The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-07-26
The Indian War.
Fort WALLACE, KANsas,l
-. ~

was rising up the C oudless sky, but
so cool and bracing was the atmos-
phere, and of that temperature so
conducive of sleep, that | turned
over. like the sluggard, my weary
head" for ga little more siumber,"
when | heard the rapid stamping of
feet outside-then my door was
thrown wildly open, and a voice call
ed out: "3Iajor! Major! get up! the
Indians are attacking Pond Greek,
and advancing on the post" Two
minutes afterward | was hurrying 20
the outside Of the fort, scarcely cred
iting the story that the Indians would
attack our reinforced garrison. My
doubts were soon at rest. There
were the Indians between the fort
and the station, and there at their
head rode the warrior with the long
lance, and, mounted on the white
horse, the very individual we sup
posed had fallen in the fight on Fri
day. We could see their movements
distinctly; and while watching them,
four horses rushed past them from
the station, and gallOped toward the
fort. The Indians gave chase and
fired, but still the horses galloped on.
They entered the fort in the order in
which four handlers are harnessed,
one of them bleeding from wound
in the hind leg They proved to be
a team of sorrels belonging TO the
Overland Stage Company. The no
BILE animals had seen Indians before.
and made their escape by dash, which
showed more than mere instinct. In
the meantime Lieutenant Hale had
ordered the handful of mounted men
in the fort out, and sent an orderly
with the information to Captain Bar
nitz. The bugle sounded, and in five
minutes, at the head of his own troop
and those who joined him from the
garrison, Barnitz was gaIloping to-
ward the Indians. AS lie advanced,
we could see the Indians signaling
bv walking their horses in q circle,
while the chief on the white horse
made signs with some instrument that
flashed in the sun like q mirror
Then the Indians fell back behind the
ridge, which shut them out from the
view of the advancing line. Five
minutes of hard galloping and the
cavalry were up, and with unslung
carbines they charged body of one
hundred mounted warriors, WAC were
drawn up before them. The Indians
received and returned the fire, hut
after q struggle of five minutes fell
back, still fighting. Seeing his men
somewhat scattered, Captain Barnilz
formed them by platoons in line OF
battle, and then pressed on, driving
the Indians before him.
Thus fighting, the Indians had fal-
len back about three quarters of Il
mile, when suddenly. on their either
flank, two bodies of warriors mum
bering about one hundred each, ap-
peared. They halted for a few min
utes, when 4 powerful looking war
rior, faneifully dressed, along their
front, shouting out directions, and
then, like a whirlwind, with lances
poised and arrows on the string, they
rushed on the little band of fifty sol
diers. The skirmishers fired and fell
back on the line and in an instant the
Indians were amongst them. Now
the tide was turned. Saddles were
emptied and the soldiers forced back
over the ground toward the fort
Charles Clark, the bugler, fell, pierre
ed by five arrows, when powerful
warrior stopped from his horse, and
Lauling the bugler up before hIm, he
coolly stripped the body, and then
smashing the head of his naked We
tim with his tomahawk, he threw him
on the ground under his horses feet.
On the left of our line the Indians
pressed heavily, cutting of five men,
among them Sergeant Frederick
lV3n;S..5. tvI.u IiiiS liCtIe iorce the
gallant Sergeant held out nobly until
his horse was killed, and one by one
the fated soldiers fell, selling their
lives dearly. The warrior who ap-
peared to lead the band was very
conspicuous in the fight, hashing back
and forth on his gray horse, and by
his actions setting an example to his
warriors.
One of our cavalrymen was thrown
to the ground by the fierceness of the
Indian onslaught when the leader,
who we have since learned was the
famous Cheyenne war chief, Roman
Nose, attacked the PROSTATE man
with his spear. Corporal Harris, OF
&c" company, was near him, and
struck Roman Nose with the sabre
which he held in his left hand. Quick
as thought the warrior turned on
him; but as he did the faithful Spen-
Ger of the corporal met his breast;
the trigger was pulled, and, with The
blood pouring from his month, Ro-
man Nose fell forward on his horse,
never again to lead his "dog soldiers"
on the war path.
After a severe struggle, Barnitz
succeeded in dismounting three
fourths OF his men, and on foot they
proved to be too much for the In
dians, as the Indians were for them,
mounted. So before the well-tiirect-
ed fire OF the Spencers, they fell back,
carrying with them all their killed
and wounded, in several cases risk
ing themselves wildly to recover their
comrades For two hours Captain
Barnitz waited with his thinned
squadron, for another advance of the
Indians, but then prudently held
back, and alter an hours apparent
consultation, they fell back beyond
the hills to paint their faces black,
and lament one of the bravest leaders
of their inhuman race.
have seen battlefelds where, for
miles, tire dead and the dying war,
rior and steed, lay on the CORY field.
1t has been my fate to be beside the
wounded and the dead on the night
OF horror succeeding the day OF strife,
but never did / feel the sickening
sensation, the giddy, fainting feeling
that came over me when / saw our
dead, our dying, and our wounded,
after this Indian fight. A handful of