The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-02-22
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THE SOLDIERS. !eotreSpoadeat of thS
Oregon Herald, writing under date. of
January %, from the camp of the Ore.
gon militia operating in the Modoo
country, tells the story OF the battle Of
the l7th ult. as follows:
capt. Bernards forces, together with
| that portion of the Fairchiids party and
the soldiers that made the junction with
Bernard during the battle, arrived at
This camp last night. q font-sore, shat
tered and demorslized troop. "a portion
OF these men we're oompelIed to lie be-
hind rocks and in ore vices. sheltered
from the deadly fire Of "a unseen enemy.
until darkness gave them q chance to
escape. Their retreat began at midnipht
and continued until daylight, without
halt. The suffsrings of the wounded
curing that terrible night must have
oeen extreme. Ono Of these rode on
horseback through the night, over the
worst Imaginable trail, with his thigh
Done broken in splinters. The forces
upon the East side were in position
eenel!y CRITICAL, bns wsre more fortunate
IN their retreat. despair of making it
clear how 30 formidable and carefully
prepared al expedition could have 40.
GomPlished suoh disastrous results.
Everybody affected contempt for the
enemy, and it is but fair to say, TINT that
enemy affected the greatest contemnt for
us. When Capt Bernard opened his
fire on the East, although the engage.
ment had already begun on the Wsst. a
shout Of derisive laughter arose upon
the Indian right md ran along and
around their line through rocky cayerns.
distance Of nearly two miIes. In close
quarters, the Indians showed themselves
proficient in the use of slang English.
Their remarks were moro exasperatino
than edifying. This profanity and OBJ.
scenity was enough to provoke the envy
OF the most accomplished American gem
tleman. One Of them, hearing Col
Green's nome mentioned, said, sis that
you, Col. GreenP Well, go along, you
internal old -. we won't hurt you.
Ihe Falrchilds purity formed them
selves with part Of the infantry bat.
talon In rocky gorge, when a voice,
recognized Us that Ut Steam bont Frank,
shouted noross to another voice-Scar.
faced Charley's-on the OPPOSITE side:
"Hello, Charley, here is some Yreka
boys; don't you see them?"
YES"
"Boys. what do you wantq Whu.
! makes you come here to fight UP" And
the same voice continued:
Charley. there is old Doris. Doris.
what do you want here? Say, Dorris,
how long are you going to fight ue?''
All this talk was accompanied by q
lively shower of bullets. Only an occs.
slonai glimpse of an Indian was seen.
-Four OF the little party had already been
shot. The men were lying Hat behind
rocks and sage bushes. Any exposure
or movement, however slight, inv vited
snot. NO answer was made to this
Analan talk. Steamboat Frank persist
ed IN trying to draw Doris out.
! Whats the matter with you, Dorris2
can't you hear? Amt you got ears?
Cant You talk? Amt you got mouth p
But Doris knew his man and laid low,
occasionally blazing away at the rock
from which these questions seemed to
proceed, and conscious that his rock WA
being peppered in turn.
cover in the direction of the yoice-a
moment-a shot, and he sank back with
bullet hole in his forehead, mortully
wounded.
Near this spot Colonel Perry, an
officer OF great gullantry, was shot
through the arm and breast. He in
voluntarily moaned, "Oh, I'm shot!"
A shrill voice, that of squaw likely.
hooking him, said, "You come here to
fight Indians and you make noise like
that; you no man; you squaw."
The number of narrow escapes. where
bullets were stopped or turned aside
by cartridge belts, pistol handles, &C.,
was large.
An awkward German, unaccustomed
to the use of arms, carried his pistol at
full cock on his abdomen. A Spring.
field rifle bullet struck in that vicinitY.
and that pistol remains at half-cock vet.
Ills pistol is ruined, yet the man lives
and is happy.
Donald McKay'n horse was shot dead
under him. Donald is nephew of the
celebrated DR.. Mckay.
10 SUM up. we were eager to get in
aud glad to get out, anxious in the
morning that the Indians should not
escape, and at evening anxious that we
should. Tho nature and impregnable
character of tho Modoc position, and tho
number OF the enemy, were not under
stood. Better information was not at-
tainablo excopt only by reconnaissance
in force and at the sacrifice of life. AN