Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-31

| less speciaI Provdeuc, interposed We couio
never carry our lives away with us. we were
looking Death full in The face, and so close that
we could tee his cold breath upon our ioTe' toft
| heads and his icy grip upon our hearts' No
surrender ~ was the word passed from nau 10
man. Each one of us would have blown out
mis- own brains rather tbau fall alive lnto LII
dian hands. A disabling wound "oulu na'I
been the same as death. had often "ondeIeu
how man felt when be saw inevitable s9aaeo
doom before him. know it now, for + ha1 =
| no idea Of escape, and could not have sunerea
more if 40 Indian knife or bullet had piereto
my heart So it was with all OF us. II Is one
thiag to face Death 10 the midst OF excitement.
T, ;s unite another thing 10 meet him in almost
cold blood, with the prospect OF your dlshonor-
cd carcass being first mu,iated and hen LETT to
feed the fox and the vulure. After man
once sees the skull and orossbones as our party
saw it on the afternoon OF July 20 subsequent
glimpse of grim mortality can possibly impress
him in the same manner Well the eternal
shadows were fast closing around US, toe Dui'
lets we're biting nearer every moment, ana the
Indian yell was growing stronger and mercer
when hand was laid on my shoulder, aoo
solde. named Rufus, my ncghbor on the sxlr-
mish liue, said, "The res! are retiring. Lieu
tenant Sibloy tells Us to do the same.
quietly Withdrew from the friendly pine tree
which had kept at least dozeo bullets from
making havoc of my body. "Go to your sad,
die bags and take all your ammuoitlon, SAID
Sibley as | passed hun. I'VE are going to
abandon the horses The Indians are all around
us, spd We must take to the rocks on foot. Ii
is our only chance.
did as directed. but felt pang at leaving
INV noble beast, which was bleeding from a
wound in the side. We dared DOT shoot our
horses, for tha, would discover our movement
to the enemy. Grouard advised this proceed.
Jog. With celebrity which wss only possible
to men struggling tor life, aud to escape
dreadful fate, our party obeyed the.r orders,
aud, 10 Iudiau file, retired through the WOOD
aud fallen trees 10 our rear toward the east'
firing voey and some scattering shots before
we moved out, TO make the Indians believe We
were still 10 position Our horses were cV-
deutly visible to the sayages-a circumstance
that facilitated our escape. We ran ior 9 mile
through the forest. waded Tongue river (tbe
hesdwaters) UP to our waists aod gained the
rocks of the mountain ridge, where 90 Indian
nonv could follow US, when we heard FIVE or
six scattering voeys in succession. 1t Was the
6pa fire of the Indians before they made their
charge q. our late corral to get our scaps.
I'VE are safe for the present. said Grouard,
with grim smile, "but let us lose no time 10
putting more rocks between US and the White
Antelope" We followed his advice with
feeling of thankfulness which ouly msn 10 such
trials can ever know. But We had escaped one
danger only to encounter another. Fully forty
five miles of mountain, rock aud forest lay be-
tween US and Crooks camp. We could not
carry single particle of food, and had to throw
away everything superfuous in the way of
clothing. With at least $40 Indians behind US
AID uncounted preclpioes before US We found
our rifles and 100 rounds ofammunitinn each
sufficient load TO carry. The brave .Irouard,
the abIest Of scouts, conducted our retreat, aud
We marched, climbed and tumbled over places
that at other times would have been impossible
to US, until midnight. Then we halted under
az immense pile of rocks on the top OF mouu-
tain. Long before dawn We we're agalo STUN
bhpg through the rocks aod forest, and at day
Epht reached the tremendous canyon cut 10 the
mouutsin by what is called the eastern fork OF
Tongue river. Most of our men were too ex.
hausted to make the descent of the canyon, so
Grouard led US through 40 open valley down
by the river, on the left bank for two miles as
hard as we could 90, for if discovered there by
the savages we could ouly halt and. die together.
Fortuue favored us, and We made the right
bank of the stream unobserved, being then
about twenty five miles from Crooks head,
quarters. 10 our front were the plains of the
eastern slope, full of hostile Indians, while our
only avenue OF escape was to climb over the
tremendous preoipice which formed the right
side of the canyon. But the dauotess Grouard
was equal to the crisis. de scaled that glgan-
tic wall disgooslIy, and led US along mere
squirrel path not more than foot wide, with an
r., halo
200 feet high above u.s. After 40 hours hercuean
toll wa gained the crest and saw the point OF the
mountaio, about tucuty miles distant. where lay
our camp. This, as may be imagined, was
bssful vision, but we were half dead with fatigue,
and some of us were almost famine-strlckeD.
Yet the iudefatigable Grouard would not stop
until we reached the eastern foot bills, where
we made dive into the valley to obtain water,
onr ONLY refreshment on that hard, rugged road.
Scarcely had we Stacked our thlls: when Grou-
ard led us up the hills again, aud we had bare
" reached the timber when, around the rocks
at the point we had doubled shortly before, ap-
peared another strong party OF Sioux. ms
made US desperate. Every ma0 examined his
rifle and looked to his ammunition We all
fel, that life would be TOO dearly purchased Dy
further fight, and. following the example OF
the brave young Sibley and the two gallant
scouts, we took up our position among the
rocks on knoll We had reached, determined
TO sell our lives as dearly as possible. Fin
erty," said Sibley to me, we are 10 hard luck;
but damu them, We show the red scoundres
how white men can die. Boys (turning to the
soldiers We have good position; let every
sho, dispose of ap IndiaD."
At that moment not mau among Us felt
auy iuciuation TO get away. Desperation aud
reyeuge had usurped the place OF the aoimal
Instinct to preserve our lives. ln suob mo-
msnts mind is superior to matter and soul to
But we were spared the ordeal. The Sioux
f.iIed TO observe US, as, very fortunately, they
aid not advance high enough to fod our trail,
but kept eastward 90 the lower branch OF
Tongue River. Thoroughly Woro out, we al,
feel asleep, excepting the tireless scouts aud
awoke at dark somewhat refreshed. Not a
NON nfns Sioux or no Sioux, could endure