The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-06
An Indian Battle scene.

A correspondent gives an account of the
indian attack on colonel Forsyth's command.
The following extract is sufficiently interest
ing TO quote: -,A
Again the men dug for their lives and soon
were tolerably well shielded by the friendly
sand, which, being soft, they had thrown up
in the center of the little island, and in this
the dead and wounded were laid. The indi-
ans were now seen approaching again, and
the devoted band prepared to sell their lives
A. dearly AS possible Their faintng and
bleeding leader, as he heard the yclls Of the
coming savagcs, raised himself up and eau
toned his comrads 20 keep cool and make eve
nv shot tell, for they had only siXty-hve
rounds to the man. The struggle was fierce
and bloody, but the indians were again re.
pulsed. Once more the chiefs rallied their
warriors, and sought TO inspire them 70 brave
deeds by harranguing them. Some of these
addresses were delivered in 30 loud n voice,
and so near the besicged, that nearly every
word could be distinctly heard. Sharp, who
formerly lived with the indians, and under
stood their language we'll interpreted what
was being said. one Sioux chief pointing to
the sixty horses Of the scouts, said
"See their ponies they have only a few,
and these men ride singly, and there are no
more men there than horses for they never
20, Us we do, two upon one horse. We are
Hundreds; they less than one to four. Shame
on YOU, warriors to let thi. handful Of pale
faces drive You backr
Then the women and children appeared on
the hills, clapping their hands and singing the
war song, and the chief continued:
"Look nj your women and children; they
have come down 10 see YOU bc brave, but YOU
run away from the white soldiers, and they
are ashamed of you. Come, now, let us kill
the pale-faccs.
While these spcechc, We're going on, the
great medicine man appeared in full rcgalia
and beating his drum, he sang song, which
amounted IN substance 10 this:
"The medicine is good; The Great Spirit i
with us; the bullets of the pale-faces won
strike the brave; only towards are killed b,
them; am not afraid of them. You mus
kill tho white soldier or the Great Spirit viii
forsake us; cur medicine be bad, our children
and women die of starvation. Warriors, b
braye!
He sang in loud monotonous voice ridin,
around in circles, swinging his body To AM
fro, and beating fnriously with stick upol
his drum. To show how harmless the ballet
of the whites were the medicine man rod
around the fort, beating his drum and singing
about his good medicine and bravery. Al
old scout who had his thigh broken early il
the fight, and who had been watching tn
medicine man, fired al him, and the bal
whistled 80 close that the Great Medicin
Man withdrew to a greater distance to per
form his antics and preach TO the younl
braves about the safety of fighting the pal
faces, Raising himself up in his sand hole
the old scout again drew bead on Great Med
icine ms he approached, and fired, this tim
with effect, for the Indian was seen to reel il
his saddle and drop his drumstick as the pom,
carried him of
Gle has got his medicine said the scout
as, exhausted with pain, he fell back in tn
damp trench
The Indians shortly afterwards drew of
carrying off many dead and wounded, ant
the assault was not renewed,