The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-31

he iookeo around lin, and, Witnessing tue up
prosching columns. fred his rife and gave one
wild whotp. Each warrior, spfnging up as II
by magic. seized his rife and responded to the
yell Of despair which broke from the lips of the
chief. Some of the warriors fed 70 the river
and began fighting at the same time, standing
wsist deep in water; others to . ravne near by.
The squawe fed toward the high hills south of the
village. 1twas as the center column was charging
down the precipitous bluffs to cross the river and
take the village, that Capt. Hamilton was killed.
When struck, he gave one convusive start, stiff
ened in his stir ups, and was thus carried corpse
for distance Of several yards when he Tell from
his horse, striking upon his face, which was from
this cause terribly lsceia ed and d'sigured. Col
onel Barni'z fell, seriously wounded, while chsrg-
irg with Elliotts column up the river. As the
fight became general each man picked his antag.
oDist and started for him. 1t was after this mode
Of fighting had commenced that Major Elliott.
with the sergeant major Of the regiment and
hsI dful of men started down the river after
handful of Indians. During the excitement of the
fight the major was not missed At one time
heavy firing was heard at distance, which was
When the conf c. lulled the question was started
along the line "Where1s Elliott, Where Is e.
lott ," The only reply was that be was last seen
charging some fugitIves fleeing down the river.
There ia now no doubt that he and his party
struck the approaching Kiowas and Arapahoes
coming to the rescue Of the Cheyenues and were
cut of by them. There Is o question that each
man of bis i'll fated band tod his life as dearly as
possible and ded at his post For these unfOrtu-
nate men there was no possibility Of escape.
1her alternative was death by some friendly bull
let, or death by the horrible torture which the
hellsh ingenuity Of the savage alone can invent.
Before the fight the Usage Indians seemed to
have some miseivipg as to their own part in the
ansir.-h 10 known tina heaitated. and for some
cause or other they took II into their heads that
orr troops would there dictate peace, and that
ten Usage warriors, to be given up to the Chey-
ennes, were to be the price Of SO dishonorable
transaction. The 0sages, not to be caught, de-
termined to fight on horseback. The Chief Little
Beaver, took position behind the color-bearer OF
the regiment and followed him. After the fight
was over, and the victory complete, the Osages
were probably the proudest Of savage,. They
saw they had mistaken the sincerity Of the whites
ia securing and using their services according to
the stpulstions. After the fight had commenced,
q party Of Osages discovered the squaws trying to
escape. They immediately started in pursuit,
and, seizing switches, gave the fugitives severe
whipping. telling them If they tried to escape
again they would give them another beating.
After this exercise of authority the squaws be.
came exceedingly submissive, aud made no fur
Their efforts to get away. and have since manifest
ed the greatest terror OF the Osages.
While the fight was the thickest diminutive
person, closely wrapped in a blanket, took refuge
among the tqusws. at the time Lieutenant Fl.
W. Smith was charging by. followed BY bugler.
He ordered the bugler not to fire upon the woman.
Hardly had the words fallen from his lips when
an arrow was seen TO take its fight from beneath
on the right temple of the bugler and ranging
round the blade, tearing the scalp half the cir
conference Of the head. The wound had the
appearance of producing confusion of the skull,
but, upon examination, il was discovered to be
merely laceratIon of the scalp. In retaliation,
as be rode by. the wound not having dismounted
him, the bugler dispatched the individual who
had wounded him. The diminutive figure was
found to be that of an old man, and from under
his blanket were taken bow and culver full Of
arrows. A rumber of squaws also participated in
the fight, and were seen firing with all the energy
and precision of warriors. The encounter be.
tw cen Col Benteen and the son Of Black Kettle
wss at close quarters and quite hot for time.
Colonel Benteen made an effort to capture the
yourg warrior, who responded to these overtures
OF humanity by refusing to surrender, and fred
several times at the colonel when bat few yards
uss --;~e eaieasy 90. Ill
taking effect upon the coonels horse killing It,.
The young warrior made rush at the PROSTATE
officer. but was arres ed in his murderous design
by being els patched with pistol.
tvould be impossible to enumerate the hair.
breadth escapes and hand-to hand encounters
which were had with the Cheyenne warriors. The
appearance of the Kiowa and Arspahoe warriors
tempt at rescue. The fighting for several hours
ensuing was even increased in desperation. Brew.
| Lieut.. Col. Weir was detached with his squadron
to encounter the fresh warriors who had nos come
| upon the field. The Kiowas and Arapshoes fought
| with unusual courage, maintaining. however, the
| customary mode of Indian fghting-crclng
| around and making dashes upon vulnerable points.
When the savage allies of the Cheyennes saw that
| their effort could be of no avail, they took to
fight, seeking their own safety.
Prior to the fight one of the Ossges was in
| mourning for the murder of his squaw some
months before by party Of Cheyennes. Every
night and morning be kept up his wall OF grief.
| Wien the fight began. while all his companions
were covered with paint and presented the appear
| aDce of so many devils rather than human beings,
| the mourning warrior sat down mumbling over
his mournful strains. He was not painted. Al
coon as the conflict began in earnest, an Usage
warrior. having shot q Cheyenne, rushed upon bis
fallen foe and in an instant, with his knife severed
| the head from the body. With wild whoop be
took the chastity object to the mourning warrior
| and threw it down before him. The warrior seized
the trunkless head, and in an instant had the
| scalp. His bowl of blood was full. As II BY
| msgic, the face of the sorrowiDg warrior was be
| daubed with war paint. Starting to his feet, ht
gave one yell, and, waving the proprietary scalI
| in mid air. he cast his woes aside and disappeared
in the ihickest of the fray. few moments after
the same warrior was seen standing over the life
| less form of Cheyenne warrior. He had dis
covered the murderer Of his squaw. STOPPING
knife in hand be Was about to take the scalp
when he discovered it had already been taken
Such an expression of fendish disappointment
was probably never exceeded. Raising himself 4
full length, with spasmodic and fearful emphasi
be srticulated, ugh, ugh Frantically agair
gesticulating, he fell upon tie body with the fe
rociiy of a beast of prey and severed the throa
fir, m ear to ear. Again he stood erect, his who'll
frame quiveripg with rage Once more he fe
upon the lifeless body. and, this time complete
severing the head from the trunk, now took hi
knife between his teeth, then clutched the gor,
bead in both hands and raising it high above hin
dashed it upon the ground at his feet with an i'm
pre- cation and CONFUSION of his entire frame.
During the fight, after the squaws and childre
had been beaten back by the Osages, they wer
placed for safe keeping in lodge. As the mum
Der was considered too great for one lodge, Ger
Custer directed that they should be divided. pal
to be put in another lodge. When told that the
were to be separated, those designated starte
out. The remainder became panic-stricken On
like 90 many sheep crowded to the exit aud rushe
out until the lodge was quite empty. When the
got into the open air and could see their warrior
lighting all around they set up mournful VA
Hitherto the warriors shouted defiance. Whe
they found their families were in possession OF ID
troops their shouts were changed to mourning
and they seemed to realize that the star of Blac
Kettles band of the Cheyennes had set.
The ponies now recovered from their frant
efforts to escape. The squaws walked mp to then
the animals quietly submitting to be brided az
/, sodSlad hnf displavin0 a dlspOetiOu to hg