Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-01-23

The New York Herald has correspond
snce from the headwaters Of the Mis-
souri, lin the camp on the Washita
River), which gives the details of the.
recent terrible conflict with the savages
at that place. 1t says:
Entering the space occupied by the
Indian lodges, on all sides lay the iii
of the village of Black Kettles band.
The conflagration started by the troops
was so complete that scarcely anything
Of combustible character escaped, and
to-day the debris of the village consist
ed ia broken and burned lodge poles,
small pieces Of uutanned and tanned
hides. From the immediate site of the
village the party rode to the top OF n
hill, about q hundred yards distant,
from which point General Custer re-
peated to General Sheridan the details
of the battle and the positions taken by
the different columns. The former site
of the lodges could be distinctly seen by
tho pins ranging in a circle and the fire.
place in the center. On the right of the
village, at the distance of n hundred
and fifty yards, lay the OF the
ponies Of the Cheyennes. These COW
cred about four acres, and numbered
not less than seven hundred. After the
battle was perfectly understood and the
ground we'll surveyed, Generals Sheri-
dan and Custer, accompanied by Lieu
tenant Hale, your correspondent, and a
small detachment Of troops, moved
down the south bank of the Washita,
over the route taken by Major Elliott
and the missing men in hopes Of recov-
sring the bodies. The remainder Of the
party spent some time longer in the vii
iags and moved down the bed Of the
valley of the river.
The Generals party, moving down
the south bank, assembled a high divide,
from which an extensive view could be
had of the surrounding country. De-
scendipg on the other side, tho party
had proceeded but Il hundred yards
when the body Of u white man was
found perfectly naked and covered with
arrow and bullet holes. The head pro-
scented tho appearance of having been
beaten with . war club. The top Of the
skull wa broken into q number Of
pieces, and the brain was lying partly
in the skull and partly OF the ground.
At first it was supposed that the body
was that Of Elliott, but upon minute ex-
animation this was found not TO be the
case.
Marking the spot where this body WAS
found, the party continued moving down
stream. Crossing with difficulty n
small ~ravine, about the center Of an ex-
pansiye swell, at a distance Of two hun
dred yards further up, objects were seen
lying in the grass and supposed to be
bodies. Their attention attracted in
thi, direction, the party moved of at a
gallop. A few minutes after, u scene
was witnessed sufficient to call forth
the rebuke Of every benevolent and en-
l~ightensd mind against the darkened
intellects OF the so-called philanthropy
lists. Within an area Of not more than
fifteen yards lay sixteen human bodies,
| all that remained of Elliott and his par
ty. The winter air swept across the
plain, and with its cold blasts had
added to the gha,tliness of death the
additional spectacle Of sixteen naked
corpses frozen rs coldly as stone. The
party here dismounted, and an examine
| ton of the bodies was made.
There WINS not q single one that did
not exhibit evidences Of fearful mutila-
ton. The bodies were lying with their
faces down, and in close proximity to
each other. Bullet and arrow wounds
| covered the back Of each, the throats
| of a number were cut, and several were
beheaded. The body Of one Of the
| horses which the men had ridden out
was seen lying at a distance of fifty
yards from the pile Of bodies. Owing
to the mutilation Of the bodies, and no
one present having been sufficiently &C.
quainted with Major Elliott while living,
| his body was not at the time recognized.
Judging from the position Of the bodies
and the nature of 1.-The ground surround
ing, it is probable that Major Elliott
(by some it is thought his horse run
away with him set out in the direction
| of q party of fugitive Indians. Some Of
the men seeing the Major star. followed
and Joined him. It is very probable
that the party pursued for several miles
when they struck the A%rapahoes coming
up to the support of the Cheysnnes.
The party being vigorously pressed
commenced retiring, aud descending
the second divide on tho return found
themselves cut of by a party of warriors
who had moved up under cover OF the
| timber on the banks Of the Washita,
and took position in the r~ayius, which
| cut them off entirely from the rest Of the
command.
Not being missed in the command un-
til too late, this little band was COM
PEELED to defend itself against the whole
force of the A]rrapahoe and doubtless n
number of the Kiowa warriors. The
party abandoned their horses and nt-
tempted to force their way down the
| river and take protection behind the
trees, where they could fight to greater
advantage. 1t is likely when all hope
| Of rescue and escape was given up, they
determined to sacrifice their lives MS
dearly as possible. The grass where
they lay was trodden down, and a mum
Der of cartridge shells testify to the yalor
| of their defense, until some friendly,
fatal bullet gave them the only alterna-
tive of escape from the terrible torture
to which they would unquestionably
have been subjected if taken alive. 1t
is not likely that the entire party was
killed before taken, but whether any
aud who were taken alive, and the ter
rible moments which followed, will al
ways remain a mystery. All tho miss
ing bodies were now found. Not one
had been left to narrate the horrible
story. The last Offices Of humanity-a
proper burial-was all that remained.
n----l maA..a