, 1872-12-15

UN DELAWARE NGkEKt
REPUBLICAN, RIVER, Sept. ~, 1883.
10 cqlonel Ba'tkhead. Or Commanding o6Seer, Fort
sent you two messengers on tho night Of the 17th
lnst informing you OF my critical condition. TRIED
to sand two last night but they id not succeed
in passing the indian piciets and returned II The
assistance. have eight badly wounded, and ten
slightly wounded men to take IN, and every animal
pedsd. Liouteuant Bescher Is dead, and Acting As
sstant Surgeon Movers probably cannot Nve the night
but one rational word slnce az wounded Il Two
iow the 5nso. fhs oheSennss numbered 9so or noFs.
and and Hsnry res. Ss ~ aed It iesst s q
9saana %
most OF their Killed during the night, bnt three Of
theE men icy Into our bands: I'm on little island,
living rule and horne meat and entirely out Of
ratious, II it Was not for so many wounded, would
come in, and take the chances Of whipping them II
attacked They ire evidently aick Of their bargain.
had two Of tbs members at my company killed on
s namely a W % wson mt gaa e
ty-ve men, and bring an the wagons md anabuances
you can spare. Bring si1-pound howtzar With you.
reccssary but please lose no time. Very respectfully,
yonr obedient seryan.,
q. 5. Army, Commanding Company sconts
?. g.-My Surgeon having been 1nortally wounded,
none OF ny wounded have hnd their wounds dresssd
4 small party Of warriors remained in the
vicinity watching the movements Of the scouts;
the main body, however, had departed.
PR1vAT1oN.
The we'll men, relieved OF the constant watch~
ing and fighting, were now able to give come
attention to the wounded. Their lnjuries, which
had grown very painful, were rude1y dressed.
Soup was made out Of horse-fesh, and shelters
were constructed protecting, them from the
wounds Of the men began to exhibit more de-
cided and alarming aigns Of neglect. Maggots
infested them, and the frat traces Of gangrene
had set in. To multiply the discomforta at their
situation, the entire party Was almost ogerpow~
decomposing bodies OF the dead horses. Their
supply was nearly exhausted. Under these try
ing circumatanceB, Forsyth assembled his men,
He told them "they knew their Bituation as
leas, but aid must not be expected too soon. 1t
might be difficult for the messengers to reach
tho fort, or there might be some delay by their
losing their way: Those who wished to 80
should DO 80, and leave the rest to take their
stay, and, il al hope vanished, to die together.
at last the supply Of ierksd horse-meat was
exhausted, and the chances of getting
more we're gone. By this time,
the carcasaes OF II the q. animals were mass
strips of putrid flesh we're cut and eaten. The
effect OF this offensive diet WAS nauseating in
TIE extreme: an experiment Tas made with
view to improving the unpalatanle nesh, OF
Using using gunpo%oef as salt, nut TO no purpose.
Inc men a4ayeo only tner extreme cray
inRs o. nungeT, trusting tnat saccof might reach
tnem be1ofe AZ Nhs over.
AELlEF At LAST.
On ne morning OF sept: 70, the sun rose upon
Forsyth and his 1am1shed party With unusual
splenaof' ano t1e nI1gnt colofs Of the morning
norizoa seeneo nho fa1n9oW OF prom1ee 70
taer ell weary, longn6 sp1llts. rope, grown 1alnt
WIN 1o1l9 "ai.us, 6atneteo removed streng!n
from Ine prlen1neHs ot nature. me soatary pam
!eeeo1ng IN ~ d1reetlons g. possessea .,e 9eeper
interest," than ever oe1ore, though 1t stln showed
no slgns OF nle, and presented the Same monot-
onons e1panse upon Wnlc9 me heroic band had
gazea 5o[ SO many LYING Gays. Across tne olm 1
ana lnoennan1e n o1stance Hn1ch sMept 10 ~ u
1T rn!rht ~ tha .a1-,I. e.. u IL .sLt 80
,a,,+ ayIda111 sarore1 ds-I .ra. ,.rs,aea
fa;ntiv N the borri4o1 ma oh;aets ara
ha nastio -,-,a-,no.t =; th I'LL w.
~ al va ara tha~ asvapes ~ saaen1ara e ~
-a,;a+3 4. ~ ~, s,o,, ,oss;oz,a ~ - anrd
.saasa.,aa 9;,a 20 ."o1a "a. - s4
ire hnnTs vet Vat each monant brorobt +ha eu1 a+*.
fara.a - asi1ata., n+ .ne ~.
tha;r 5oon, ~ 41aa;r .snana tharaa e..1a
fronr 1var en hn,,r haa aio-aaS s.pe .ta
;aots rst c,-oa ~ a;1It snI ~ te ta+o onu
Jg Josse aaa1..a5 1dS1s, naI 5et WIG t1ai9ly naly