The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-08-10

i"uHu our IllbS ana lUO rounds OF am
munition each sufficient load to carry.
The brave Grouard, the ablest of scouts,
conducted our retreat, and we marched.
climbed and tumbled over places that at
othertlmes would have been impossible
to us, until midnight. Then we halted
under an immense pile of rocks on the
top Of mountain, and there witnessed
one of the most terrible wind storms that
can be imagined, Long before dawn we
were again tumbling along the rocks and
forest, and at daylight reached
THE TREMENDOUS CANYON
cut deep in the mountain by what is call.
ed the eastern fork of Tongue river Most
OF our men were too exhausted to make
the descent Of the canyon, so Gourard
ed us through an open valley down by
the river, on the left bank, for two miles
as hard as he could go, for if discovered
there by the savages, we could only halt
and die together, Fortune favored us,
and we made the right bank Of the stream
unobserved, being then about twenty
five miles from Crooks headquarters,
In our front were the plains of the east
ern slope, full Of hostile Indians, while
our only avenue Of escape was to climb
over the tremendous precipce which
formed the right side of the canyon. But
the dauntless Grouard was equal to the
crisis. He scaled the wall diagonally,
and led us along a mere squirrel path
path notmore than a foot wide, with an
abyss 500 feet below, and a sheer wall Of
rock 200 feet high above us. After an
hours herculean toll we gained the crest
and saw the point of the mountain about
twenty miles distant, wherelay our camp
This, as may be imagined, was blissful
vision, but we were half dead with fa-
tigue, and some of us were almost fam
ine stricken. Yet the indefatigable Grous
ard would not stop until we reached the
eastern foot hills, where we made a dive
into the valley to obtain water, our only
refreshment on that hard, rugged road.
Scarcely had we slaked our thirst when
Grouard led us up the hills again, and
we had barely reached the timber when,
around the rocks at point we had doub-
led shortly before, appeared another
strong party of Sioux. This made us
desperate, Every man examined his RI
Ae and looked to his ammunition. We
all felt that life would be too dearly pur-
chased by further flight and, following
the example of
THE BRAVE YOUNG sIBLEY
and the two gallant scouts, we took up
our position among the rocks on a knoll
we had reached, determined to sell our
lives as dearly as possible. "Finerty,"
said Sibley to me, 1--WE are in hard luck;
but, damn them, we'll show the red dew
lis how white men can die. Boys turn
ing to the soldiers), we have a good po-
sition; let every shot dispose of an In
dian"
AT that moment not man among us
felt any inclination to get away Des-
peration and revenge had usurped the
place Of animal instinct to preserve our
lives. In such moments mind is super
ior to matter and soul to nerves,
But we we're spared the ordeal The
Sioux failed to observe US, as, very for
tunately, they did not advance high
enough to find our trail, but kept east
ward on the lower branch of Tongue riv-
err. Thoroughly worn out we all fell
asleep except the tireless scouts, and
awoke at dark somewhat refreshed. Not
man of US, Sioux or no Sioux, could
endure the mountain journey longer, so
we took our thirty jaded, hunted lives in
our hands and struck along the valley,
actually wading Big Goose creek up to
our arm pits, at three o'clock Sunday
morning, the water being cold as the
mountain snow could make it, Two
men, Sergeant Cornwell and Private
Collins, were too exhausted to cross, so
,, they hid in the brush until we sent two
companies of cavalry after them When
, we reached camp. After crossing Pig
Goose we were nearly dozen miles from
, our camp on Little Goose Creek, and as
you may judge how badly we were used
up when it took four hours to make six
, miles. The rocks had skinned our feet,
? and starvation had weakened our bod
} les. Only a few we're vigorous enough
to push on. AT five o'clock we saw
A FEW MORE INDIANS,
but we took no pains to conceal ourselve:
further. They evidently mistook us fo
| a camp outguard, and being only few
,, kept away, At seven o'clock we me
: some cavalry out hunting, and we sen
into camp for horses, as most Of the mer
could walk no further. Captains DE-
Wees and Rowelle, of the Second cav
airy came out to us with led horses, anc
, we reached camp at 10 o'clock Monday
morning, amid congratulations from ev
cry side. The men who remained a
, Goose Creek were brought in some hour:
} later. For conducting this retreat witt
A such consummate success, Frank Grou
ard deserves the highest place among
l the scouts of the American continent.
The oldest of our Indian fighters, in
cluding Col, Royal, concur in saying
0 that escape from danger so imminent anC
appalling, in a manner so successful
Is UNPARALLELED
in the history of Indian warfare. Itwa
: fortunate for the party that an Office
possessing the coolneSs and good SENSE
- of Lieut.. Sibley commanded it, A rash