The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-07-22
A Whceiinsite ut Fort Wallace, Kan
sas-A few Extracts from n Letter
Written by Him.

A WhceIing Cite Mt Fort Wallace, Kan
sas-A few Extracts from a Letter
Written by Him.
We are permitted to make the follow
ing extracts from private letter re-
ceived in this city from former citi-
zen of Wheeling, who is now at Fort
Wallace, Kansas, "luxuriating" among
the Indians. The statements of the
writer can be relied upon. and will be
read with interest. The letter is dated
"Fort Wallace, Kansas, July 3. 1867 :"
Tomorrow is the regular day for the
Indians to come around. They visit"
us every four or FIVE days. We have
good chance to see them, but for some
time past there has been no one to chase
them, as our fellows have, every time so
far, got badly whipped, and have killed
no Indians. They may have killed
some, but none have been brought into
the fort yet. Major General Hancock
and several congressman came up here
about the 10Th of June and remained
here four or five days. Among them
was Hon. C. d. Hubbard. Hancock
went on to Denver and the Congress
ment back home. Two days after they
had left the Cheyennes, Kappa
hoes Sioux and Kiowas came
along, about o'clock, p. NJ,
Oh three sides of the fort, when every
body went for his gun. We were all
going to have about six scalps to send
or carry home. The cavalry took the
lead aud the infantry brought up the
rear, and made for the Indians about
three fourthS of Il mile from the fort.
Mr.. Cheyennes came after them With
their bows and arrows, and if any body
of men ever made quick time, it was
the soldiers, and the Indians were the
last in number, and all were in an open
field in full view from where we citi-
zens were standing, we expecting the
Indians would come and try to take the
fort. The Indians followed the cavalry
within q quarter OF a mile of the fort,
and in their charge on our cavalry they
got five scalps and went back out of the
range of the guns, making derisive and
obscene gestures. Our men were afraid
to pursue them. Two men who
were shot with arrows came into
the fort pierced through with
arrows, the ends protruding from front
and rear. The only thing that l am
sorry for is that the Congressman did not
lose little of their scalp-hair, so that
when they got back home they would
be enabled to tell something about the
Indians that they knew to be true, in
stead of saving that "the Indians are
harmless" and that if the whites would
let them alone they would be peacea-
BILE. The soldiers that are now ut this
post consist of part of the 9TH regular
cavalry, part of the 9th infantry and
twenty four negro soldiers, and actual
" the twenty-four infantry darkies are
worth more than all the cavalry here.
General Wright, President of the Union
Pacific Railroad, with two hundred and
forty men, came up here two weeks
ago on his way to Santa Fee, surveying
the road from here through. He has
with him one company of cavalry.
They arrived here in the afternoon, and
in the morning, as the sun was rising,
the Indians were seen coming towards
the fort very fast, with nine horses
Chat they Lad stolen three miles west
of here) in the advance. The Indians
could not get the horses turned i'll the
right direction, they following the road,
but before they arrived at the fort the
Indians got ahead of five of the animals
and left the other four TO come this
way. This new company, that had
never seen an Indian before, thought
they would go after the horses, and at
the same time get some fresh Indians
before they ate their breakfasts: so out
they went, the Captain commanding
eighty four able-bodied cavalrymen, all
wanting from six to ten scalps. The In
dams all ran down in hollow save one,
and he remained in sight until our
company got up close TO him,
then aaay be went to Join his red broth
ers. The Captain, thinking he could
whip all the Indians on the plains, dis
mounted his men and went over in that
direction a short distance, and tina In
dams, getting hem where they wanted
them, broke for the company, and the
eighty four horses came into fort minus
riders. One man, who had been hold
ing four horses, and arrows coming tow
ards him by the dozen and the Chey-
ennes yelling, let three horses loose
and kept one and came in driving the
loose horses, leaving the bold Captain
to walk in minus sixteen men. lie
fought the Indians about two
hours almost hand TO hand, the
Indians riding around them all
the time and shooting arrows
into them. The Captain said his men
did great execution, but they did not
bring in any scalps. One Sergeant had
his heart cut ont, his throat cut, his
tongue cut out, his legs horribly cut,
aud outrages we're practiced which are
TOO indecent to relate. Half of his scalp
was left on the ground near the body.
WHY they only took one half of it do
not know. think he must have killed
some Chief. After they had cut him all
they wanted to, they pierced his body
with four different kinds of arrows, one
sticking in his face, one in his loins and
one in each leg and each arm. They took
one man away with them 70 use IN war
dance in the evening After the SOL
diers came in they got all the men TO.
gether and called the roll, and found
eight men had been killed. The Chey-
ennes will fight cavalry, but infantry
they do not like. Our cavalry get out
near The Indians and fire one shot and
then they are done, as it takes one hand
to drive and one hand to hold on with:
and the Indians can guide their ponies
with their knees or feet.