Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-09-11


railroad.
THE uGHT AT FORT Phil. KEARNY.
Mr. Porter. who hos ,|o.t reached here from
Fort Phil kearuy. brings further details from the
fight Of the "a of August near that post lie is
man uuoccustomed to cxagpcrate, and thoroughly
familiar with Indians, and bis statement puts even
better face on the matter than was given by tele-
graph.-
Mr. Porter's train, employed at the fort in
hauling wood, had gone out early 10 the morning,
TO cut and bring in wood, under escort Of some
thirty or forty soliier. under Major Powell, Of
ihc Iwenty-scvcuth infantry, and having beside
some fifty citizens, tcamster,, wood-ghoppers, dc
an armed, and most of them old mountain men.
For several days previous Indians in small bands
had been lowering around the post and committing
some small dcpredious. After reaching the for
est the wagon bodies w-re taken from the wagons
60 use the latter for hauling logs), and piled up
iu sort Of circular corral, species Of defence
well known to the ironuersman The men had
hardly scattered 20 their work when they found
themselves surrounded and attacked by an immense
body of Indians, whose number could only be
guessed at, but may bc imagined when 1t is known
that the coolest and most experienced OF the men
who saw them estimates them no from fifteen hum
red two two thousand, and say that for three hours
and half while the fight lasted, the woods swarned
with them on all sides
The whole party wood-choppers, teamsters,
and escort retreated rapidly 10 their wagon body
corral, but the corral being too small TO hold them
ali, some had TO tight from the outside. The lu-
diaus boldly charged upon them, but were received
with such a witherug fire that they retreated 20
reform aud renew the attack with more caution.
The little band were not TO be the easy prey they
had counted on. The Indians now dismounted,
and, stripping o. the braech ciout. made another
most determined and persistent charge on the cor
raj Again they got such hot reception from the
breech-loadug rifles of the troops and the Spen-
GERS aud ileurys of the citizens that they retreat
ed IN confusion, some OF them having been leit
dead within thirty or forty feet of the corral
Taught by this severe experience they now began
the attack IN a different way.
Entirely surrounding the corral and adyanc-
ing close they dared, taking shelter behind
trees. and advantages OF tue ground they poured
in heavy and unremitting FIRE from rifles. shot
guns and bows. until 1t seemed that nothing could
live under iis concentrated hereeness. But the
devoted lit'e band now Just over the first nervous
tremor aud excifemeut of the attack, and well aud
siQiiuilt handled hy Major Powell were equal to
their almost superhumsn task With GOODNESS
egHsi to thli ut The Indians aud skill in Use Of
their trus far superior 90 THERE, they lay behind
the shelter Ji the wagon bodies and OK yokes, ma
king their breech-loaders tell fearfully on every
Indian who showed hmsei and wasting am
muuitiou In Wild shot, where they would not count
Indian after Indian fell under their accurate fire,
only to be replaced boy others from the numbers
swarmng around and thus for three hours and a
half the fl .ht continued desperately and against
overwhelming odds, until Colonel Smith, with two
more companies and q howzer arrived and gave
welcome relief TO the brave men who had so we'll
fought in this unequal contest.
" Upon Coloucls Smiths arrival the Indians re-
treated, carrying with them all their dead and
wounded, except five or SIN who had fallen so close
to the corral that they could not get their bodies.
'' The result reflects the greatest credit upon all
officers and men engaged IN the fight, and is a
blow not only in the failure to capture this little
command but In the loss II prestige, from which
the Indians will not so easily recover. Since the
hght the Indians have disappeared from the vicin-
ity, aud nothing of their Whereabouts or move
ments has been learned.
d" Mr.. Porter believes that the Iadian loss in
killed was from fifty 10 sixty. and in wounded not
Agere probably mortally wounded. This opinion
is probably correct one, all around the corral,
on the ground occupied by the Indians. bloody
moccasins and eggjns aud bits of bandages were
found, while the ground was covered every few
feet by pools of blood where rcd man had fall
len and been carried off by his comrades. 1t is to
be remembered, too, that our men fought from be-
hind a breastwork of wagon bodies and OK yokes,
which greatly protected them, while the Indians
had TO advance on comparatively open ground.
One old hunter who was in the corral said that he
had fired more than fifty shots, and not at over
seventy five yards, and he knew that at that dist
ance he could bio a silver dollar every time.
"When the number and persistency of the In
dians are considered, and the fact that our men
fought with the very best of breech-loaders and
az a range at no time exceeding hundred yards,
il must be conceded that the loss of the Indians
must have been fearful All honor to Colonel
Smith, Major Powell and the gallant men who
have set such a noble example Of discipline, cour-
age and skill, and by whose conduct the moral eff
feots of the Phil. Kearny massacre has been great
ly neutralized. The whites lost in killed one Off
Ger, Lieutenant Jeoness. OF the Twenty-seyenth
infantry, and six men, whose names | could not
procure besides two men wounded,
Lieutenant Jenness was Young officer recent
y appointed from the volunteers OF the war, and
is spoken OF in the highest terms by every one
who knew anything Of him.
"The ellecf of replacing an inefficient, incapa-
BILE man like Carrington, with a live soldier and
sensible man like Geueral John 4 Smith, (from
Galeua in your state), has already become appar'
ent in that part OF the country; and it is to b'
hoped that such changes will continue till all sucl
men are retired to the quiet enjoyment of theil
paper laurels aud bloodless regulations in the bo
SONS of their families at home"