The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1867-02-15

AillSs IO sA-A~
in the direction of the wood train, and
Colonel Fetterlnan had gone down into
the valley of the Piney Fork (which
runs about 400 yards from the north
corner of the stocksde), to where the
IAdians were getting out of the bushes,
and who had not been seen till one orl
two shells from the l2-pounder had be-
gun to make them think it was not ex-
actly safe around there, they had eyi-
dently been lying in ambush there since
some time before daylight. There were
l should Judge, about 100 in number,
and they were running up rayines and |
from. one place to another to keep out
of sight, When Col Fetterman got
down into. the valley, he threw out a
skirmish line as hesadvaneed toward the
creek; the Indians were retreating in
northerly direction toward Peno Greek !
Valley, where Eieut. Bingham and
,Sergt, Bowers were killed on the 9th.
A small party of men joined Col. Fet-
terman's party in the Piney Fork bot |
tom, consisting of about three soldiers
and three or four citizens, who went
out on their own hook.
Colonel Fetterman's party kept on,
and finally disappeared over the hills
toward the Peno Creek Valley, and
shortly after heavy firing was heard in
that directions 1t was by tlris time al
most eleven o'clock A. NJ, and every
thing in the garrison pursued its Tegu-
lar routine Of garrison. duty. About
hslf-past elyen A. NJ, messenger ar
rived from the scene OF, action and re-
quested more assistance, and men were
soon gathered to the number of about
forty-fiv Under charge Of Captain I.
Ten Eyck to go to thei assistance. The
messenger reported the Indians charg-
ing on our men in, great numbers. l
was anxious to go and | could not get
a gun handy without going down to the
company, alter my own, and | knew |
would not have time enough for that so
| concluded not to go but an intimate
friend of mine went, and get the fol-
lowing statement from him: he is, 1
think, avery good Judge:
= He says. they proceeded in haste to
the field, and upon arriving at the edge
of Peno creek Valley, they. discovered
further down and in the valley, what
appeared to be old cottonwood limps
stripped of their bark. The valley was
one moving body of Indians, yelling
around and cutting capers as far down
the valley as the eye could reach, Ny
friend estimated them at from three to
five thousand, and he has seen armies
lin every position, and | think he has
made a careful estim ate. They pro-
ceeded along the edge of the valley to
see if they could find any trace of Col.
Fetterman's party, but not daring to 60
down into the bottom of the valley for
they knew it. would be folly, for they
would be Immediately surrounded by
theeIndians if they shou ID They con-
tinued along the edge of the valley
until they got to point opposite to
Iwhere the apparent cotton wood trees
werellyipg, and Captain Ten Eyck sent
twenty men to go down and examine the
scattered rubbish, and 10, and behold,
theer were the dead bodies of Colonel
! Fetterman and party, and not one was
found to have the least particle Of life
left. When Captain Ten Eyck left the
post aa ambulance and theee army
1 wagons, with hay III tile bottom to bring
in the wounded and take out 5000
rounds of ammunition, were sent out
directly after Captain Ten Eyck's party
had left. After it had been discovered
4 that none of Colonel Fettermau's party
4 were left toztell the tale, the wagons and
ambulance were dtivenFdOwn and all o
the men, except avery few that were
left one,s highs point to keep lookout
went down to load up the bodies. Tht
Indians had retreated down the valley
and did not, seem over anxious to renew
|, the combat, but very slowly kept falling
back, leaving about thiFty-6ve dead oil
1.-The field. Being unable to bring then
II in, we returned the next day, an,
brought in the remainder. The bodies
, twere stripped perfectly naked and hor
j ribly mutiIated, some had the top Q
their skulls cut off and their brain
taken out, others with their arms Gu
, out of their sockets, and were mutilate,
. in every shape and way imaginable
, and had arrows in considerable quaint
} ties stabbed in their bodies One man
; soldier in Company +, Second Batal
lion, Eighteenth Infantry, had 155 in hi
| body, another 65, and some had onl
I five or six, more or less. From all az
r pearanees the best evidence is that th
: party, Colonel Fettermsn's, went dow
/ Into the, valley, on a charge, and onl
b $50 or 200 Indians were visible an
y when they had got fairly in the bottom
s Indians sprang out from among the rs
= vines and behind the little hills, in in
i mense numbers and Immediately su
e rounded them For they bad evidentl
r fought to the last man, and by all al
a pearances fought we'll. Their bodie
; were all in the space of forty feetsquar,
}, although they were not piled on top
n one another. The Indians could nt
l have finished their work of tortuI
n many minutes before the arrival
J. Capt. Ten Eyck's party, for heavy frin
e was heard after he had crossed Pine
n Fork, in that direction. l have give
you the particularsras far as can, as fl
e, as the light is concerned, and l will tn
Il and relate the feelings of the gsrriso
1t on foundation of such fact. Our 10:
Ie is three officers and seyenty-six enliste
q men, three citizens that | know Of, an
perhaps more. Col. Carrngton, in h
= dispatch, reported ninety-four killed, ,bl
/ think it is less than that number.
on the night of the 22d inst
ID Captain Arnold came to the office an
IS told the Sergeant Major that he wante
;, every company TO account for ever
a. man as there were ninety dead bodi,
re- at this post, and there were only seve1
e ty-six enlisted men and three officer
c making a total Of seveuty-six accounte
le for, making deficiency of eleven me
'r The garrison was in high state of e
T. cjtement when the bodies were brougl
le in, and no doubt the Indians could ha'
le taken the fort if they had followed U
y their success, as they were in overpowe