The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-11-26
AT BEECHER'S ISLAND.
A Thrilling Account of an Indian EN-
gagement in 1865.

A Thrilling Account of an Indian EN-
gagement in 1865.
Gen. Custer, in his "tife on the
Plains," relates many thrilling incl
dents. Among these may be reck-
oned the fight of Beecher's Island, in
September, 1868, by General Forsyth,
in command of company of fifty FROM
tiersmen, out after band of Cheyennes
on the war-path. Encamping one night
on the Arickaree river, they found
themselves surrounded by Indians in
full war-paint coming upon them with
exultant whoops. Fleeing to an island
the men tied their animals in the center,
formed line around them, and pre-
pared to sell their lives as dearly as
possible. The fire from the Indians,
who were 900 strong, and armed with
the best Spencer and Henry rifles, was
so CALLING the men could not return it.
Soon every horse was killed, and Gen
eral Forsyth himself twice wounded.
Perceiving their success, women and
children gathered upon the hills chant
ing war-songs, the medicine-men went
around encouraging the young braves,
and the savages under Roman Nose
formed IN line and prepared to sur
round the island.
Seeing that the little garrison was
stunned by the heavy fire of the dis
mounted Indians, and rightly Judging
that now, if ever, was the proper time
to charge them, Roman Nose and his
band of mounted warriors, with wild,
ringing war.whoop, echoed by the
women and children ON the hills, start
ed forward. On they came, presenting
to the brave men who awaited the
charge most superb sight. Brand
ishing their guns, echoing back the
cries of encouragement of the women
and children on the surrounding hills,
and confident of victory, they rode
bravely and recklessly to the assault.
Soon they were within range of the
rifles of their friends, and, of course,
the dismounted Indians had to slacken
their fire for fear of hitting their own
warriors. This was the opportunity
for the scouts, and they were not slo v
to sieze upon it. "NowW shouted
Forsyth. "Now I" echoed Beecher,
Mccall, and Grover, and the scouts,
springing to their knees and casting
their eyes coolly along the barrels OF
their rifles, opened on the advancing
savages as deadly fire as the same
number of men ever yet sent forth from
an equal number of rifles.
Unchecked, undaunted, on dashed
the warriors steadily rang the clear,
sharp reports of the rifles of frontiers.
men. Roman Nose, the chief, is seen
to fall dead from his horse then Medi.
cine Man is killed, and for an instant
the column of braves, now within ten
feet of the scouts, hesitates-falters. A
ringing cheer from the scouts, who
perceive the effect of their we'll directed
fire, and the Indians begin to break
and scatter in every direction, unwill'
ing to rush to a hand -to-hand with the
men who, Cutnumbered, yet know how
to make such effective use of theil
rifles. A few more shots from the
frontiersmen, and the Indians are
forced back beyond range, and theil
first attack ends in defeat. Forsyth
turns to Grover and anxiously inquiries
"Can they do better than that
Grover?" 81 have been on the Plains
General, since a boy and never saw
such charge as that before. L think
they have done their level best" was
the reply. "All right" says Sands
"Then we are good for them"
Though repulsed, the fire was KEEP
up by the Indians, and night found
General Forsyth, with his trusted lieu
tenant Beecher dead by his side, his
surgeon Morus mortally wounded, an6
out of fifty-one men twenty-three killed
and wounded, his supplies exhausted
his medicine stores captured and his
command one hundred and ten mile.
from the nearest post. Two men were
sent out under the cover of night fol
achievements; in the morning the
fight was resumed, and on the thirG
day, after trying to accomplish by
stratagem what they failed to do by
open warfare, the main body of tht
Indians withdrew. In the meantime
the besieged men, having only horse
flesh for food, managed to protec
themselves and look to the wounded
By the sixth day they were reduced
to eating the putrid flesh Of the de
composing horses, which they tried t,
render more palatable by rubbing will
gunpowder, and the wounds of the mel
became infested by maggots ant
showed gangrene. The situation wa
desperate. On the morning of tn,
next day the dark cloud on the horizon
dissolved into reinforcements tn
strong men shouted, the wounded liftet
their fevered forms, and in their de
lirium echoed their comrades hurrahs
When Colonel Carpenter reached tn
island he found General Forsyth affect
ing, though with Indifferent success, t.
read an old novel found in saddle
bag, keeping up bravely his reputation
for making the best of things, and tn
men plucky to the last. OF this Ell
gagement General Austin says
"In all it's details, and with all ii
attending circumstances, rememberin
that Forsyth's party, including him
self, numbered, all told, but fifty .on
men, and that the Indians numbere
about seventeen to one, this fight wa
one of the most remarkable and at th
same time successful contests in whic
our forces on the Plains have ever bee
engaged ; and the whole affair, frol
the moment the first shot was fired III
til the beleaguered party was finally II
lieved by Colonel Carpenters commanC
was wonderful exhibition of DARN
courage, stubborn bravery, and hero
endurance under circumstances ,