Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-10-19
ceeded in running off 30 horses from the herd,

| I,
which was some distance from the camp 81 n
/ The next morning, Col Coles resumed his
march down the Powder river with the inten-
tion of effecting a junction on the Yellowstone
with the main column, commanded by Gen
Connor.in person. On the evening of the Sd
hewas again attacked by the Indians in great
force, but repulsed and pursued them. ten
miles, when he camped on the west bank Of
the Powder river, where the engagement was
resumed at daybreak the next morning, the
Indians commencing tho -aitaaks on the west
~ sa & 9Ss Y o sSsFs dasss fSsE
| IN the forenoon, when they attempted grand
Ecoup de main by crossing party of fifteen
hundred or two thousand to the other side of
the river, where they made furious attack
on the river side Of the camp One company
had already been thrown across, though it
fell back to the west bank, which was held by
four companies of the I'd Missouri Light Ar
tillery armed with Spencer's repeating car
bines and Colts army revolvers, and adynn-
tageously posted in clump of timber that
came up to the waters edge. One. piece Of
artillery was also brought to bear on the cross
ing. The Indians came dashing down from
the bluff in confused mass, yelling like "a
horde Of fiends let loose from the Internal re-
gions, and as the advance entered the river
which was less than fifty yards wide, our boys
opened on them. The slaughter was awful, but
retreat was impossible, as those in the rear were
continually rushing up, pressing the advance
directly under the fire, until the river was lit
orally damned with the bodies of the slain.-
This disastrous repnlse completely demora-
lizod the Indians, who fled in every direction.
Their loss in this battle is estimated as high
as Co., while we lost only one man killed,
and Lieut.. Kelley and two men wounded. =
The condition of Col Coles command was
such that pursuit was out Of the question:
He had been on the march forthree months,
his stock was completely played out, and
hundreds had already died, and the men were
living on half rations- Scouts were sent out,
but could not learn anything of General Con
nor and the main column SO no alternative
remained but to move up the river and reach
the nearest military post as soon spossiblc
He continued to make very slow progress up
mp the river having slight skirmishes with
the Indians all 1.-The while, until the afternoon
of Sept 8, when Colonel Sam Walker who
was five miles in advance with the 10th Kan
sas Cavalry, sent word back that he was at
tackled by 1900 Indians. Colonel Coles i'm
medintely corraled his teams, and leaving a
sufficient guard with them, joined Colonel
Walker, when short butspirited engagement
ensued, in which the Indians were punished
and fled i'll every direction. The combined
command remained on the battlefield during
the night, expecting another nttaek. insthe
morning, but the reverses Of the Indians dur
ing the lastten days had evidently discouraged
them, as they did not again make their APP
pearanee. Again the condition Of the stock
precluded the possibility Of pursuit. On the
night of the Sth and 9th and the intervening
day, bitter storm of snow and rain ragged,
and over four hundred horses perished from
the cold Since the fight on the lst two hun
|dred had died from exhaustion The mems
clothes were worn, ont and they were living
partially on horse flesh and roots, and Fort
Connor, theneareit post, was yet one lund-
red miles distant Scouts were sent to this
post to give information of hescritical condi-
ton of the command, and have provisions
forwarded, and destroying thea wagons and
stores, Colonel Coles set out for the Tort,
which he reached ON the 20tl, provisions
having met him some DAYS before. Herehe
is now in camp, waiting orders from General
Connor, and Incorporating his command after
their exhausting march Of three months from
Omaha Nebraska.
q 1t was,ihe intention of the Indians to de-
stroy this command on its arrival, when the
stock must be worn down, and thus cripple
General Connor's expedition, but they have
met with signal failure, and the gallantlittlc
hand of Missourians have killed more than
their own number of Indians Our total loss
foots up six men killed and one officer and
two men wounded, 1t is impossible to ap
toSthe Indian loss, but it is i'm
mense, and the proportion of chiefs was
great $,l L. 1MaN
{ Chicago Times. gG i:,f