Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-23
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
A white Man, RingIe.Handed, Re
pulses the Attack of a Large
Hand OF BfOux,

pulses the Attack of a Large
hand OF siOux.
Hayes City sentinel.l
By Mr.. Henry Tllley, of Ness
county, we learn the particulars Of
an Indian fight which occurred
about four weeks ago, in what is
known as the Cone, :" at The mouth
of Sand Greek, about sixty-fve
miles west of Ness postohice, in
which DR.. Tichenor killed four
Sioux Indians, and was himself
wounded. The doctor aud 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 previ-
ousto the fight Dickinson had taken
their team and gone into the settle
ment after provisions, leaving the
doctor to run the camp. The doc
tor was asleep in his dug.out on
the morning Of the third uay of
Dickinson'S departure, when he
was awakened by a slight noise at
the door. Thinking the intruder
was a skunk or a wolf, he took up
his gun and opened the door, to be
confronted by man, and that
man was a Sioux brave, but at that
time it was SO dark that he could
distinguish little more than the
outlines. He demanded his bust
ness, when the brave turned and
fled; and as the doctor stepped out
side to get a shot at him he was
greeted with a volley which drove
him back into the dug-out. Barri-
cading his door as best he could, he
awaited daylight. In the mean
time 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 dug.out carrying a white
rag, and in broken English de-
manded his surrender. Tichenor
told him there were three men in
the dug-ont, well armed and pre-
pared to fight, and refused to sur
render. The chief commenced to
threaten, and told the valiant doc
tor he would have his scalp This
the doctor thought to be a deolara-
ton of war, and shot the red man
dead in his tracks, and at the very
door of the dug-out. The entire
band then rushed in, but were
driven back by several well-directed
shots. The next maneuver by the
assailants was an attempt to smoke
him out by burning buffalo chips
and the woodwork of the dug-ogt.
From his position in the dug-out
he could not see the Indian who
was experimenting the conaagpa-
ton department., and knowing that
il a stop was not put to it he was
"a goner," he made q dash for the
outside, kicked the buffalo chips
aside, and exchanged shots with
the head fireman, who was making
tracks for his comrades, killing him
instantly, and received q bullet
through the lower part of his per-
son. This man fell within FIVE
feet of his dug-out door. Then
commenced a long.range shooting
match, In which the doctor is con
Gdent he killed two more and
wounded one. This was kept up
during thl day, but toward night
fall terrible snow and Wind storm
came up, driving the red men to
the south and showing the brave
man ip. Had It pot been for this
they would evidently have got him,
for his wound, though not danger
Gus, incapacitated him for fighting.
He lay in bed three days, suffering
seyerely. At the end Of sixteen
days ths weather moderated, and
he started on fpat fer the settle
ments, reaching them in safety,
and bringing trophies Of one Of the
most remarkable fights on record.
Though wounded but once, the doc
tor received several bullets through
his clothing, and during his su5se-
quent stay picked forty bullets ont
of the walls of the dug-out,