Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-12-01
"sIGH KLA" IN COLORADO.

/
Here am I, Geo., with a few hairs left,
and they turning gray fast. Been ter
ribly frightened. Must tell you about
it. From TT. Kearney, post two hum
dred miles from st. Joseph, the Gov
eminent allows no train to pass up
unless it has at least fifty men we'll
armed. Well, we left said TT. with not
less than seventy men, but by the time
we got to Fit. Cottonwood we were scat
tered from-supper to- breakfast. At
TT. c. we had to organize again, and on
we went to Julesburg. Here another
squad of Gov. pimps'' halted us, and
we waited until the "fifty" were on
hand. II you could have looked down
upon us at Spring Hill Station, forty
miles above Julesburg, on the morning
of the 2lst of Oct, 1865, you would have,
seen us badly strung, each little
"outfit" travelling and camping by it,
self. Well, Hank, George perhaps you
know Hank and George ?--strange that
good old mothers should name their
best and most gallant lads "Hank and
Geo.!"O and Cy led the van,-don't con-
strue that "ran," or "run," but can.
Cy and Hank were walking along with
the herd of cattle in advance. All ma
ture was lovely. As we were opposite
Spring Hill Station we heard quite live
ly firing above Lillian Springs. Hank
asked me what thought it could mean.
answered that thought some train
was camped there, and the boys were
shooting at mark, or perhaps all hands
were after rabbit or an antelope. On
we went up to Lillian Springs. Three
miles above Spring Hill the firing grew
more lively, and as we were about a
mile in advance of our wagon, George,
with the mess wagon, was back with
an OK train of seventeen wagons,) and
as we were somewhat tired, having left
our riding horses with the train in the
rear, we thought ii best, safest and wise
in us to halt awhile. We examined the
ruins of an old ranch that was burned
last June, and then went up on hill to
look at the graves Of the family that was
murdered. AS soon as we mounted the
hill we could see the train above us, see
the firing, and see horsemen riding
about on ponies very fast. They were
about mile and o half above. As soon
as the advance wagons came up, Hank
got the men to prepare for fight"
though nearly all laughed about the
"scare," while he mounted a "soon"
horse of his and went to reconnoiter. We
turned our stock up the river, and went
about preparing dinner. In about fif-
teen minutes some one shouted, "Here
comes Hank as though the ID was
after him!" and sure enough, "Old
Black Hawk" was making his "soon-
est" time. Three Indians were close
after him, and fifty rods back were eight
more, all in plain sight, and urging up
their ponies with frequent applications
of raw-hide. Three Of us mounted our
horses, and ran towards them, to bring
back the herd. Hank had stopped to
drive down the cattle, and when the
Indians saw us coming out they halted,
but as soon as we turned with the cattle
again they came on. AS soon as they
were close enough, one Of the boys put
in n good shot, and over went one of
their ponies. They then struck Off out
of range, and by the time they were
ready for another onset I was on "Black
Hawk" to carry word to those in the
rear. The Indians saw me start, and
they were in for going along. They
saw they could not make anything out
Of our train, and thought to wade in on
the unprepared. Hank shouted for Inc
to "put him through" else the Indians
would beat me; and away we went,
with only small ridge between U.S.
they jumping down little valley, and
| down the road. The first two wagons
l came to We're eighty rods ahead of any
Others and as told them to look out
for Indians they broke for camp just
outfit" "Look out for your scalps, the
Indians will be down on you in less
than ten minutes" roared /, and on /
went. Wah-hoo! Hi-yah!! Zip-boo!!!
yelled the Indians at this instant, and
over the little ridge came twenty-four
"poor red men of the forest" sending
arrows Ohistiing around the Africans
and Yankees cars, causing very UNI
pleasant sensations in "dis chile's"
breast. felt like quoting the leading
question used when pickets in Dixie
were about to hold converse: "What
fur is you ms all come down yer to fight
we'uns sill fur? We'uns haint done
nothin'." went on about four miles,
and got out some soldiers, and then got
back in time TO make a few good shots
as the Indians were crossing the Platte.
Our train killed three of their ponies
and wounded two Indians. The mule
train above killed four ponies and eight
or ten Indians. Three of their dead the
Indians could not get away, and they
lie there yet on the sand. The Indians
killed one man and wounded another,
and only got what was in the first two
wagons came to when l started back.
Well, they are gay fellows. They
dress entirely naked; are pretty well
daubed with red and black paint, and
they had small white flag that was
painted up with hieroglyphics which,
owing to my high state of civilization,
could not comprehend. The flagstaff
was decorated with scalps, and when
Cy saw these things he sighed, and
wished Co. B was there to 60 ahead, so
that he could see that the rear rank was
well closed up. And then l wished I'd
minded mother always; and then /
wanted few Spirits Gas some
! folks call ghosts. but the other kind.
am afraid twill be long while ere
we grip fingers and say, How are YEP"
again, because I'm thoroughly convinc-
ed now that the Indians are "hostile -