, 1863-10-30

Pr1vatfons of the SoIdters-A Fight
Win tho Inlians-The Battle or
White stone IRii14-0ne Hundred
and Thfrty-tive Prisoners and Threc
Hundred Ponies Cnpfared-1nterest"
Ing Incidents Of the CA1npa1Gns
[F1cn Our Special Correspondent
CAAF az THE Missouri RIVER,
Evt- rt,,.t rtrDpr 1et q 1&S4


Although the weather Is 60 cold TINT can
scarcely hold pen, I will cndeayor to give
you some idea Of our doIngs In this out Of
thc.way place. We have recently returned
from an expedition 500 miles north ot Fort
Pierre, with 1876 Indian prisoners aud 800
ponies. We hare endured every priyatlon--
most Of the time our rations being reduced
to three crackers per day, which the most ab..
stemious will acknowledge Is rather email
allowance for q hungry eoldiar, travelling thir-.
ty miles dry; and more t11an this, tor time
ne could procure nothing but alkali mater to
drink, which rather aggravated than eatisaed
our thirst. At times the Teather was SO suf:
tocatiDgly hot that We could hardly breathe,
and ut others go cold that by walking with
our overcoats and blankets on We could
scarcely keep wa1m--and this early in Sep
tember. The creeks and rivers were mostly
one time We camped In the bed Of the Schey-
ep1e River, but which at that time contained
no water. We had received orders to pack
and start, and had hardly got mounted when
one Of tie most terrific hail storms, accom-
panied With thunder and Lightning, burst
upon US. Hailstones nearly as large hens eggs
!a sk and nd ass saus.pSg Sg9on among
Of vagoa and made foff s'tall timber"
The rain commeIced pouring in tor:
rents, aud before oar train could
Cross the bed of. the river the vat:
deep, carrying the wagons and mules headlong
down the stream. About 100 Of the Nebraska
I'd were carried into the Missouri river, aud
Is were drowned. Our old camp WAS one vast
sea. Had the storm occurred in the night,
the loss Of life would have been tremendous.
AS soon Us ne could secure our horEes, We
made for the bluffs, vet to the skin, and all
our extra clothing We sent up the river on
On tie Sd Of September, La F1amboise, one
of our guides, came in NTH word that onr
advance, which had consisted Of four compa-
nies, had surrounded 1900 Indians, The hugle
sounded "boots and Eaddles," and In less
than five minutes all but Companies a and
B. who Were Kept for train guard, we're On
their Way to the anticipated scene Of conflict.
| Being q member OF Company A, It Vas my
| lot to remain behind. We drove the stock
into corral constructed Of wagons, where
we remained until two o'clock IN the morn
lug, when messenger brought orders to
| bring up the train. We we're hardly under
way. when hor6eman came Ealloping M
with the announcement that SERGEANT and
| squad In our rear had been attacked by
Indians. We wheeled about immediately and
] hElk UA<A 4VG4 A1AE03 NAt AA40 AA0l-e1a 14AA
| lett. It eeems the small party had been dis
| covered and attacked by Indians, and the
sergeant had shot, but unfortunately had not
killed the bruie. I've agaln turned our horses,
and after travelling eight miles in about
| fifty minutes, We came to the field Of
strife, where the conflict was raging farious1y.
The Ecene begga,s description. Tie saVages
scattered In eTery direction, fighting with
utmcet desperation. The bowling ofdogs, the
cries Of children and groans Of the wounded,
npited In giving IN appalling terror to the
scene. Dogs PACKED with long poles, with
pappooses bound to them, were running in
every direction. It would have required no
stretch Of the Imagination to draw from the
sight an idea of Fandemonlum. In this bat.
lie, which will be known as the battle Of
White Stone Hills, between two hundred and
three hundred Indians we're killed, and one
hundred and thirty FIVE taken prisoners,
amorg whom Is Big Head, their chief; we
alfo took three hundred ponies. The General
gaye orders to destroy their tents. and every.
thing pertaining to their camp. which was
done With. a hearty good Will. We found the
skins OF more than Thousand buf1oes
which had recently been killed. We sustained
loss Of twenty. one killed and thirty wound
cd. The red degilA maugled the dead bodtes
of our soldiers 80 as to be hardly recoguis
able; and the treatment Of our Wounded IA