Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-03-15

Obstinate COnniCt-EVery Red
skin lain.

The Humboldt Register of January % gives
the following account Hf n late fight with the
Indians:
Ono OF the beat fights yet recorded since the In
dians on our northern border commencedi hO still
ties was that made The confluence OF ueen
river and Fish Creek, last week.
The Indians had become daring and trouble
somo OF late tat communication between Dun
Glen and Camp McDermit unsafe The
Queens river region was dangerous. Captain ID.
G. Conrad determined on raid against tho ma
rauders. All preparations made. the command
set ont from Dun Glen on the morning Of the Sth,
headed for Queens river The entire command
consisted or fifty six persons.
After extraordinary suffering from the cold, and
long march of three days, they at length arriv
81 upon the Indians, and immcdA ely the fight be
gan in all its fury. The Indians had the advan-
tage OF the ground. The field fought was
about two miles square, and large portion of it
va. very much cut with gullics and ravnes, and
bore also great quantity of Spanish broom. The
Indians could rot have selected a field better
adapted tothsir style OF warfare. The Indians dis
covered the three columns coming dashing down
on them when about mile distant, and then they
could be distinctly seen preparing for batie-divi-
ding off into squads of four and six. and selecting
their places for combat where il would be most
difficult to maneuver cavalry. Each warrior had
from fifty TO sixty poisoned arrows. giving each
squad from $50 to 300 shots. The moment before
the battle commenced, owing to the extreme cold.
. very dense cloud Of frost began flying so impcn
etrable that horseman could not be distinctly
seen enc hundred yards. This gave the Indi-
ans great advantage, as it compelled the soldiers
to fight at short range, where the bow and arrow
could be used and it also increased the chances
of escape for the Indians. Had the frost conmen
csd flying earlier. no doubt many of them would
have escaped. The plan of battle was such tina.
the right and left columns fanked the Indians,
& ~lo1 .rvtt n
desperation. In no instance did warrior lay
down his arms until he laid down his life. They
arranged their between their fingers in such
a manner that they could shoot them very rapidly
and charged with as much bravery as any soldiers
in the world. The excitement was intense. Sol
diers, citizens, and savagcs charging and yelling
each straining all his powers to destroy the other
the wild, ringing war whoop, the rapid firing OF
eighty disciplined men, the thunder of cavalry
charge, altogether created scene that beggars
description.
The battle continued in full force for two and a
half hours when the conflict was reduced to two
points, at which several warriors had selected deep
short gullies. and were making what they knew to
be their last fight.
The battle, with the exception Of few strag
Cling shots. was over. The Indians had fought
with heroism that astonished every one who had
witnessed it. They made no offer to surrender
uttered no sound, but yells of defiance; and con-
tinued to fire their poisonous arrows until the
were so weak that they could throw them but q
few feet; and some of them dying would shoo
straight up into the air. in hope that the
deadly missile would fall on the hated and victo
rious Zoe. AT the close of the battle thirty five
dead Indians lay on the field, with their bows anc
quivers still clutched in their hands: All of them
were large, powerful mer-a picked company oil
braves prepared for battle. But five squaws were
in the band, and ;hey were acting in the cap acity
of pack train. Two of them were killed in battle
by mistake; the other three. were furnished will
some provisions and left unmolested.
Scouting parties made the entire circuit Of tn,
field, aAd found that no living thing had escaped
as the snow three inches deep, and there wer,
no tracks leading from the camp.
On the Union side were seven wounded.
The Indian camps were all destroyed, thu
for Fish Creek, where water could be obtained
and camped, the train having arrived there before
them.