The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-04-25
GENERAL BUELL.
bis Victory Over tho Comanehes-EIvI
Description of the Fight.

bis Victory Over tho Comanehes- eIvId
> Description Of the Fight.
, 4 stock-driver from Texas furnishes
, us with the following account of Brevet
! Mai Gen. Buell's recent fight with
the Comanches, which viii be found in
teresting
On February ?, 1874, Lieut-Col. Bu-
, ell, 11th United States infantry, in COM
. mand at Fo;t Griffin, the most remote
, post on the northwest frontier of Texas,
left that post in search of hostile In
dians-Comanches and Kiowas. At
ter four days march, in disagreeable
weather, in the midst of a cold, sleety
ran-storm, he struck his supply camp,
which had been previously sent ont
On the following morning, cold,
freezing, sleety day, Col. Buell. started
out with forty men Of the 1Oth United
States cavalry, with Capt. Lee and
Lieut.. ID. Turner as his Junior sficers.
After marching ten miles that day ttey
came to q lQgey- rIYer-Uhicl Lad to ba
crossed by the command LIEUT.. Tlfr-
ner rode into the river, and 'ras thrown
from his horse. tEo poor an nal stick
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
| mule, where he found gafe fording fer
tho r st Of the con mand, when they all
crossed. After the soldiers had ridden
all day IN the rain they arrived, cold
and w,t, at a camp on one of the branch
streams of the Salt Fork, where they
| s.aid all night. 1t may not be out Of
! place to state that there was no grass or
| forage for ihe horses. The next morn
ing at dayl ceak Col. Buell. aroused his
commau and made a march OF hirty
miles, men riding still in tho wet
clothes. and the horses being retty
well tagged out, when he disc Yered
from his TOn-ka-wa Indian scou's $, who
were on both his right and left fanks,
tAat mere was danger in his imme Aate
vicinity. One of these Indians Com |
merced wheeling rapidly to the right, !
which was the signal agreed upon to |
warn the soldiers. Col Buell. at oncs |
moved his men in that direction at a |
gallop, and IN joining the Indian men
toned discovered the edge of preci. |
plce fire burning in the valley below, |
III the Double mountain fork of the |
Brazos. Upon n close examination, the |
officers IN command saw large herd of |
horses all punched together While |
looking on at 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 |
hall way down the hill he found one of
Col BuelPs Indian scouts undressing
hlmself-stripping for action. Before
the lieutenant had 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 Ion-ka-wa war-whOop, they both
rode~s owards the herd of horses, the
Indian on the right and the lieutenant
on the left, when strong volley of
balls and arrows passed by without hit
ting them. The COmanches then rails
ing their yell, stood their ground. The
scout rode on to a small summit of a
small hui, where he could get a good
aim, while the lieutenant stopped
where e was, wheeled his horse to the
right, 80 commencaf5 f..s-s7SsT t,.la,,- r.
sharp, he dlsm1sosI be understood that t9tti th6
cavalry could only reach the valley in
single file. Col Buell. was already {
,.5ere locking after the herd of horses, !
and had sent twenty men to stop the
Capt. Lewis was in advance I
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 t
ged tle Indians, killing five on the
One of the latter, while running, shot c
Lieut.. Turner in the left side with a o
5teel-pOinted arrow. without inflicting Y
any serious injury, however, II striking I
some Winchester cartridges in his vest
pocket. Before the men could reload '
he himself shot the Indian in the back, {
who dropped flat on his face dead. A !
Young squaw then turned around and
-ried to surrender, but was shot dead by {
.he lieutenant. The rest of the escap- 6
ng Indians were all killed by the troops S
on the left. I
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, 64 two ,
saddles, two solid silver
brides, and several very handsomely :
bows and quivers, and a num- !
Der Of rifles and pistols, ETC., were also
captUlcd. One soldier was shot in the !
left shoulder, and was compelled a
ride five days without surgical attend :
ance. Two horses were also wounded, :
A Ton-ka-wa squaw took the scalps off {
Of ten of the killed, and distributed r
them among the victOrs, Lieut.. Turner :
getting two. The party returned to {
OrJ 0IlHlu Will tHelt spOlls5 uiAN4hS I
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-
Pile 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, !
but also for his Indian fighting.