The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-11-12
A Prairie Fire Horrible Scenes.
Great Loss Of Lye-Ereiting Narrative.


| Gredt Loss Of Lye-EIcutng NdTTdfte.
FoRr RANSOM, Dakotah, Oct 19.
A fearful prairie fire suddenly reached the
Fort on the 7th of October. The Winds which
had been blowing strongly increased to gale on
Sunday night, and by Monday morning had
worked themselves into almost irresistible fury.
was writing in my tent about eleven o'clock,
when man put his head in and told me that my
kitchen tent-a Sibley-was being blown away.
| l went out In time to see it rent into ribbons;
and the kitchen furniture, and other articles
striding over the prairie on their own hook. So
| occupied was in securing my property, that /
did not notice the immense volume of smoke
| coming over the hill until a suffocating blast
| made me feel it, and strange to say, no one else
| seems to have been prepared for the fire. You
| can understand this better when you recollect
that we are in hollow. One glance showed
| me the danger; and to rush into the tents and
haul out the women, and run them down to the
| suffers store, Ohe only covered building), was
the work of moment Being officer of the day,
| had to rush back and turn out the guard and
| sound the alarm. The fire rolled down on US
with terrific rapidity, and was accompanied by
immense banks of smoke, that threatened suffo-
| cation before the raging element reached US.
Blinded and stifed, anything like resistance
was almost impossible, and our feeble attempts
fire to leap fifty yards in some places. had
thrown myself down on my face to save my eyes
and get breath, when the recollection flashed
upon me that six hundred pounds of powder
were stored in the suffers. ran back and found
sitting down by the corner of the cattle
coral, surrounded by the frightened animals, and
shriekng with terror. 1t appears that Major
K had also recollected about the powder,
and had sent the women down to the Post but
she and x became separated, and =
thought that her sister was lost. Providing for
her safety, ran back to the camp By this
time the whole camp would have been destroyed,
but sudden change in the wind drove the fire
past the flank of the camp, within five yards Of
the tent, jumped the powed ground around the
hay stacks, devouring our six hundred tons of
hay tour whole winters supply, struck the cor
ner of the Post, setting fire to a few outer build
ings and the corded wood, dashed up the side Of
the hill, and was off on the prairie destroying
the half-breed camp, burning men, women, chill
dren, and Misunderstanding us suffocated with
smoke and cinders, and blinded with the ashes.
The whole garrison worked for dear life to
save the Post and the wind provdentially favor
ed us. TO put out what was on fire was impos-
sible The flames burnt almost with a white
heat, but they were forced away from the other
buildings by the terrific force Of the tornado.
Everything was destroyed that was set fire to,
but the main body of the camp and Post was
saved. All the rest of the day was occupied in
beating out the remnants of the fire. and by night
we were fain to lay down and rest our wearied
bones. Every thing was covered with SCOT, and
my loss has been considerable; but | am thank
full that we escaped as we did. But rest was
denied us, for as the sun went down. the wind
grew worse and worse. Foresecing what would
happen, ran the ladies down again into the store,
and the other officers soon followed my example.
In few minutes genuine hurricane swept us,
carrying everything before it. The hospital
tents had been pitched here, and were filled with
the burned. The tents were now down and the
sufferers covered by the fallen poles and canvas
The fury of the storm did not abate until
morning, when the remnants of the camp were
to be seen. Nearly every tent was blown down
or torn into pieces, and property all more or less
injured x x If you could see US now, you
would imagine we were all more or less afflicted
with ophthalmia for such collection of infamed
eyes [ never saw
Two half breeds were burned to death; two
women have died to-day from the effects, and
also an infant only seven days old; one squaw,
who is daily expecting confinement, lies in the
hospital, very badly burned; an old squaw and an
old man are very badly burned; two children Of
six or seven years are frightfully schorched, and
others in less serious state. They present .
horrible spectacle as they lay there with theK
blackened and swollen faces and bodies"