The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-29

A correspondent of the Boston Journal
writing from Fort Harker, Kansas, Wednes-
day, July "a, gives an account OF ms ao'o-
lures on the Plains during the three w.
preceding that date. He had started ioi -.
yer CITY by the Smoky Hill route, anu a,i'0u
ot Fort Wallace Thursday, June 10, wheneo
tba Marty consisting of four passengers, WIN
49, .o,oo.;ng rifles and several stray re- |
,,o,,,o.s y nroceeded to Pond Creek, three miles
-. e,rt and there waited for the next
a,aa,, from the east The next stage was con-
.1ored the most dangerous part of the route,
and with good reason. Two men had been
killed three miles beyond, on Tuesday, and
the western coach passed through with several
bullet holes in it, a dead soldier and a wound
ed driver. An escort of nine soldiers was sent
down from the fort, and ON Saturday the party
started in two coaches. From this point we
let the writer tell his own story: f.t aa
Our coach has the advance. We have three
soldiers; we also have heavy load of mail,
and but four mules to draw us, and those not
the best. On the other coach are six soldiers,
one passenger, and the express messenger
There are six mules and no mails. With this
team we have to drive to Big Timber station,
twenty miles, as the station between was
burned few days since and the stock an
driven off. We start, each man win rile u ~
hand and pointing out of the windows OF the
coach and representing travelling fortress.
Arrived at the Burt station all right and rest
ed the mules 1t is now eleven miles to the
next stopping place, and Is considered the
worst place ON the whole route, and we have
decided if attacked that the coaches shall be
driven about fifteen feet apart, side by side,
and all dismount and fight from between them.
We now have started on again, and when
about half way the yell of the savages was
and In
of a ravine on one side and also from behind
the sand hills on the other. All in our coach
were out in an instant, except myself L fired,
and then turned to get out, and found them
getting in again. The reason was the soldier
who had command of the squad, and who was
in our coach, jumped into the other and order
ed the driver to drive to the station, which he
did on q full run. Our position is now despe-
rate -one passenger killed and one soldier
also; the mules hardly able to go faster than
walk There are three OF us and two soldiers
to FIGHT at least $50 Indians who are now
formed in line on each side for nearly half
mile, some armed with rifles, some with re-
volvers, and all with bows and arrows, which
at seventy-five yards are as effective as rifles.
They ride down upon us at full speed and fire
and then wheel and retreat, and if you point a
rife at them they throw themselves on the OPP
posite side of the pony and shoot at you from
under the pony's neck. All OF our party were
cool, and determined to sell their lives as dear
nearest as we had no lead to throw away. We
now and then got out and whipped up the
mules. One of the two soldiers, in doing this,
broke his rifle and got an arrow through his
leg. Our mules were now stuck in the sand
and one of the Indians rode up and said, in
plain English, to the driver: eve have got
you this time" But one of our party jumped
out on one side and soldier on the other and
whipped the mules into quick pace, but the
soldier, in getting in, was shot with an arrow
and fall IN tho cOuch prayinn, IN, this
both my companions had been shot, one in the
arm and the other in the head, but they fought
on. was now the only man but what was
wounded except sergeant, who had been
thrown off from the top of the coach in its
flight, and he was so scared that all he could
do was to pray. About twenty Indians had
now dismounted and were charging upon the
coach, with tomahawk in hand, and were with
in twenty feet oft These fired among with
my three barreled revolver, and checked them
for the time until could load and repeat the
dose, which did three times. The Indians
now began to show signs OF giving up the
chase, and soon reiterated. We had given them
steady and well directed fire from the start,
and killed seven of their number and shot
some OF their ponies, and probably wounded
some Indians.
We were now within half a mile of the STA
ton, where we met two civilians and three
soldiers from the station. None of the latter
belonged to those who were on the running
coach One of the civilians, however, had the
rifle and cartridge box belonging to the COM
mander of our escort He was brave enough
too, to loan his gun, if he dare not come to use
1t himself On arriving at the station we found
the casualties to be three killed 1.-TWO soldiers
and one civilian), and all wounded except nv
self. The driver was shot, but stuck to his
post, exposed to all the firing and drove to the
station He proved himself brave fellow
The mules were each shot and died afterward:
the coach had eighteen bullet holes, and ahout
thirty arrows sticking in it. The wounded
were taken into the granary Of the stable and
cared for the best we could. There was no
surgeon at the station, and no man or set of
men conld be got to so back to Fort Wallace
for relief, and we stayed from Saturday until
Monday before enough men could be GO. to 90
through to the fort. The name of the station
we are at is Big Timber, and is twenty-five
miles west OF the fort.
Finally we are ready, twenty-six men, SOL
diers and civilians. Three men are sent ahead
as scouts to prevent a surprise, mounted on
ponies. When about one and one-half miles
from the station we found the last soldier kill
ed, with his scalp gone, three bullets shot in
his head, ears cut off, heart cut out and six ar
rows shot in his back Five miles from the
station, and where the fight began, we found
side by side scaped, but not as badly mulilat-
ed, the bodies OF Mr.: Geo. w. BurneI OF Ga
lena, ILL.,, and the soldier. For want of imDle-
ments we could not bury them and passed on,
and arrived at the fort in the afternoon.
Met Gen. Hancock, who had arrived the day
previous with party OF excursionists, among
them several congressman and distinguished
gentlemen. The General listened to the story
OF the fight, and invited us to go on to Denver
the next day with him. 1 at first accepted
but next morning decided to return with the
excursionists to St Louis, as they were coming
through with good escort. We were five DAYS
getting to Fort Harker, and along the route
had evidence of Indians. We buried one man
at Fossil Greek. At the next station three
were killed the same morning, and all the
railroad men driven from their work, thew not
at that time being armed. On Sunday, the
18th, we arrived at Fort Harker, and were
once more in civilized community,