The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-22
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-fve
miles west Of Nest post Office, 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 poisoning
wolves, and had built a 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 ofthe third day of Dickinson's
departure, when he was awakened by
slight noise at the door. Thinking the
intruder was a skunk or wolf, he took
his gun and opened the door, to be con-
fronted by man, and that man was
Sioux brave, but at that time it was 80
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
shot at him he was greeted with volley
which drove him back to the dugout.
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 dugout carry
ing white rag and in broken English
demanded his surrender. Tichenor told
him there were three men in the dugout
well armed and prepared to fight, and re
fused to surrender. The chief commenc-
ed to threaten and told the valiant doctor
he wonld have his scalp. This the doc
tor thought to be declaration of war,
and shot the red man dead in his tracks,
and at The very door of the dugout. The
entire band then rushed in, but were
driven back by several well directed
shots. The next maneuver by the as
sailants was an attempt to smoke him out
by burning buffalo chips and the wood
work of the dugout. From his position
in the dugout he could not see the Indian
who was experimenting the confagration
department, and knowing that if a stop
was not put to it he was "a goner" he
made dash for the outside, kicked the
buffalo chips, and exchanged shots with
the head fireman, who was making tracks
for his comrades, killing him instantly,
and received bullet through the lower
part of his person. The man fell within
| five feet of the dugout door. Then COM
menced 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
fall 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 dan
gerous, incapacitated him from fighting.
He lay in bed three days suffering severe
ly. At the expiration ofsixteen 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 re-
ceived several bullets through his cloth
ing, and during his subsequent stay
picked forty bullets out of the walls of
the dugout