The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-11

FIGHTING. .s.......... ...
Gen. Brisbin, writing to friend In Ciacinnat;
from Dry Fork, under date of Sept. Seth, Gays: :
| got here this A. NJ, after most fstieuiue
march by day and night. BY order of Gen Brad.
ley, we pressed forward to the relief of tyoIoseI
Forsyth, of Gen. Sheridsns staff, who was snr.
rounded by Indians on the morning OF the l7th
instant. He tells me that, as ne was at brsakf
| on that morning, about q dozen Indians snddenIv
charged through bis camp, stampedine and can.
turing seven head of horses. In few Ininutss
afterward a large body of savages, dressed with
feathers and painted for war were seen comipg
| down ravine on his left Having had pI,stion
Col. Forsyth fell back q few hundred yayds "a a
tile island In Dry Creek where the mar began
throwing mp sand breastworks with their hands.
Before, however. they could make any shelter,
fully ak hundred warriors charged them. and
killed all their horses and several men. The In
dams fell back little way after the first pbarre.
aDd the Indian women and children appeared on
TIE hill, chanting the war song, dancing, csappng
. .;a hsnos sna apparently encouraging the war
The Indians evidently intended to make Fort
fnil' hearney ana,r OF 1t, and tie most skillful
ard determined fighting only prevented them
mand: Col Forsyth fell at the first f-e, receiy-
Ing ball in the right thigh, and one In The left
leg, breaking it below the knee. Two Companies
Of Indian dog soldiers presently advanced to tho
attack, supported by three hundred wdrriors,
principally Sioux and Cheyennes. For two hours
the battle ragged with great fury the Indansschsrr.
ing the little sand breastworks repeatedly. HUI
afeds would dash up on ponies and having got near
the works, suddenly threw themselves of on the
ground, ire, and sneak away In the tall grass
FINDING they could not carry the works by chang
ing, the hills and rayines were filed with sharD.
shooters, and then Indians on horses would ride
round the fort in circle to attract the attsnton
OF the besieged, and as they raised up to Gre the
Indian sharpshooters would pick them off,
BY noon on the first day the Indian women
-
wounded by a ball in the back, and dying q few
hours afterwards 10 great agony. Before he died
be repeatedly begged TO be shot and put out of
his misery. While attempting to dress the vounds
of Col. Forsyth, DR.. Moore received shot In the
head, fell and expired almost instantly. On the
night of the 18th Col. Forsyth sent cut two scouts
with directions to get through TO Fort Wallace il
possible, and secure assistance. -
They found watch6res on all the hills, but by
crawling on their hands and knees, and travelling
only at night, they, on the fifth day, reached Fort
Wallace, one hundred and ten miles distant. Gen.
Sheridan ordered neither money nor horse Essh to-
be spared in rescuing Col. Forsyth and biz men.
Col. Carpenter, tenth United States cavalry, at
once started with q company, and COL Banskhesd
set out with one hundred men, from Wall9ce.
Gen. Bradley nor himself knew nothing III the
affair until the evening of the 18th, when scout
reached us, and Immediately saddIed Max's and
Dones companies. second United States cavalry,
and started for the scene atty miles distant. Ats
O'Clock this morning met Col. Bankhesd, who
was marching with all his might for Forsyth. AZ
10 O'Clock scout met us, aud told US thu. Col.
Carpenter had reached Forsyth yesterday. 80
The attack was made on the 18th, and IN the
18Th, 10Th, 10th and 2lst there was fghtisg., For
syth had with him sixty men. all scouts, hardy
frontiersmen, who fought desperately, killing and
woundpe many Of the Indians. After this hrst
day Col. Forsyth subsisted his men on horse meat.
i Col. CARPENTER found them eating putrid meat
end in a terrible condition, the wounded Having
been eight days without food or medical attcn-
dance. To day we are burying the dead. and car
ing for the sick and wounded. Dead. Indians lay
within fifteen feet Of the breastworks. and the
stencil from their swollen and bloated bodies and
the dead horses is terrible. Out of his sixty men
10 the eight. Colonel Forsyth lost five killed and
sixteen wounded. The bodies of all our deed are
too much decomposed to admit Of their being re-
moved. Col. Forsyth Is doing well and will re.
cover. This is the hardest Indian fight We have
had fer years, and reflects great credit on al en-.
gagged. Col. Forsyth retained command bf his
men all the time, laying on his back and giving
orders. Tomorrow we will remove the wounded
70 Fcrt Wallace The Indians lost Cheyenne and
Q Sioux CHEF. Tie Sioux also Lost their great
medicine man, whose drum and shield were, cap
tured by Colonel Carpenter. iol i.9a n
roo 80 "a s~ses - JAMES s. BRIssrN.