The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-07-28
MERRITT'S MUSS,
Graphic and Gsuuious Narrative of His
Little Brush with HFriendIy Indians"


Little Brush with @FriendIy Indians"
We give below a detailed account of
Col Merrittis skirmish with the agency
Indians whom he intercepted and drove
back recently:
Sunday night found him with seven
companies hiding under the bluffs'on
War Bonnet Dr. Hat Creek, square up
their front.
At daybreak Monday morning Lieut..
King, commanding the outposts to the
southeast, sent in word that the wal
parties were coming over the ridge from
the direction of the reservation. The
command noiselessly mounted and was
massed under the bluffs, a quarter of a
mile to the rear, out of sight of the In
dams. At the same time the wagon
train was some six miles off to the
southwest, slowly approaching, and the
Indians were closely watching it, but
keeping concealed from the view of its
guard. The two companies of infantry
with it were riding in the wagons. At
six O'Clock the Indians were swarming
all along the ridge to the southeast,
some three miles away. Suddenly a
party of eight or ten warriors came
dashing down a rayine which led d.
rectly under the hill where Lieut.. King,
with his six men, were watching.
The object was as suddenly apparent.
Two horsemen, unconscious of the prox-
unity of the foe, had ventured out
ahead of the train and were making
rapidly for the creek. They were cour-
iers with dispatches to the command.
The Indians, utterly ignorant of the
rapid nov of the Fifth, were simply
bent on jumping on the couriers and
getting their scalps. Buffalo Billn,
chief of the scouts, lay on the hill with
King, and instantly sprang to his horse
~galloping down off the hill.
Crouching behind the little butte.
Bill and his party of two scouts and six
soldiers were breathlessly waiting ; half
way up was the General with his staff.
The Lieutenant lay at the crest watch
ing the rapidly advancing foe. Down
they came nearer and nearer, the sun
flashing from their brilliantly painted
bodies and their polished ornaments.
Then, just as they were dashing by the
front Of the hill, with a rush and a yell
the troopers were hurled upon the Indi-
ans flank, not fifty yards away.
Gen. Merritt sprang up to see the at
tack just a a tall Indian reeled in his
saddle, shot by Corporal Wilkinson, of
Il company. An answering bullet
whistled by the Generals head, when
the reserve Indians came swarming
down from the ridge to the rescue.
Company X was instantly ordered to
the front, but before it appeared from
behind the bluff the Indians, embold-
ened by the rush of their friends to the
rescue, turned savagely on Buffalo Bill
and the little party at the outpost. AN
The latter sprang from their hSfses
and me- the daring charge with a vol
ley. Yellow Hand, a young Cheyenne
brave, came foremost, singing Bill as a
foeman worthy of his steel. Cody cool
ly knelt, and, taking deliberate aim,
sent his bullet through the chiefs leg
and into the horse. Down went the
two, and, before his friends could reach
him, a second shot from Bills rifle laid
the redskin low.
On came the others, bent on annihi-
lating the little band that opposed them,
when, to their amazement, a long blue
line popped up in their front, and X
company, with Col. Mason at its head.
dashed at them. Leaving their dead
the Cheyennes scattered back, heller
SHELTER, to the ridge, but their fire was
wild and their stand a short n Com
pany after company debouched from
behind the bluff, and, utterly disheart-
ened, the Indians rushed for the reser-
walton, leaving behind all their provis-
ions. Gen. Merritt pursued them till
night, when the whole command went
into camp at the agency.
The Indians left their dead and ad-
init having more wounded. They also
lost six ponies. Their friends at Red
Cloud say they never dreamed the Fifth
cavalry could get there in time to head
them off.