The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-03
Fighting for Life.


By Mr.. Henry Tilley, of Ness County,
we learn the particulars of an Indian
fight which occurred about four weeks
ago, in what is known as the Cove" at
the mouth of Sand Creek, about sixty
| five miles west of Ness Postoffice, in
which Dr. Tichenor killed four Sioux
Indians and was himself wounded The
doctor and man named Dickinson were
out in that section of the country poison
ing wolves, and had built temporary
dug out in which to store their skins and
provisions. A few days previous to the
| fight Dickinson had taken their team and
gone into the settlement after provisions,
| leaving the doctor to run the camp. The
doctor was asleep in his dugout on the
morning of the third day of Dickinson's
departure, when he was awakened by a
slight noise at the door. Thinking the
intruder was skunk or wolf he took up
his gun and opened the door, to be con
| fronted by man, and that man was q
Sioux brave, but at that time it was so
dark that he could distinguish little more
than the outlines. He demanded his
| business, when the brave turned and
fled; and as the doctor stepped outside
to get a shot at him he was greeted with
a volley which drove him back to the
dug, out. Barricading his door as best
he could, he awaited daylight. In the
meantime the Indians, numbering about
forty, as near as he could tell, had moved
further up the creek; but with daylight
one of them, whom Tichenor thinks was
the chief, from his dress, came to the
dug-out carrying white rag, and in
broken English demanded his surrender.
TiChenor told him there were three men
in the dug-out, well-armed and prepared
to fight, ane refused to surrender. The
chief commenced to threaten and told
the valiant doctor he would have his
scalp. This the doctor thought to be a
declaration of war, and shot the red
man in his tracks, and at the very door
of the dug-out. The entire band then
rushed in, but were driven back by
several well-directed shots. The next
maneuver by the assailants was an at
! tempt to smoke him out by burning
buffalo chips and the woodwork of the
dug-out From mis- position in the dug
out he could not see the Indian who was
experimenting the contlagration depart
ment, and, knowing that if stop was not
put to it he was a goner," he made
dash for the outside, kicked the buffalo
chips aside, and exchanged shots with
the head fireman, who was making
tracks for his comrades, killing him in
stantly, and received d bullet through
the lower part of his person. This man
fell within five feet of the dug-out door.
Then commenced a long range shooting
match, in which the doctor is confident
he killed two more and wounded one.
This was kept up during the day, but
toward night terrible snow and wind
storm came up, driving the red men to
the south and showing the brave man in.
Had it not been for this they would
eventually have got him; for his wound,
though not dangerous, incapacitated him
from fighting, He lay in bed three days
suffering severely. At the expiration of
sixteen days the weather moderated, and
he started on foot for the settlements,
reaching them in safety, and bringing
trophies of one of the most remarkable
fights on record. Though wounded but
once, the doctor received several bullets
through his clothing, and during his sub
seQuent stay picked forty bullets out of
the walls of the dug-out.-HGys City
(KdR.) Sentinel.