The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-06-22
FrenrISG INDIANS IN TEXAS.
A Terrible Hand-to-Hsnd Fight In
the Mountains

the Mountains
The Galveston Netos says: Early
on the morning of the sth instant a
messenger arrived at Major Jpnes'
headquarters with the intelligence
that the Indians had stolen some
horses In Lost Valley the previous
night. The Major, with a portion Of
his escort and a small detachment
from Lieutenant Longs company,
Immediately started in pursuit. The
trail was In the upper end of Lost
Valley, where the Indians had as
sembled amer committing the theft.
It led over a mountainous country,
yet could be easily distinguished, and
was followed with astonishing rapid
ity, considering the nature of the
ground. Up rocky mountain sides,
down deep declivities, owe fallen
timbers and deep ravines, the deter
mined little band, nothing daunted,
continued for upward of FIVE miles,
when suddenly, us we rose II steep
hill, the Indians were discovered a
short distance ahead. Lieut.. Long
fred the initial shot, and killed nm
Indian at seventy PAGES with his
pistol. Then the fight began. There
was no marshaling into line with
military precision, no precautionary
commands, no dreadful adjustment
ofaccoutrements, no pomp, no parade.
We simply heard the Major say,
1.-THE ball is opened, boys; mnil In"
Sniting the action to the word, he
piled spurs To his horses TANKS, and
the men following his example, all
rushed down upon the Indians, who
fought with savage desperation,
shooting and dodgiug by turns, rid
ing fiat upon their horses backs,
hanging to their sides, and carrying
themselves In all conceivable shapes
TO elude the aim Of our carbines.
1t was n regular running fight,
such as frontlersmen are familiar
with. Each man singled out his foe,
and ''went for him." Private Eanes
charged a stalwart savage who had
been brought TO bay, and, having
emptied his pistol without dispatch
ing him, seemingly found himself at
the mercy OF the Indians. BY some
means or other Eanes' horse refused
to bulge al inch, Notwithstanding
that he piled the spurs to him vigor-
cusly. The Indian was not more
than six feet distant, and at this dis
lance fired two shots at Eanes with a
Spencer carbine. BY this time an
other man, attracted by Eanes' i'm
minent peril, dropped to his knees
aud took deliberate aim at the In
dams breast, but the gun snapped,
and 1t now became Il question Of who
should get his gun loaded first; for
tunately for Eanes, the cartridge
hung in the Indians gun, which
caused him fatal delay, for al this
juncture bullets began to- rain in upon
him FROM several directions.
1t was all done in half a minute,
but the intense excitement made it
seem a very long time. The Indian
continued to present his gun and
work vigorously at the lever, growl-
ing meantime like some wild beast,
his flaming eyes giaring with leoniue
~ierceness upon his enemies around,
and it was not until his body had
been penetrated with bullets that he
fell over, kissing defiance through
his clenched teeth as he expired.
Another Indian, who had been
conspicuous during the fight, now fell
badly wounded. One of the rangers
raised his gun to finish the work.
when barring her breast, she disclosed
the fact that she was a squaw. The
ranger lowered his gun aud was in
the act of receiving her surrender,
when a bullet from another part of
the field relieved him of the disagree
able necessity, and she lay n corpse
at his feet. About one mile further
on another Indian was killed, and
the few remaining scattered and be.
took themselves 10 the mountains,
where 1t was next to impossible to
follow them. The charge had con-
iinned for about twelve miles, and
both men and horses were pretty
well exhausted, SO we returned
slowly along the trail to secure tro-
phics.
Five scalr,s. several guns. pistols.