The New York herald., 1874-10-09
PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCE
Expected Accession of MoKen-
Ie's Forces.
"A HEROIC RECORD.
Progress of General David
sons Detachment.
BIvOUAC ON THE SwEETwATER.
HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT
m


DAvIDSoN'S COLUMN, Sept. 20. 1874.
Awaiting myself OF the trst opportunity to COM
munlcate the operations OF General Davidson's
column, officially known as the Sill column, I
write rom this point lat. 35 2 lon 100 &c. whittier
We came In order that Generals Davidson and
Aies.mght have consultation as to future oper
atoms and compare notes OF what had been done
In the past. With the poor light or candle In our
shelter tent, while 1t Is raining heavily, win en-
deavor, under difficulties, to give you rapidly an
imperfect outline, which Is made 80 owing to the
fact that am limited to an hours time to get this
through by courier to Camp Supply, favored by
scout OF General Miles,. The Davidson or Sill
column, after having marched to Fort Cobb, thence
up the Washita River, on the divide between IT
and the North Fork OF the Red River, finally, after
twelve days OF marching without event or meet
Ing OF the Indians camped on the North
Fork Of the Red River to rest the men
and give them an opportunity OF washing
their clothes, &C., as they had been continually
ION the 60" since our departure from Bort Sill
on the 10th OF September. Saving the ordinary
fatigue both men and horses were In splendid
condition, the latter. indeed, being better tnan
when we started. This is mainly due to the fact
that nom General Davidson down to the ranks
the oflcers are mainly experienced In the require
ments OF the cavalry branch OF the service which
q hard campaign on the plains at once demon
strates to be absolutely necessary.
A MILITARY CONFERENCE.
During the operations OF our Indian and citizen
scouts Lieutenant Pratt, commanding them, dts
covered yesterday In the Sweetwater, whence
write, an encampment OF detachment of troops
from Miles, column. This being reported to Gen.
eral Davidson he resolved, for the further eflcacy
OF the movements, to confer ar once with Miles,
and with that view he communicated with him
at his camp, some thirty miles OF, through Still
WELL one Of the daring scouts OF this region
and who was with Custer when Major II.
Elliott ana cavalry were surrounded and
massacred by the Indians, he going through their
lines for relief and fulfilling his mission. At the
request OF General Davidson, accordingly, General
Miles signl1ed that he would meet him at this
point ana hence am here. The trail where Niles
first discovered the Indians is about four miles
from this place, and this is about ten miles in
almost o due northery direction from where
Davldson's troops are camped, on the North Fork
OF Red River. General Davidson had primarily
for his object to see II he could not obtain some
additional rations from General Niles, as we
started with only half rari0ns for twentytwo days,
and had been already out on the prairies some
eleven days. He concluded that II he could effect
this he would Immediately SWING as far as he could
into the staked Plains, where the Indians are sup
posed to be, and where we could strike their vii
lagos, which Is about the only eneottye way OF get
ting the best Of them as al lost all the prouetting
and skirm,shing about the plains which has got to
be fashionable among some people In command Of
columns which they are not used to or can only
handle badly with utter disregard OF the loss OF
stock, wearing out OF men and simply plunging
about proves In the end to amount to nothing
Concentration, cooperation and well concerted
movements, with occasionally effective dashes,
will be the only means whereby the Indian war
can be properly settled; and in this General Sheri-
dan was right when he said that he simply wanted
to stir up the Indians now, get them concentrated
somewhere by winter, and then
STRIKE THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.
Generals Niles and Davidson met this evening,
the former escorted by the dashinq Leutenants
Wetmore and Pope, with detachment OF the
Sixth cavalry and the latter with Colonel Carpen-
ter. already known in Indian fights, and Lieu
tenant Orleman, the engineer OF the column, and
Lieutenant Smithers, A. A. G. OF the command.
Long and earnestly these two commanding officers
conferred, but the result was that General David
son could not secure any agreement to get
part OF General Niles supplies, which
are expected in the next Iour or.ive days. On all
other matters they seemed IN entire accord.
Hence IL only remains ior General Davidson to
press forward as long as his supplies VIII last,
which will be about ten days. trusting to be able
to get as ne will endeavor some from Mckenzie
on our way south from Mcclellan Creek to the
staked Plains, White Fish Creek and elsewhere
through the "Llanos Estacados," where we expect
to get at the Indians either at their villages or in
war parties, as fortune may favor US. Which will
be the result is mere matter or conjecture. 1t is
apprehended variously mere by those who dag
nose the situation that the man body OF the
Indians will possibly 60 on to the borders OF
Kansas, and again on the other hand to Chihua-
hua In old Mexico Thank fortune that we now
have the majority OF those
BANDED TOGETHER FOR THE wARPATH
outside of the Indian Territory, numbering, as va
riously estimated, rom 700 to 1000 well armed,
determined desperate warriors. We are now IN
the panhandle OF Texas and the rascally cut
throats are exiles ana refugees out OF their own
proper realm, and hence the milk and water hu-
manitarlans cannot say tnat the Indian is being
prosecuted or even molested in his own abiding
place by the disturbing and violent hands oil the
United states Army.
But to return to Miles, column. Doubtless ere
this the HERALD has had the full details OF his STIR
ring and active proceedings on the ma m,afcn, en-
umn and parts or 1t nave nao With the Indians
HIS FIRST fight was on the sweetwater, where
$50 Indians, and tho next where his train was pc
seged and engaged ior four days IN ngnting
engagement Of the united redskins numbering
between six and seven hundred men, with his
line OF battle some FIVE miles long, In which
some splendid fighting and charging were done
ana excellent service performed by the ten-pound
Parrott and the two Gatling guns which quite de-
moraitzed the Indians, as they could not quite un-
derstand the rapid firing and the bursting OF the
shells IN their midst at long range In the general
engagement not much loss was sustained, but the
Indians were evidently driven in confusion, as
they left their pans, cooking utensils and lodge
poles behind in great profuson and apparent
haste, Just getting their families out Of the way
barely IN time to escape destruction. About two
Thousand lodge poles were destroyed. Tnese are
among the most valuable OF their possessions, as
ten OF them at for winter use are worth pony.
in command OF the cavalry escort OF the train at
tackled, the following de tails Tho train was first
attacked alter crossing the Canadian by about
twenty Indians about 100 being TO their right who
did not Join in the attack until the 1rst small
the Washita River. The ground was level plain