The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-12

body of savages dressed with feathers and painted
Tor war, were seen coming down . rayine on ms
back few hundred yards to little island In Dry
creek, where the men began throwing up sand
coud make anew snser 800
charged them, and killed all their horses and
several men The Indians fell back lite
women and children appeared on the hull,
chanting the war song, dancing clapping their
renew the attack. The Indians evidently Intended
to make Fort Phil Kearny AFFAIR Of IL and the
moss sklnl and determined fighting only prevented
command. Colonel Forsyth fell at the frsr fire. re
ceiving ball in the right thigh and one in the len
Indian Dog soldiers presently advanced to the at
tack, supported by three hundred warriors, prncl-
paiy sioux and Caeyennes For tMo hours our sine tne
the little sand breastworks repeatedly. Hundreds
would dash up ponies, and having got near the
ground Ore and sneak away in the tall grass Find
Ing they could not carry the works by charging, the
hills and ravines were fTed with sharpshooers and
then Indians on horses would ride through the fort
In circle TO attract the attention OF the besleged
and as they raised up to fre Indian sharpshooters
BY noon ON the first day the Indian women
changed their war song to waiting for the dead, and
my childp, The battle lasted all day, Lieutenant
Beecher, Fifth United States infantry, being NOR
tally wounded BY ball in the back and dying few
hours afterwards In great agony Before he died he
repeatedly begged to be shot and put out Of his
misery. While attempting TO dress the wound OF
Colonel Forsyth Dr. Moore received shot III the
head, fell and expired almost instantly. On the
night OF the nth Colonel Forsyth sent out two scouts
with directions TO get through 10 Fort Wallace II
possible and secure assistance. They found watch
fires on all the hills but by crawling their hands
and knees and travelling only at night they on the
fifth day reached Fort Wallace ITO miles distant. Gen.
era Sheridan ordered neither money nor horsenesh
to be spared In rescuing Colonel Forsyth and his
Colonel Carpenter, Tenth United States cavalry, at
once started with company, and Colonel Bankhead
set out with one hundred men from Wallace. General
Bradley nor himself knew nythug OF the affair until
the evening OF the 25th, when q scout reached US,
and | Immediately sadded Max's and Dones conn
for the scene, fifty miles distant Al three O'Clock
this morning met Colonel Bankhead, who was
marching with all his might for Forsyth At ten
O'Clock scout met Us and told us that Colonel Car
penter had reached Forsyth yesterday.
The attack was made on the nth, and on the 18th,
19h Goth and 2lst there was fighting. Forsyth bad
with him sixty men, all scouts, hardy fr0ntersmen,
who fought desperatelg killing and wounding many
Of the Indians After the first day Colonel Forsyth
subsisted his men on horse meat. Colonel Carpenter
found them eating putrid meat and In q terrible
condition, the WOUNDED having been eight days
without food or medical attendance. To-day we are
burying the dead and caring for the sick and
wounded. Dead Indians lay within fifteen feet OF
the breastw0rks and the stencil from their swollen
and blOated bodies and the dead horses is terrible.
Out OF the sixty men IN the fight Colonel Forsyth
lost i've killed and sixteen wounded. The bodies OF
all our dead are too much decompOsed to be re-
moved. Colonel Forsyth Ii doing well and viii
recover. This ia the hardest indian night we have
had FOR years ana rejects great credit on al en- en-
men all the time lying on his back and giving Or
dersL Tomorrow we will remove the wounded to
Fort Wallace. The Indians lost Cheyenne and
Sioux chief The sioux also lost their great medi-
Colonel Carpenter.
JAS. s. BRIsBIN.