Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-23

|
or leader. He was gayly dressed In his
head was a plume Of feathers. Beside his
bow and arrows and a revolver, he had 8
bright steel-headed lance and shield
decked with plates of silver. He was an
old man. They surrounded one or two
houses, but when the inmates closed the
door and prepared for defense, they gath
cred up any horses they could find, and
dashed on
Near the house of Mr.. Hendrickson, two
miles below Vanderslice's, two boys of S
and 9 years. one a son of Mr.. Strange, and
the other of Mr.. Smooth, were on
the prairie, q quarter Of a mile from Hen
drlckson's house The three Indians rush
ed on the boys. Strange's son they imme-
dlately Drained with war club a fragment
OF which lay beside his body The other
boy with an arrow through his back, deep
IN his body, fled toward the house. In
that house were only women and children.
Another boy of Mr.. Sranges, about 10
years of age, seized a rife and sailed out,
followed by another child but 6, who bore
the powder-hofn and ball-pouch. As the
son of Mr.. Smooth ran screaming towards
them, the boy raised his rifle on the near
est Indian, and they fled back, thus permit
ting the wounded boy and his rescuers to
reach Hendrickson's cabin in safety.
While this was going on, another settler,
Mr.. Shaeffer, with his young9 wife and
child, were driving along the Hendricks
field. They had been down the valley
some miles that Sunday, on visit. AS
they crossed the Salina at q bridge there
Mr.. Shaeffer had observed company of
cavalry in camp. Hearing the boys scream
and seeing the horrid scene, Shaeffer
wheeled his horses and galloped back with
| the wagon to the military camp, scarcely a
quarter of mile off. 1t was full COM
pany Of the 7th Cavalry, well equipped
and mounted. 1t seems that they
were over from Harker hunting stray
horses. Their vigilance could not have
been great. Some Of the soldiers had seen
the parties Of Indians, but did not know
what they were. When Mr.. Shaeffer gave
the alarm, in a short time the troopers got
their horses and moved after the Indians,
with all the method so exquisitely military
| In about mile they came on the three In
dians in rayine. where they were trying
to lariat the horses they had captured
some twenty in number. Instead of charg-
ing at once upon them, the officer dis
mounted his men, sent back his
horses, formed a line of battle, and
opened up volley after volley on
the three Indians. The old Indian,
| scarce 800 yards of, shook his shield def
| antly at them. He and his two compan-
| ions saddled fresh horses from those they
had captured during the fasilade, and rode
| off The cavalry were then renounted and
| ordered to follow; but by this time the In
| dians had, of course, moved off. After a
| two hours hunt, the cavalry returned to
| camp. Next morning, with all the horses,
| they started after the Indians, crossed the
| divide northwest to Salt Greek, and thence
| as they crossed to the Solomon River, they
| came on party of Indians, as they tho't
| too strong to attack, fell back on Salt
| Creek and sent to Hays and Harker for as
sistance.
During all the night between Sabbath
| and Monday settlers from the upper and
| remote creeks were coming in. Bale fires
| blazed on the high hills, evidently kindled
| by the Indians to concentrate their forces
on discovering the proximity of the troops.
Up to this day eight bodies have been
buried. Mrs. Wishel and Mrs, Alderdice
and her babe are in the hands of the In
dams. Most of the settlers have come in
to the mouth Of this creek and to Ellzhorn,
and not few, fearful of further difficulty,
have fed to Salina for safety
Troops are after the Indians, who can
easily see and avoid them. These appear
to have been Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapa-
hoes. [ learn that they are again tearing
up the track at Sheridan. What will the
Government do?