, from camp
aud Captains Ruhles, Days and Lieut.. John
| sons companies, that had been on the r1ght Q
he hl with Major Bradley ws1s selnS lES s thzs
| or four mites away. Their families had beel
stated ahead, and the warriors were coverin!!
the rear Of tho train. The cavalry pursued
and the 7th regiment followed On. Ieuteu
ant Wbippae's Section Of tic battery vas sen
forward, and company B, Of The y 1glh: to spE p
fore dark, and made five successive charges o
their rem, killing Q great number. The bal
terry and the 7th regiment were not up in till
The Indians fought desperately. One sta
wart warrior, with an Aaerlcan nag Wlaapps ap e
cavalry Were within twenty rods charging NJ
on him, his balls taking eHsctin the oVercoas
and saddle Of private Green, and rubber b!al
ket Of Carlson, Of company +. The India
, cot the powder down but not the ball for th
third load, which he discharged St q ths s: hses:
;, without effect. He then dubbed bis gun IN
i | struck Carlson, nearly unhorslng him. !
| fnzen carbine balls were put into, and then b
had 10 Be sabrcd to flush hiu1.
The caynlry boys took twenty'one scalps
~? al MePhai1 had told them that It was vel
+ barbarous to tasc sca1ps, but that ha wouldn
believe any man had killed an Indian unle4
, [ he showed the hair, aud enough Of It SO th,
! two locks couldn't be taken from the sau
head.
, The trail Of the Indians was strewed rIi
, tons Of dried buffalo meat, pemnican, robe
: and undressed buffalo skin5, beside camp Fl,
= niture. It was wild tight, IN which tht
: abapdoued everything that impcded thet
: Much Of this stuff theT left In camp