The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-13
McKENZIE'S RAID.
An Account by Participant in tn.

An Account by Participant in the Fight.
We got within sight of Santa Rosa
about daylight on the morning of the
10Th. Col. Mckenzie here came up to
the head of the scouting party and told
us that he expected to find Indians eth
er in the town or just beyond it at the
foot of the mountains, and that when
we struck them we were to dash in
among them without stopping to count
noses. He would be just behind to see
us through.
There were very few of the inhabitants
of Santa Rosa up and stirring as we
dashed through, but one or two Of these
fired upon us from the houses without
doing any harm. About mile beyond
the town we came upon three Indians
on their ponies, who seemed to ..be on
picket. We chased them with yell, and
killed the three before they had gone
half mile. We now came to q ridge
that was pretty steep, and below this
ridge and between it and the first range
of mountains there was a fiat that had
some old ruins of houses in it. 1t was
tolerably light now, and we saw what
looked like camp ahead of us, and
some dozen or two Indians wrapped in
their blankets, stalking about. They
spied us as soon as we did them, and
sprang for their ponies. In q moment
we were among them, yelling and shoot
ing like devils.
Col Mckenzie came right on after us,
taking part in the fight and giving no
quarter. don't think the work lasted
ten minutes, all told. Some got into
the mountains and escaped, and some,
who were badly wounded, we left where
they fell, although the boys were for
killing them all, and would have done
so but for the Colonel. We had two
men killed and two MORALLY wounded,
one of whom had died before we left
and one who was dying as we galloped
off. We killed twenty-eight that 1
counted, all big, fine bucks, and captur-
ed forty-two, which we brought back
with us on their own ponies, fifty or
sixty of which we got. Some of their
badly wounded got off to the mountains,
and some of these will die. The Indians
we struck were a band of Kickapoos,
evidently on the war path, and heading
for Texas. They were in war paint, and
feathers, but such was the complete
nature of the surprise that they did not
have time to make much of a fight.
There were some Mexicans among them
who swore they were prisoners, and SO
Col. Mckenzie released them, though
to our way of thinking they were meaner
than the Indians. Among the captured
was Lipan chief, who was a surly devil
and hard to keep from escaping. We
had to tie him on his horse and threaten
him several times with cooked pistols.
These Kickapoos and Lipans have been
raiding on Texas for twenty years, and
this is the first time American soldiers
have ever followed them up in their
own territory. They were not looking
for anything of the kind, and seemed
more surprised than alarmed when we
commenced on them. They had the
best of American guns and pistols, and
if they had been looking for us they
would undoubtedly have given us an
ugly fight. We got back to Fort Clark
with our prisoners ON the 23d, and there
has been much talk of what Mexico
would do in the matter. We all hope
she will do something. A war with her
is just what we want, for if the United
States will but say the word we will put
such stop to this stealing and raiding
along the Rio Grande that will make the
settlers heart glad for the future. In
the fight we killed brave that must
have been seven feet high. He was the
tallest man I ever saw. One of the
Tenth Regiment shot him in the back of
the head. He had about his person
several dollars worth of silver ornaments.
We heard of several thousand Kickapoo
warriors about twenty miles further
south from Santa Rosa, but we did not
60 after them.-Sdn antonio Cor. Kan
sas city Times.