Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-10-24
THE INDIAN WAR.

selves. lnclr lntrenchmcntS incluael
not onl " rifle pit for each warrior
but deep burrows for their squaws an,
. children.
On the night of September 30 th,
band Of Nez Perces had ensconced il
. sell IN ravine extending down &
Snake Creek, about fourteen mile
, from its mouth, which empties int
- Milk river This position IS among
the foot hills of the Bear Paw Noun
: tains, a cluster of heights insulated
ly from the main range, but commanding
m q distant view in all directions and
#. forming an almost impregnabe citadel
N The region round about the Indian
f. camp is woodless and desolate at all
10 times, and at this season of the yeai
exceedingly dreary. The Bear Paw
,e peaks aboveit are crowned with snow
Il the lower ridges are not clothed with
0. q single tree; few scanty rose bush
v es decorate the edge of the swarthy
' gullies and fringe the immediate banks
!. of the creeks and theirtributary brooks.
Y Therefore the region, through broken,
n is open in q military sense, and tho
: hiding places OF the Nez Perces were
, merely artificial. The grass itself had
h been turned to chocolate color by the
r autumn winds, and across the brown
slopes and rolling hills the toes OF the
y moccasins and the copper-colored
4 knuclxles OF the savages could be dis
/ tinguished wherever exposed.
In this place early on the morning
D of the Both Miles attacked them. A
| single dash of the Second cavalry Sc.
cured 200 ponies, almost before the
warriors, concealed beyond the herd
ers, knew Of the proximity of the
, troops. The Indian boys in charge of
the herd broke away with the rest OF
the horses in a wild gallop TO the right
They were followed by all the three
companies ofthe Second cavalry, which
were ordered by General Miles not on
ly to capture as many animals as pos.
sible, but to work around to the rear
Of Jeseph's encampment.
Then the general directed the open
ing charge upon the Indians them
selves. Mounted on his horse, which
he rode from first to last Of the battle,
he guided the engagement. He looked
the leader that he was--rough, tough
and ready. Weighing nearly two hun
dred pounds, he sat on his charger like
centaur, bis brown mustache and
side-wiskers, slightly mixed with grey,
adorned features that are heavy but
/ pleasing, and were overshadowed by
a broad -brimmed slouched drab hat.
A wide blue ribbon encircled its crown,
with blue streamer behind. He wore
a red blanket, frontier shirt and
black hectic, its ends floating over his
shoulders outside the shirt buck
skin coat, short at the hips and care
lessly buttoned the light blue trousers
of a private soldier, with black stripes
down the seams and coarse boots com
pleted his attire. This bronzed gener-
al of the frontier trotted forward to the
head Of the Seventh cavalry troop at
nine o'clock, and shouted, Charge
them damn them The three com.
panies OF the Seventh were command
cd by Brevet Major Hale, one of Gus.
ter's trusted leutenants; by Captain
Godfrey and by Captain Moylan.
Hales first lieutenant was young Bid
die; Godirey's first lieutenant was
Eckerson. At the time when Miles
gave the order to charge these COM
panles were mounted, and they rush.
cd forward with GLORIOUS shout.
Their way seemed clear, but sudden
ly their horses halted in the midst of
gallop. At the edge ola steep bank
overlooking the ravine, at the bottom
of which stood the lodges of the Nez
Pcrces, the officers of the three com
panies called to their men to dismount.
They flung their brides and lariats to
the winds, and plucking their rifles
from their saddle pommels discharged
them at the lodges below. Their vol.
ley was met by fierce return. Major
Hale's voice then shouted, "Charge,
boysl The major at the same in.
slant received his first wound, but like
the others he leaped over the edge of
the embankment down among the te.
PEGS As he alighted on his feet
bullet pierced him mortally in the
throat He stopped, staggered and
raising his right hand to his head, again
shouted fecbly, "Charge theml He
fell forward upon his face, dead.
His lieutenant, Biddle, mortally hurt
at almost the same moment reeled
backward and fell across his body.
Thus these two heroes perished in the
midst of wild outcries from their COM
rades, who were firing into and sack
ing the Nez Perces lodges.
For few minutes there was wild
exhibition Of mingled hardihood and
GOODNESS. Lieutenant Eckerson, rails
ing himself from the gully after his
leap, called out to his men. /" Fire
wherever You see head Then
filling his pipe with tobacco he said
aside "This is a damned fine camp,
where You cannot find fire TO get
light to smoke by Meantime the
bullets were singing and Captain God
irey and Captain Moylan, afiectonate-
y known as Mickey" Moylan, were
The firing from the Indi-
ms on their tirst recovery after there
.reat is described as terrific. General
Miles speaks of IT as the most desper-
lte discharge OF magazine guns he had
'yer heard.
The Seventh cavalry were cut down
ike straws and only saved from utter
humiliation By detachment from the
tlith infantry. During this contest
fpnpral Miles cputinunllV ridinO IN