Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-01-31
rNDrAN uosrrIITIEs
,-aaatfon of the n i'm the VI
efnify OF Fort Phil. Rearney-

A gentleman in Washington has re-
ceived a letter dated Dec. Is, 1866, rom
his brother, who is one of the garrison al
Fort Phil. kearney, giving an account VI
the movements and engagements az lhaG
post Immediately preceding a leaIlu
massacre which occurred a le" Jay
later. He states that a few Gays Prev
ous to his writing a wagon train mao oten
sent 10 the mountains, i've or six miles
from the post. for the purpose OF cutting
nine timber for the buildings then IN pro-
gTess of erection at the fort. ON thelr re-
G,rn the train was attacked by about
brae hundred Indians. A mounted guard
posted on Ii high point near the fort
U-ho telegraphed to the garrison by
means of a flag that the train had been
attacked, A detsehment of cavalry and
| some infantry were Immediately or
| dared ont To their assistance. h REIN
| forcements started in two parties; Col;
| Darlington, commander OF the post, and
! thirty men, going in one directions anu
| Cant. Fetterman, Lieut.. Bingham cav
airy officer. and fourteen men, going 10
another. With the cOioneIs party were
Cant. Brown, Lieut.. Wands ana Lieut.
Grummond. Lieut.. BIngAam's Getach'
ment came suddenly upon a body OF the
| Indians, and at once charged upon them
! DRIVING them for a distance Of eight
miles or more. BY this time
! Col. Carrinctonis party also became en-
/ gagged. During the fight the cavalry
I broke and were thrown into great dlsor'
I der, from which they were rallied by
| Capt. Brown and Lieut.. Wands, who
threatened 20 shoot them if they DID no
return. Most OF the men and otticerI
were armed with br~eechlOading rifles
At this time Lieut.. Bingham, beckonlns
to some of the men, called out TO Iheln
Sc Come ON and accompanied by q lev
men started TO Join the cOlOnel's party
which was seen approaching at the as
lance of about half a mile. Although
This separation Of force materially weak
eued Il. the remaining pO~rtionst0od thel
ground and defeated the Indians witt
whom they were engaged. In this hgh
Lieut.. Wands was slightly wounded II
q the hand. A.,
Lieut.. Grummond, having LEFT the col
! oners party, met Lieut.. Bingham anl
the three or four mel with him, and al
together started in p%ursUit0f about thirty
Indians who were apparently retreating
This seemed, however, 70 be ruse Z
decoy the party away from Their sup
ports, for they perceived thai TWO larg'
. lNfttES OF AAAAGAlH mEAG opp
Them. The lieutenant and his men de
rermined to cut their way through the
Indians. and drawing their sabres they
dashed through them. Lieut.. Bingham
who became separated from them wa
I killed and scalped, and two sergeant
and one private were wounded.
After fighting their way through TINS
band Of Indians, they found themselves
still surrounded bv another and q larger
force coming towards them with leyeieC
spears. The soldiers fired into them
and they hslted. Lieut.. GTummOnC
then directed Sergt. Bowen, whom he
sueaks of 9s one OF the bTavest men o.
the fort. 10 fire upon the Indians, which
he did, killing three or L Lieut.
Grummond then directed the men tc
follow him, and the whole party cut
ting right and left with their sabresi
forced 8 passage through the Indians.
except SsTgt. Bowen, who, having
turned 10 fire at their pursuers, was
overtaken, pierced with arrows and cGi
on the forehead with a ~tonaahaWk, but
was not scalped. He was shortly after
wards still living, but died Dol after
Lieut.. Bingham was buried with mill
tary and masonic EOnors, eve masons
being present. At the conclusion Of The
j llEAA Atas AhA1AAELoA oEAN ~ wv ANAt W.
fifty men, two surgeons and an ambu-
lance to carry back the men who were
wounded.
On the morning of the 18th Of Deem
Der the writer states that the Indians
again attacked the wood train, sut, as it
was aceompaniedby apretty large escort,
they were Tepulsed without loss. When
the train was attacked four Indians ap'
reared on a hill near the fort and hal
iooed 10 the men ia sight, but when they
saw the cavalry leave the fort and SO
toward the train they went of. The
force that was so brutality bGtchered a fe"
/ DAYS later was sent out 10 protect the
trains passing to and fro for timber, and
it is supposed that, having encamped, il
was surprised by a large force Of Indians
and all killed before they could offer any
/ combined resistance.
The writer says that as early as No
vember he observed uumistaka6ie signs
among the Indians that they were medi-
tating a combination Ia drive the whites
from the country, and at that time an
nounced his belief that an Indian war
would commence in the early part
OF 1867. While at Fort Laramie he wit
messed the treaty made with them there,
and saw in their behavior enough to con-
vince him that they did not mean TO act
in good faith towards the government.