The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-01-03
AN INDIAN FIGHT.

AN INDIAN FIGHT.
Details Of tho Fierce Cavalry Fight in Dull
Kpife's Villaae.-Two Hundred Tepees Do.
stroyed.-An Indian Fastness In q Deep
Rnvlne Carried by Assault. .-
The following account is given by a
Herald correspondent of the fight be-
tween two battalions Of United States
cavalry, OF the Powder river expedition,
with about 800 of the enlisted Indians,
under General Mackenzie, and hostile
Cheyenne band, whose village was at
tackled by him at daybreak in a canyon
in the Big Horn mountains.
When the expedition left Old Fort
Reno the intention was to strike Crazy
Horses village, then understood to be
located on the Rosebud river, near the
battlefield of June II. The morning
after arriving at Crazy Woman's Fork,
Sitting Bear, o messenger sent out by
General Mackenzie, just before he left
Red Cloud to warn the Indian bands
then ont that they must come into their
agencies or fight, arrived in our COM
pany with a white flag, and told us that
a band of Cheyennes, in five lodges.
camped in canyon near our route to
Crazy Woman, having heard Of our ap.
proach, had left for Crazy Horses vii
lage. Then General Crook determined
to send the two battalions of cavalry
with his command and tho Indian scouts
to look for Cheyenne village which he
had heard was located in the Big Horn
mountains, southwest Of our camp. He
first sent out fourteen Pawnee and Sho-
shone scouts to locate the Indian camp.
During Thursday and until noon Of Fri
day we travelled along the base of the
mountains, having made, up to that
time, about thirty miles. Meanwhile
some Sioux and Arapahoe scouts who had
been sent ahead on Thursday night re-
turned and said they had found the
camp.
Instantly night march was ordered,
and after three hours rest we started
for the camp. Our Indians said we
could reach the camp by midnight, but
we found the trail so difficult to follow
on account OF the broken nature OF the
ground, that it took us until daylight to
reach the mouth of the Canen, where
the village stood. .s..
This canyon is about four miles long,
and varies in width from quarter OF a
mile to a mile from base to base OF its
walls, and twice those distances from
crest to crest. It is cut up and inter-
sected throughout by scores of ravines,
from five to fifty feet deep. The direo.
ton of the main canyon is about east
and west, and the North Fork Of the
Powder river winds through it along
the south side. Its western end termi-
mates in an irregular range Of flat hills,
and there are rocky and brushy patches
on the sides of the canyon, and bluffs
rising abruptly from the bottom, at sew.
eral points within short distances Of the
Indian camp. Our information OF the
strength of the Indians and the exact
location of their tepees was very meager.
Our scouts knew where the village
was, and had seen dozen or more
lodges and great many ponies, and
that was all they knew. A runner, sent
ahead just as we entered the canyon,
came back to say that the bucks were
dancing the war dance in four places.
It now seemed impossible to enter the
village without alarming the inmates.
all our Indian allies, under Lieut.. W.
P. Clark, Second cavalry, were sent to
the front es speedily as possible. '..
The column was closed up after cross
ing three or four deep ravines dis
mantled, and the order was given to
charge, about two miles inside Of tho
mouth OF the canyon. The head OF the
column proper was now within a mile
of the village, with our Indians ranged
irregularly ahead and on both f1anks.
Although we gave our horses rein and
spur, our progress was comparatively
slow in consequence OF the rouehness OF
the country through which we were
moving.
We had not gone far when our In
dians commenced bowling and blowing
on hideous voiced wind instruments, and
the indians in the village, some OF whom
we're still awake and at their war dance,
sounded the alarm on drum, and COM
menced shooting at the advancing
column. The Shoshones, led by Lieu
tenant Schuyler, aide-de.camp to Gen
eral Crook, clambered up the hills on
the south side OF the canyon, and gal
loped along through brisk fire to the
highest point Of the bluff opposite and
overlooking the village. Here they i'm
mediately intrenched themselves, and
remained throughout the day and all
night. The Pawnees, Arapahoes and
Sioux went through the center OF the
canyon, and swept the village and cap
tured two or three herds OF ponies.
Sudden as was the attack, the "hos-
tiles 3" continued to dash into the ravlnes
and creep behind the convenient bluffs,
rocks and bushes, where they fortified
themselves to await until the soldiers
rushed in. Day had not broken sufii-
GENTLY to fully discover their movements
to US, but the bulk OF our advancing
column gave them an excellent chance
to fire at us with telling effect.
It was then that Lieutenant Mckin-
ney, commanding Company N of the
Fourth cavalry, the last company OF the
first battalion, fell, shot in the head and
body by volley, behind a ridge, where
he had been ordered to place his COM
pany. When falling he cried to his
men +: 'sGet back from this place, you
are ambushed," and then exclaimed
lust after: "Ohl my poor mother |
Tell her Tell her!'
His men fled from the fatal spot, but
Immediately rushed back again and
swept the savages from the ravine, kill
ing about dozen of them and holding
the position which they had been Or
dered to take.
Nearly all of our men who were killed
outright fell in their first dash or from
reckless exposure afterward.
Several Of the soldiers were wounded
during the fight by bullets from hostiles
posted at distance beyond the reach
of their carbine balls, most Of the In.
dians having the long range infantry
gun.
A belching fire was kept up by the
soldiers for some hours, while the hog
tiles fred with extreme caution. They
had crawled into the many caves in the