Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-08-12

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the mountain range, timber on our lett,
timber on our front, and rocks and tim
ber ON our right, at about 200 yards
distance. ''Keep to the left along the
woods" said the scout. Scarce were
the words uttered when from the rocks
there came a ringing volley. The In
dians had fired upon US, and had struck
nv horse and two others. Fortunately,
the scoundrels fired too low, mlscalcula-
ting the distance, and not man was
wounded. Our animals, after the man
ner of American horses, stampeded and
nearly dashed out our brains against the
trees on our left. The savages gave us
three more volleys, wounding more OF
our horses, before we got the beasts tied
to the timber. We gave them volley
back to keep them in check, and then
formed circular skirmish liEe IN the
woods. We could see the Indian lead
er dressed in what appeared to be white
buckskin, directing the movements OF
his men. Groua:d recognized him. lie
is a Cheyenne, called White Antelope,
famed for his enterprise and skill. The
Cheyennes and Sioux are firm allies and
always fight together. White Antelope
led ore charge against us,bnt one tire sent
himself and his warriors back in quick
time. Then the Indians laid low In the
rocks and kept up an incessant fire on
our position, filling the trees around us
with lead. Not man of us ever eX-
pected to leave that spot alive They
evidently aimed at our horses, thinking
that by killing them all means OF escape
would be cut off from us.
Meanwhile their numbers continued
to increase. The open slopes swarmed
with Indians, and we could hear their
savage, encouraging yells to each 9th
er. Cheyennees and Sioux were mixed
together and appeared to be in great
glee. They had evidently recognized
Grouard, whom they mortally hate, for
they called out to him in Sioux, ''Stand-
ing Bear (the name they give him), do
YOU think that there are no men but
yours in this country ?" We reserved
our fire until an Indian showed him
self. They were prodigal Of their am-
munition, and fired wildly. But they
were fast surrounding us. We had
fought them and kept them at bay for
two hours, from half past eleven until
half-past one o'clock. But they were
twenty to our one, and we knew that
unless a special Providence interposed
we could never carry our lives away
with US. We were looking Death full
in the face, and so close that we could
feel his cold breath upon our foreheads
and his icy grip upon our hearts. "No
surrender !" was the word passed from
man to man. Each one Of us would
have blown out his own brains rather
than fall alive into Indian hands. a dis
ablng wound would have been the same
as death. | had often wondered how a
man felt when he saw inevitable, sudden
doom before him. | know it now, for
| had no idea of escape, and could not
have suffered more if an Indian knife
or bullet had pierced nay heart. SO it
was with all of us 1t is one thing to
face Death in the midst of excitement.
1t is quite another thing to meet him in
almost cold blood, with the prospect OF
your dishonored carcass being first
mutilated and then left to feed to fox
and the vulLure. After man once
sees the skull and crossbones as our
party saw it on the afternoon OF July
no subsequent glimpse Of grim NOR
tality can possibly impress him in the
same manner. We'll, the eternal
shadows were hitting nearer every
moment, and the Indian yell was grow
ing stronger and tiercer, when hand
was laid ON my shoulder, and soldier
named Rufus, my neighbor on the skir-
mish line, said, ''The rest are retiring
Lieutenant Sibley tells us to do the
same" | quietly withdraw from the
friendly pine tree which had kept at
least dozen bullets from making havoc
Of my body SEQ to your saddle bags
and take all your ammunition" said
Sibley as | passed him. "We are go
ing to abandon the horses. The In
dans are all around us, and we must
take to the rocks on foot. 1t is our
only chance"
did as directed, but felt pang at
leaving my noble beast, which was
bleeding from wound in the side. We
dared not shoot our horses, for that
would discover our movement to the
enemy Grouard advised this proceed
ing. With celerity which was only
possible to men struggling for life, and
to escape dreadful fate, our party
obeyed their orders, and, in Indian file,
retired through the wood and fallen
trees in our rear toward the east, firing
4 yolley and some scattering shots be-
fore we moved ont, to make the Indians
believe we were still in position. Our
horses were evidently visible to the saw
ages-a circumstance that facilitated our
escape. We ran for mile through the
forest, ,waded Tongue river (the headwa-
ters) on to our waists and gained the
rocks of the mountain ridge, where no
Indian pony could follow us, when We
heard five or six scattering volleys in
succession. 1t was the final fire Of the
Indians before they made their charge
at our slate corral TO get our scalPs.
1--WE are safe for the present" said
Grouard, with a grim smile, "but let US
lose no time in putting a few more
rocks between us and the White Ante
lope." We followed his advice with
feeling of thanktulness which only meh