The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1874-09-30
Red-Skinned Fiends.
HOW oEoRaE BoDfsE LOST HIS SCALP
AT THE BASE OF MEDICINE BOW.

AT THE BASE OF MEDICINE BOW.
The recent arrival of ex-Vice Presi-
dent Colfax at Denver, recalls to mind
a half-forgotten but never published
incident growing out of his famous
trip across the Plains in 1866 or 1866.
At that time Captain Humphreyville,
Company X of the Eleventh Ohio Ca
valry Volunteers, was stationed in gar
rison af Fort Halleck, q small log for
tress on the Overland stage line, near
the base Of the Medicine Bow Noun,
tain. This fort has long been aban.
doned as military post, the Pacific
ia iiroad having rendered military pro.
lection to stage coaches unnecessary.
When Colfax and his Congressional
party passed through Fort Halleck,
the writer happened to be one of the
detail OF four soldiers ordered out as a
special escort or scout to follow the
iliustrious party to Bridger Pass,
after which We were instructed to
return.
Our mission was faithfully reformed.
We saw the coach with its load Of no.
tables go dashing down the other side
OF the range, and with merry hearts
and gleeful voices turned our horses
Tor gallop back to the fort. As we
moved rapidly along the sage brush
and grease wood in the valley between
Medicine Bow and Elk Mountains, a
drove OF sage hens attracted our atten-
tion and separated our party. Fatal
temptation We little thought of the
danger then so near us, and the horri-
Bile fate awaiting the bravest and bold.
est OF the party-poor George Bodine.
he had just emptied his carbine at
sage hen or grouse, when, with cho-
rus OF horrible whoops and yells, q
party OF Sioux rode up out of a ravine
which with the sage brush, had con-
cealed them from observation, and af.
ter discharging a cloud of arrows min
gled with slugs and bullets, at US at
long range, galloped towards Bodine,
who was by this vancouver completely
cut of from us.
we counted sixteen or seventeen of
the blood-thirsty devils and opened fire
upon them from friendly clump of
brush in which we sought shelter
Poor George! He realized his danger
in moment; his only hope of safety
was in fight. His horse, though tired
from its long gallop afterthe stage coach
was still able to distance the scrubby
ponies of the Sioux, and if he could
reach the ferry attn orth Platte he would
be safe. Alas, for the bravest of com
rades, the proud mother and father,
who to this day mourn his horrible
death. His horse, frightened by the
lyells of the red demons in pursuit, and
evidently maddened by an arrow or
two which had struck it, became un-
manageable, and in fatal moment the
briddle-rein broke from one side of the
bit. The terrified and restrained brute
turned toward us. To reach us it must
come in contact with the Sioux. 1t
was an exciting race, but hopeless
one for the poor young soldier
We dashed out to meet him in his fa-
| tai race. He came closer to his circling
foes. His carbine he threw away and
drew his Remington revolver. This
he emptied at the Sioux at close range
and two fell headlong from their sad
dies. We observed him crouch down
forward upon his saddle as if to avoid
the coming blows. But it was not for
that he crouched. 1t was the fatal coils
OF the lariat..o lasso, which the next
instant dropped over him, and we heard
his heart piercing shrek as he was drag
ged backward from his horse, which
gallopped past us in safety. How poor
George suffered while being hacked to
pieces by the fifteen red tiends, none
can tell. AS We galloped away we heard
his horrible cries for mercy while his
scalp was being torn from his head,
and to this day when thinking of that
horrid incident, those screams of agony
ring upon the air.