Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-05-03
SAVAGE BORDER FIGHT.
Thirteen Mon Killed in Three Min.
utoH.
rom the IT. Smith (Ark.) New Era.

The account given in our tri-week
ly Of the 18th inst, of the terrible
fight between a U. S. marshal's
force and number of Cherokee In
dams on the 18th inst, at Going.
Snake district court house, Chero-
kee Nation, near the Arkansas line
about SO miles north Of this place,
has from more recent information
been found in the main correct, and
we now propose to give some further
particulars of that fearful event the
results Of which cannot yet be fore.
seen.
Our information we have from
Capt. Joe Peavey, one of the two
deputy marshals in charge Of the
unfortunate expedition, who arrived
Wednesday in the stage from Gin.
cinnati, some ~ miles distant from
the. battlefield and just across the
line in this state.
1t seems, then, that the approach
Of the marshal's force was we'll
known at the court house and pre-
parations to resist made, for the
court adjourned on the morning of
the fight from the court house, an
open building, to school house,
situated about half a mile north of
it in prairie and quite closely
built. John Proctor, the murderer's
brother, carrying the order of the
court to the schOolmaster. All the
people there were armed, including
the jury, and even Proctor, the MUIR
dcrcr on trial, had Spencer rifle
and two revolvers. As the party
approached, the women at the house
were seen to scatter. When with
in short distance of the house, the
party dismountcd, went up to and
halted near it. There were several
Cherokees friendly to the marshal's
force outside,the building. White
Sut Beck, Cherokee, and Of the
marshal's posse, put his foot upon
the steps Of the house, when he per-
ceivcd the house full Of armed men
ready to fire. He remarked that
there should be no disturbance as
they were United States officers and
had come with no hostile intentions
duputy marshal Peavey standing
near made the same remark, and
the friendly Cherokccs on the ont
side, relatives Of Beck, shouted the
same to the men inside.
Just then gun was fred inside,
the signal for truly hcllish COM
bat.
White SUIT Beck levcled his piece
against the door, when his gun was
seized at the muxzle by = brother of
the murderer Proctor. Beck pulled
him out however, and shot him
dead. BY that time the firing had
become general and most Of the
Marshal's forces lay dead on the
ground. The fight did not last
over three minutes. The Judge was
shot IN the knee, the sheriff went off
before the fight commenced, dep.
uty was killed and one Of the jury.
Proctor himself was wounded.
James Ward, who leaves young
wife at this place, was killed in the
act Of getting on his mule. His
body was afterward brutality kicked
by an Indian and robbed. Riley
Woods, killed, was also treated in
a similar barbarous manner.
Moses Albert a prominent Chero-
kec, when the firing commenced
threw open his coat and was draw.
ing his revolver upon Capt. Peavy,
when the latter brought down his
gun upon him; whereupon Albert
dropped his hand in token Of peace.
But no sooner had Peavey turned
partially away when Albert drew |
his revolver upon hin, which, being