The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-04-30
GENERAL BUELL..
HIS Victory over the Conanehez-VIvisi
Descriptions OF the Fight.

Descriptions OF the Fight.
A stock-driver from Texas furnishes
us with the following account of Brevei
Maj Gen. BuelPs recent fight Will
the C0manehes, which Will be found in.
teresting
On February 2, 1874, Lieut-Col. Bu.
ell, 11th United States infantry, in coRl-
mand at Fort Griffin, the most remote
post on the northwest frontier of Texas,
left that post in search of hostile In
dians-COmanehes and Kiowas. Af-
ter four days march, IN disagreeablc
weather, in the midst of a cold, sleety
rain-storm, he struck his supply AMP,
| which had been previously sent out.
On the following morning. a cold.
freezing, sleety day, Col. Buell. started
out with forty men of the 10th United
States cavalry, with Capt. Lee and
bleut. Z. Turner as his junior officers.
After marching ten miles that day they
came to boggy river, which had TO be
| crossed by the command. Lieut.. Tur-
ner rode into the river, and was thrown
/ from his horse, the moor animal stick
j ing in the mud. He eventually sue
| ceeded in extricating his horse and
reached the opposite side of the. river,
mounted and rode up the stream half a
| mile, where he found safe fording for
/ the rest of the command, when they all
| crossed. After the soldiers had ridden
all day in the rain they arrived, cold
/ and wCt, at a camp on one of the branch
streams of the Salt Fork, where they
! staid all night. 1t may not be out of
place to state that there was no grass or
forage for the horses. The next morn
ing at daybreak Col. Buell. aroused his
command and made a march OF thirty
miles, the men riding still in their wet
clothes, and the horses being pretty
we'll tagged out, when he discovered
from his Ton-ka-wa Indian scouts, who
were on both his right and left hanks,
that there was danger In his immediate
vicinity. One of these Indians COM
menced wheeling rapidly to the right,
which was the signal agreed upon to
warn the soldiers. Col. Buell. at once
moved his men in that direction at
gallop, and In joining the Indian men
toned discovered the edge OF a preei-
pice fire burning in the valley below,
in the Double mountain fork of the
BraZos. Upon a close examination, the
officers in command saw large herd of
horses all punched together. While
looking on a5 this camp Lieut.. Turner
saw that the enemy had discovered
them, when he Immediately dashed his
horse over the precipice, and took the
lead towards the camp. When about
half way down the hill he found one of
Col. Bael's Indian scouts undressing
himself stripping for action. Before
the lieutenant bad an opportunity to
pass, the Indian mounted his pony and
dashed on ahead. On arriving at the
foot of the hill, the Indian shouting
the Ton-ka-wa war-whoop, they both
rode towards the herd of horses, the
Indian on the right and the lieutenant
on the left, when a strong volley of
balls and arrows passed by without hit
ting them. The Comanches then rais-
ing their yell, stood their ground. The
scout rode on to a small summit of a
small hill, where he could get good
aim, while the lieutenant stopped
where he was, wheeled his horse to the
right, and commenced firing at the In-
dians. The firing beginning to be too
sharp, he dismounted and called TO the
troops to- hasten their steps to his sup
port. It should be understood that the
cavalry could only reach the valley in
single file. Col. Buell. was already
there looking after the herd of horses,
and had sent twenty men to stop the
stampede. Capt. Lewis was IN advance
of the cavalry coming down the hill,
and as soon as ne reached the valley
eight men dashed by him and joined
the lieutenant, who Immediately char
ged the Indians, killing five on the
spot, the balance running mp the creek.
One of the latter, while running, shot
Lieut.. Turner in the left side with a
steel-pointed arrow. without inhicting
any serious injury, however, ii striking
some Winchester cartridges IN his vest
pocket. Before the men could reload
he himself shot the Indian in the back,
who dropped fiat on his face dead. a
young squaW then turned around and
tried to surrender, but was shot dead by
the lieutenant. The rest Of the escap-
ing Indians were all killed by the troops
on the left.
. Col. Buell. directed the whole affair,
and won the esteem of officers and men
by his GOODNESS, courage, and soldierly
abilities. The result of the fight may
be summed up as follows /: indians
killed, II horses captured, "a 4; two
silver-nounted saddles, two solid silver
brides, and several very handsomely
mounted bows and quivers, and num-
Der of rifles and pistols, etc, were also
captuled. One soldier was shot in the
left shoulder, and was compelled to
ride five days without sureic attend
ance. Two horses were also wounded,
A Ton-ka-wa squaw took the scalps of
of ten of the killed, and distributed
them among the vietors, Lieut.. Turner
getting two. The party returned to
Fort Griffin with their spoils, driving
night and day for ninety-six hours.
Col. Buell. distributed the stock on
the way to the Texan farmers from
whom these Fort Sill reservation In
dians had stolen them, receiving IN re-
turn their Warmest thanks. The peo-
pie of Texas are very enthusiastic IN
their praise of Col. Buell., not only for
his success and energy heretofore In
putting down horse and cattle thieves,
hui also for his Indian ficht1no