Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-11


ease for about two and half miles. I,
however, soon saw that l was being
Drawn into some trap, as they certainly
would fight harder, and especially as we
were nearing their village, which was
still standing; Decides, could not see
custer, or any other support, and st the
same time the very earth seemed to
grow Indians, and they were rushing to-
ward me in swarms, and in all direc-
tons. saw | must defeud myself, and
give up the attack mounted. This did,
taking possession OF a point Of woods
and which furnished, near its edge, q
shelter for the horses; dismounted and
fought them on foot, making Roadway
through the wood. soon found myself
in the vicinity of the village, saw that
was fighting odds of at least five to one,
and that my only hope was to get out Of
the woods, where L would soon have
been surrounded, and gain some high
ground. / moved to the summit Of the
highest bluff but seeing and hearing
nothing Of Custer, sent Captain Weir,
with his company, to open cOmmunica-
tiOns with the other command. He
soon sent back by Lieutenent Hare that
he could 90 no futhGr, and the Indians
were getting around him; at this time
lac was keeping up q heavy fire from his
skirmish line, l at once turned every
thing back TO the first position / had
taken on tbs. bluff, and which seemed
the bset. [ disnoGateti- taas-rsleti- lasa
the horses and mules Of the pack-train
driven together in depression, put the
men on the crests Of the mills making the
depression, snd had hardly done SO when
was furiously attacked; this was about
six o'clock in the evening; We held our
ground with the lostof eighteen enlisted
men killed and fOrty,six wounded I'M
til the attack ceased, about nine
o'clock at night. AS I knew by this
time their overwhelming numbers, and
had given up any support from the
portion of the regiment with Caster, /
had the men dig rihe.pits; bsrricaded
with dead horses, mules, aud boxes OF
hard bread the opening of depression
toward the Indians in which the ami
mails were herded, aud made every eX-
ertion to be ready for what I saw would
be terrific assault the next day. All
this night the men were busy, and the
Indians holding q scalp.dance under
meath US in the bottom, in our hearing.
On the morning of tWenty-sixth l felt
confident that could hold my own, ard
was ready as far as could be-, when at
daylight, about b8li-past two in the
morning, heard the crack of two riff 9s.
This wss the signal for the beginning of
a fire which / have never seen equsled.
Every rife WAS handled by sn expert
and skilled marx smsn, aud with range
that exceeded cur carbine, aud it was
simply impossible to show any part Of
the body before it was struck. We could
see, as the day frightened, countless
hordes of them pouring up the the val
ley from out the village, and scam pering
over the high points toward the place
designated for them by their chief, and
which entirely surrounded our position.
They had sufficient numb eTs to complete
ly encircle US, and men were struck on
opposite side of the lines from where the
shots were fired. / think we were fight
ing all the Sioux nation, and also all
the desperadOes, renegades, half breeds,
and squaW men between the Missouri
and the Arkansas and east of the Rocky
mountains. They must have numbered
at least two thousand five hundred war.
riOrs. The fire did not slacken until
about half-past nine in the morning,
and then we discovered that they were
making desperate attempt, and which
Wasd irected against the line held by
companies n and NJ. In this attack
they charged close enough to use their
bows and arrows, and one man lying
dead within our lines was touched by
| the "coUp stick" of one of the foremost
Indians. When l say the stick was
only about ten or twelve feet long, some
idea of the desperate and reckless fight
| ing of these people may De understood.
About two O'Clock in thu afternoon the
grass in the bottom was set on fire and
followed up by the Indians, who encour-
aged its burning, and it was evident 1t
was done for purpOse-which purpose
I discovered, later on, to be the creation
| of dense cloud Of smoke, behind which
| they were packing and preparing to
move their tepees. 1t was between six
and seven o'clock in the evening that
the village came out from behind the
clouds of smoke and dust. We had a
close and good view OF them as they
| filed away in the direction CT the Big
| Horn mountains, moving in almost per-
| feet military order; the length Of the
| column was fully equal to that OF large
division Of the cavalry corps Of the
army of the Potomac, IS l have seen it
| on its march. After following over his
| trail, IL is evident to me that Custer in
| tended to support me by moving further
| down the stream and attacking the viii
lsge in flank; that he found the distance
greater to the ford than he anticipated;
that he did not charge, but his march
had taken so long, although his trail
shows that be moved rapidly, that they
were ready for him; that companies c
and L, and perhaps part Of company E
| crossed to the village or attempted it al
the charge, and were met by stagger.
ing fire, and that they fell back to secure
q position from which to defend them.
selves; but they were followed too closely
by the Indians to permit him to form
any kind of line. I think that hiss
| the regiment gone in as q body, aud
| from the woods in which l fought, ad
vanGed on the villsge, that Its destruc
| ton was certain, but he was full conf
dent they were running, or he woulC
| not have turned from me. think (aitel
the great number of Indians there were
in the village) that the following reason!
obtained for the mief0rtune: His rapi(
marching for two days and one nigh
before the fight, attacking in the day
time at noon, and when they were OF
the qlGi UiUe, instead of early in thu
morning, and, lastly, his unfortunate
division Of the regiment into three com
mands.
| Indian DeDreuallOnS IN Texas
Special Telegram to the Galveston News
SAN ANTONIO, August 7.-O1 tue sec
ond instant Indians came to FfiO canon
took thirty horses, crossed to Sabina
canon anC gathered large herd. Oh
Rancho creek the Indjsns killed tn
shepherd of Richsrd Ware. They theI
went through Ney's and Rhodes pas
lures, getting many horses; thel
through Riley'5 pastures, aud followed
through all the neighbOring ranches
They camped Friday night at Slaugh
ter's pasture. Nesr there they struci
Pstterson's cow-hunters while penninl
a heard of cattle, and took fifteen horses
Then they crossed Leona river, fOu
miles from Uvslde, struck another part,
of COW hunters and took most Of thei
horses without fight. They then wen
through Tileston's pasture on the Leona
This morning another trail of abOu
thirty Indians was discovered about tw
miles from UValde. This band attacks
Adams's cow hunters, and after fgh
took thirty or forty horses from them.
party of citizens are aftsr the Indians
and are likely to come up with them
A cavalry detachment is out from Fol-
Clark to head them, and party OF cit
zens are watching the KickspOo springs
This is bold raid.
BASE BALL BATTLINGS.