The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-07-21

from the hills, and few from the rive
bottom, and Reno's skirmishers returne
the shots, he advanced about a mile iron
the ford to line of timber on the righ
and dismounted his men to fight on foot
The horses were sent into the timber, anC
the men formed on the prairies and ad
yanced toward the Indians The In
dians, mounted on ponies, came acros
the prairies and opened a heavy fire OF
the soldiers. After skirmishing a few
minutes, Reno fell back to his horses in
the timber. The Indians moved to his
eft and rear evidently with the intention
OF cutting him off from the ford. Reno
ordered his men to mount and move
through the timber. just as the men
got into the saddle the Sioux, who had
advanced in the timber, fired at close
range and killed one soldier. Colonel
Reno then commanded the men to dis
mount, and they did so, but he soon or
deed them to mount again, end moved
out on to the open prairie. The com
I'D headed for the ford, sressed closely.
slians IN large numbers, and at
eVe'y moment the rate of speed was in
creased, until it became dead run for
the lord. The Sioux, mounted on their
swlit ponies, dashed up by the side of the
soldiers and fired at them, killing both
men and horses. Little resistance was
Offered, and it was
A COMPLETE ROUTE
/ to the &
ford, and do not know what took place
further than a good many were killed
when the command left the timber. Just
as i got out my horse stumbled and fell
ana was dismOunted, the horse running
away after Reno's command. saw sew
eral soldiers who were dismounted, their !
horses having been killed or having run
away. There were also some soldiers /
mounted who had remained behind.
should think in all there were as many
as thirteen soldiers, and, seeing no
chance to get away, | called or them to
come INTO the timber and we could stand
| of the Indians. Three of the soldiers
were wounded and two of them so badly
/ N'itttN NUltAAt AitN uSC lllElE dEIilS. lie
soldiers wanted to go out, but | said no.
we can't get to the ford, and, besides, we
have wounded men and must stand by {
| them. The soldiers still wanted to go,
but told them was an old frontiers
man. understood Indians, and, if they 5
would do As l said, would get them out :
of the scrape, which was no worse than 7
scrapes had been in before. About half
of the men were mounted, and they G
wanted to keep their horses with them, t
but told them to let the horses go and v
fightOn foot. We staid in the bush about /
three hours, and could hear heavy firing $
below III the river, apparently about two
miles distant. I do not know who it was
but knew the Indians were fighting some e
of our men, and learned afterwards it was @
Clusters command. Nearly all the In "
dians in the ripper end of the valley I
drew eft down the river, and the fight ri
with Custer lasted about one hopr whom
Une-I.-- -Slng ceased. When the shoot
ing below BEGAN to die away I said to the
boys, Come, now is the time TO get y"
out" Most of them did not 90. but =,
waited for night. told them the In -
iians would come back and we had better =
be off at once. ~
A NARROW ESCAPE. Z
Elevenof the thirteen said they would =.
20, but two stayed behind. l deployed -
the men as skirmishers, and we moved -
forward on foot toward the river. When
we had got nearly to the river we met =,
i've Indians on ponies, and they fred on
Us. ! returned the fire and the Indians
broke, and we then forded the river, the
water being breast deep. We finally got al
over, wounded men and all, and headed sc
or Reno's command, which l could see ba
lrawn upon the bluffs along the river an
lbout a mile off. We reached Reno in W
,afety. We had not been with Reno SIX
more than fifteen minutes when l saw 81
he Indians coming up the valley from W.
Clusters fight. Reno was then moving in
lis whole command down the ridge m
Oward Custer. The Indians crossed the de
liver below Reno and swarmed up the wi
bluff on all sides. After skirmishinr an
With them, Reno went back to his old of
position, which was on one of the highest Sl
o)ints along the bluffs. 1t was now trl
bout five O'Clock, and the fight lasted on
Until 1t was TOO dark to see to shoot As mt
oOn as itwas dark Reno took the packs Re
md saddles off the mules and horses and sly
made brelstworks of them. He also IA
ragged the dead horses and mules on
he line and sheltered the men behind
hem. Some of the men dug rife pits Co
With Their butcher knives, and all slept tn
IN their arms. AT the peep of day the TT
indians opened a heavy fire, and we
A DESPERATE FIGHT ca
nsued, listing until ten o'clock The dii
indians charged our position three or tn
our times, coming up close enough to Br
lit our aen with stones which they OF
hrew by hand. Capt. Benteen saw a
arge mass of Indians gathering on his
ront to charge, and ordered his men to No
.harge on foot and scatter them Ben 90
cen led the charge and was upon the co
indians before they kenw what they an
we're about, and killed a great many ei,
hey we're evidently much surprised he
1t this offensive movement, and re
hink in desperate fighting Benteen is an
me of the bravest men l ever saw in a
light. All the time he was going about 70
through the bullets, encouraging the Fri
oldiers to stand up to their work and N
lot let Indians whip them. -,
He went among the horses and pack No
mules and drove out the men who were ~
kulking there, compelling them to go ho
nto the line and do their duty. He -,
lever sheltered his own person once :,
Turing the battle, and l do not see how -
lie escaped being killed. The desperate ~
harging and fighting was at about one -
iclock. but firing was kept up on both -
ides until late in the afternoon. -
SUFFERING OF THE MEN. I'm
forgot to state that about ten o'clock on
q the forenoon, and soon after Benteen we
nade his charge, the men began to tt