Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-08-30
THE BATTLE OF CANVAS MEADOWS

We cordcnsc the following account Of ~.
last engagement with the hosliles from n.
Madisouian:
The Madison county volunteers. 10 il
number. composed principally of citizens ,f
Virginia City and II few from Sheridan
Joined Towards command at WiIliom..
junction, on the 18th, and Travelled nporit
for two days, cncampihg with Them on thp
10Th, OH Canas Meadows. Gen. %Ilowarr<
forces occupying Il strong natural t,rtitira.
ton of lava. and the citizens taking pos
ton in a bend of Canla> creek and within
one hundred feet of IIoward'S elcainDnpu,
The night was moonlit but cloudy, with
occasional showers. until about two lours
before daylight, when the moon Went down
and intense darkness prevailed. The cj,i-
zen camp was made in a large meadow. ami
the greater portion Of the mules composing
General Towards transportation train were
turned in there to Craze. Gen. Howard
| placed Il line of pickets outside of the cld.
along the northwest and west Sides Of lhc
meadow, and the precautions taken were
such as to inspire the volunteers witt! lie
utmost confidence III the strength, and e.
ticiency of the guard, and cause a rtlaxa-
ton of their usual vigilance.
But the best laid plans o mice @ni men
gang aft aglee," and the wiscst calculations
! often 90 amiss. and it MAS destined 10 be 50
in this instance. About half an hour efOrp
daylight the slunbcrs of tile men We're bro
ken by three or four shots fired in rapidsuc.
c%ession, and Immediately followed by y
steady fire upon the citizens camp. which
was kept up with remarkable rapidly for
the space OF five or six minutes. and az
%compallied by the most trighttnl yelling
and shouting conceivable. While above the
din and nproar of the yelling and irins
could be distinctly heard the s~trltoiiall
voice OF Looking Glass as he issued conl-
mand$ and directed the movements of the
raiding party. Fortunately for The citizens
the camp was pitched OH low ground. and
the Indians oversnot them. and although
the bullets flew like hail around them. 10
damage was done by the fire beyond lne
killing or horse and slight abrassions III
t1icted upon W OF the party by spent balls.
The Indians gathered up stock from I'LL
parts OF both camps, and posted q llhe"
about twenty-five men in front OF the cai-
zens' camp, within fifty yards OF the Was-
olis. and kept up their terrific fire ~ '"s'
distance, While the remainderof the raldefs'
who had probably been engaged during ''
two hours of darkness which precedeo 'Hs
dawn in collecting together the horses '"'
mules of the commands, were driving -
animals across the creek and into the ope'
country beyond.
The surprise was sudden ana comp'"'
Every surrounding was favorable iol -
success Of the raid-tlle cloudy, rainy hs"'
the feeling OF security in the camp, 1nc Nv.
ut which the attack was made. Wlen -
men were sleeping the soundesl' a'''
large, open meadows in which tie iAu"
could operate in the darkness Mi'''' .,.,
tracing the attention OF the peAeE 90.
though only Il few yards distali'--' - j..
spirel to make it al easy matter -.
savages to successfully carry oa1 '".H ,n,a
dacious plans, and throw CONFUSION !,
their enemy's lines. The firing vas s ~
ed so rapidly. from so many dlflerei'. fl,
at once, and at such close range, s,a,,,.
idea which came uppermost III ny heru
sion was that II concerted attack i'u a.ls
made upon the camp, a genera san twy
t. the willows ensn d. and IN l'sS ''''
I [sse seventh pagsl