The New York herald., 1877-10-11


tain Moylan, arectionatey known as mickey"
Moylan, were wounded. The firing from the Ind
ans their nrst recovery after the retreat is de-
scribed as terrific. General Miles speaks OF 1t as
the most desperate discharge OF magazine guns he
lrad ever heard.
GALLANTRy OF THE FIFTH INFANTRY.
The men OF the Seventh were cut down Ike
straws Many OF them fell far beyond the lodges
and were left dying and wounded when their COM
rades were forced to fall back. SO critical during
few moments was tho position OF the three CON-
panies OF the Seventh that they we're probably only
saved from wholesale slaughter by detachment OF
the Fifth infantry, whose commanders name
neither Of the scouts who bring these tidIngs recalls
verge OF the bank on their ponies, to have
dismounted them III line and to have ordered
most effective volley from all their pieces at the
Indians, Just before they leaped, with swelling
rincs, they received volley from the Nez Perces.
Their commander yelled to the cavalry to come
back and in the next instant his men gave the In
dians a salute which caused them to retreat pre-.
cipitately to their holes
GENERAL NILES BRAVERY.
During this contest General Miles, continually
riding to and fro, gave orders to nearly everybody
lie exposed himself at all points to the cavalry
which assaulted and to the infantry which sup
ported lie was q constant mcntor--a mentor OF
a peculiar kind. These are few samples OF
his orders, as quoted by the scouts, and /
beg pardon Of tho General II they underrate
his faculty OF command, 100 for them boys |,
There, light on those sons Of b-sm ~ .IIolo!
are youht Take care OF them - There, boys,
look out Tor that damned crowdn "Firc into
them ~ &C., &c ''lt was complete WONDER"
says one OF the scouts "now, that the old man did
not go under In that first hour lie was the
damncdest devil ever saw At the head OF such
column on the neld In an Indian scrimmage he
was everywhere. and every ono Of the boys seemed
to know him. and when they heard him call out
they jumped, you bet" This description by the
scout was doubtless pretty accurate. The troops
did Jump so nercely into the bloody breach that
moro than ifty officers and men we're killed and
disabled In the ASSAULT. The Indians nghting there
after from their entrenchmcnts nrcd warily at
their foes, for General Miles having killed nearly
thirty Of them and discovered their position made
an immediate surround Of their encampment He
posted his companies OF infantry and cavalry so as
to command them on all sides and compel them to
stick TO their burrows. The squaws and children
were secluded In the deepest PITS out OF sight and
range OF the soldiers.
A TEMPORARY TRUCE.
General Miles withdrew his wagon train some
eight hundred yards to the rear and there parked
1t before nightall, although 1t was not outside OF
range 0. the Ncz Perces rines. Their rifles did
not prevent the teamsters from sleeping nor did
the soldiers after nghtfa resist the temptings or
sleep Fatigue brought temporary truce between
the men aud the savages, but General Miles oc.
cupied himself until nearly one O'Clock In the
morning In placing two cannon In position to open
nre on the Indian camp at daybreak. One was
twcive-pound Napoleon the other breech-loading
steel piece, purchased by the Ordnance Department
and sent ont for trial In Indian warfare
The night Of tho aoth, intensely cold was hard for
the soldiers to bear and must have been bitter to
Of the Indians who stayed in their holes with
out blankets.
HERoisx OF THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS.
The heroism OF the soldiers and the magnanlmity
OF savages were never more conspicuously dis.
pIa ved than durinv That terrlo p,obt of s,oot ~
snow There had been great disparity Of casual.
ties, the troops suffering most. Many OF the
wounded soldiers lay out during the whole night in
the bottom Of the creek. There were men who
were shot through the legs and wounded in the
body. One man. pierced through both hips and
having leg broken, endured his pain for an
hour or two in silence, then calling out
through the frosty night he said, "If some
them dead Eorses III be damned II l won't freeze
to DEATH" Several wounded soldiers were In doubt
In the hours OF that night whether they would be
allowed by the savagcs to live through lt or not.
that they would be scalped and mutilated was
alarming as they lay there prostrated by wounds,
with the snow and the blast overcoming them.
They dreaded, with terror which can hardly be
conceived by people who dwell in Eastern cities
the approach OF their enemies. whom they had
hunted far and whom they supposed to be
absolutely uerci,css. .--,.. a-,-.
UNEXPECTED MAGSANIxrY or THE ME- PERcEs.
When the Indians arose from their burrows and
approached them in the da rkness a sergeant, who
was shot through the thigh, drew from his holster
a revolver. The Indian who bent over him called
out, "Me no XIII YOU You can't Kill us. Me no
want to Kill man who can't shoot. Plenty man
can shoot No use you try shoot al me-" The SER
gcant, like the other wounded men that night, had
to endure nothing worse than robbery. The Nez
Pcrccs rned his pockets OF money, took his watch,
his pistol and his belt with cartridges and left him
where he lay. SO great was the pride OF this man