The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-18
THE BATTLE ON SNAKE CREEK.
A Graphic Description Of Gen. Miles
Last Fight.

details of the fighting before and at the
capture of the Nez Perces by Gen.
Miles and his command;
The Indians were found OH the
morning Of September Both. The
general urged everything forward. The
cavalry, his own infantry mounted on
Indian ponies, the pack train and all
moved briskly on. The herd of Indian
horses, guarded by the boys of the
tribe, came first in view. A single
dash of the Second cavalry secured 200
ponies, almost before the warriors con-
cealed beyond the herders knew of the
proximity of the troops. The Indian
boys broke away with the rest of the
horses in a wild gallop to the right.
They were followed by all three COM
panies of the Second cavalry, which
we're ordered by General Miles not
only to capture as many animals as
possible, but to work around to the rear
of Joseph's encampnent. Then Miles
trotted to the head of the Seventh
cavalry,
AND ORDERED THE CHARGE.
The three companies of the Seventh
were commanded by Major Hale, one
of Clusters trusted lieutenants, by
Captain Godfrey and by Captain
Moylan. Hale's first lieutenant was
young Biddle, and Godfrey's first
lieutenant was Eckerson. When Miles
gave the order to charge three COM
panies were mounted and rushed for
ward with Il glorious shout. Their
way seemed clear, but suddenly their
horses halted in the midst of a gallop
at the edge of a steep bank overlooking
a ravine at the bottom of which stood
the lodges of the Nez Perces.
The officers Of the three companies
called to their men to dismount. They
flung brides and lariats to the wind,
and, plucking their rifles from their
saddle-pommels, discharged them at
the lodges below. Their volley was
met by a fierce return. Major Hale's
voice then sounded "Charge boys!'
The major at the same instant received
his first wound, but. like the others,
he
LEAPED OVER THE EDGE or THE EN-
BANKMENT,
down among the tepees. As he alight-
ed on his feet, a bullet pierced him
MORALLY i'm the heart. He stopped,
staggered, and raising his right hand to
his head, again shouted feebly, "Charge
theml" He fell forward upon his face
dead. His lieutenant, Diddle, mortally
hurt at the same moment, reeled back
ward and fell across his body. Thus
these two heroes persisted in themidst
Of Z wild outcries from their COM
rades, who were firing into and sacking
the Nez Perces' lodges. For a few
minutes there was a wild exhibition of
mingled %hardihoodl and ~covetousness.
Lieutenant Eckerson, raising himself
from the gully after his leap, called out
to his men, Fire wherever you see Il
head!" Meanwhile the bullets were
singing, and Captain Godfrey and
Captain Moylan were wounded. The
firing from the Indians on their first
recovery after the retreat is described
rs terrific. General Miles speaks of it as
the most desperate discharge of
magazine guns he had ever heard. The
men of the Seventh were cut down like
straws. Many of them fell far beyond
the lodges, and were left dying and
wounded when their comrades were
forced to fall back. So critical, during
a few moments, was the position Of the
three companies of the Seventh, that
they were probably only saved from
wholesale slaughter by the detachment
Of the Fifth infantry. Their comman-
der brought his men up to the verge of
the bank OF their ponies, dismounted
them in line and ordered a most
effective volly from their piros ut the
Indians, just before they leaped with Il
swelling cry into the bottom. Then
coolly releoding their rifles, they re-
ceived
YoLLEY FROM IL Me- PERCES.
Their commander yelled to the
cavalry to come back, and in the next
instant his men gave the Indians a
salute which caused them to retreat
precipitately to their holes. General
Miles was everywhere encouraging his
men. A scout says of him:-''It was a
complete wonder that the old man did
not go under in that first hour. He was
the damnedest devil 1 ever saw at the
head of such a column on the field in
an Indian scrimmage. He was every
where, and every one of the boys
seemed to know him; and when they
heard him call out they jumped, you
bet" The troops did jump so freely.
INTO THE BLOODY BREACH
that more than fifty officers and men
were killed and disabled in the assault.
The Indians, fighting thereafter from
entertainments, fired more warily, for
General Miles, having killed nearly
thirty and discovered their position,
made an immediate surround of their