New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-10
An Exciting Combat,

A special to the Washington Chronicle,
dated Parrott City, Colorado, August 90,
via Pueblo, Colorado, September 4, gives a
thrilling account of an engagement between
United States surveying party and force
Of Ute Indians:
Mr.. James L. Gardner, geographer and
first assistant OF the Hayden survey, warned
OF the tbieviDg character of the Ute Indians
in Sierra la Sol, united Mr.. Gannet's party
with his own, for surveying that part of
Western Colorado August Is, while cross
ing the desert fouthwsrd toward Sierra
Abaj" they were treacherously attacked by
number of Indians pretending to be friend
~. Adams and Kelsey. being in the rear,
barely escaped death at the first volley.
Several surveyors, with rifles. had to de-
lend thirteen men and eighteen pack ami
mails. The place was waterless valley,
surrounded by cliffs 1000 feet high. which
n:rrowed fouthward TO close canon.
where was the only spring on the desert.
To keep the surveyors from reaching this
the first ridge commandins the train.
The Indians were driver l., Gardner
and MADEIRA and MoCreasy, tue party
passing on to Camp in 0per ground,
where barricade was built Tho Indians
continued the attack from all sides till mid
might, bat were driven back by Gardner.
Adams, Madera, Kelsey and McGreary,
fighting Indian fashion, by crawling through
the sage brush. One animal was shot. The
baggage barricade protected the men not in
action. The march was resumed the next
morning, to follow the train to the
spring, up narrow canon, occupied by In.
dians. 1t seemed as certain death as thirst.
Mr.. Gardner decided to attempt to reach
the surrounding plateau simmit For six
Ynnrnhad Qr fhn
SET king break in the sandstone walls. The
Indians, on swift ponies, occupied each en-
inence, and fred into the advancing party.
Gardner and MADEIRA, acting as advanced
skirmishers on the right; Adams and Gan
nett on tle left, Mills, Kelsey and North
ington fought on the flank and rear and
some of Mills and Kelsey's 1000 Yards shot
did good service. Forced in one place 10 pass
within 300 yards of rocky promontory,
the Indian bullets fell like hail about them;
poor aim saved the men. Atkinson's mule
was shot under him, and it was now deter
mined to fight steadily up the cannon, at
all hazards, to some break in the bluff. At
last this was found. and Gannett piloted
the train to within 300 feet of the top,
where, the Indians getting above them
fired from behind rocks and trees. At
distance Of only sixty yards two more
mules were killed, but Gardner and Ma
dera had climbed above the Indians, who
now found themselves between two fires,
and one Of them fell before well aimed
shot from MADEIRA. This drove the towards
to such close cover that Gardner, Adams
ana an i, MADEIRA slipped quietly along the foot
OF the vertical sandstone wall to breach
noticed from below, where deer trail was
found leading to the summit Of
the plateau. 1t was barely passable
for unincumbered animals Returning
to the main party, lying behind rocks ana
trees. within sixty yards of the enemy. Mr..
Gardiner had the packs cut from the mules,
party from under the fire of the Indians
safely into the plateau, without a man
being wounded. Total loss, four mules.
baggage and instruments; all notes were
saved. The jaded but now unloaded ami
mails, were pushed to their fastest. The
Indians, afraid of ambush, went many miles
around to reach the plateau, and though
seen at distance, the start thus gained
enabled the party to elude pursuit. At
sunset, q small spring was found, which re-
heved the last increasing suffering of men
and animals. The march was continued
during the night, and in four days, Mr..
Gardner brought the party into the mining
settlement on La Platte river, having
travelled 200 miles from the scene
of the battle in four days, across
perfect 1abarynth Of canons and
ridges. the party were in the saddle forty
eight hours out Of sixty. After the morn
ing of the fifteenth tor the first thirty six
hours, they were without water and almost
without feed. Except an interval of three
hours in the night, the fighting was inces-
SAINT from five o'clock in the afternoon of
the fifteenth till the afternoon of the six
teenth. All are, however. well and in good
spirit. only regretting that they did not kill
Indians enough to make up for the loss of
instruments and baggage. Mr.. Gardner
praises the courage Of his assistants and
their unswerving fidelity to him in these
terrible hours, when the safety of all de-
pended on concerted action under one head.