The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-12-05
MAssACRED IN RED CANON.
California Bill, the Sole Survivor In
Party Of Seven, Telling the story.

recent BLACK Hills letter says Our
discussion Of mining locations, prospect
ing parties aud other subjects kindred to
a mining centre has been suddenly
by the return to the frontier
of William G.. FELTON,, better known as
" California Bill" whose reputation as
a scout is widespread on the plains. His
return brings to mind the Indian mas
sacre of April 16, 1875, known as the
Red Canon massacre, from which in a
party of five men and two women, Cali
fornia Bill alone escaped. The party,
consisting of Andrew Metz and wife.
John Burgesser, of Carson, Nevada, q
Mr.. Gresham, of Missouri, Mr.. Stimp-
son, of Colorado, and q colored woman,
started from Custer City for Cheyenne
April IA, 1876. They were attacked by
Indians in Red Canon two days after
ward, and all the above were killed out
right, or received wounds that soon re-
suited in death. California Bill received
number of wounds, but escaped. These
wounds, however, have made an invalid
of him. Though as yet not really recov-
cred, he has returned to the frontier
full of fight. He has related the story
of the massacre, particulars of which
have not before been published.
"I started from Custer City on my
way out of the Hills to Cheyenne on the
morning of the 14th of April. The first
night we spent in Pleasant valley. Next
morning we moved on, reaching Big
Springs early in the afternoon of the
18th, and there going into camp. I felt
assured that the passage through the
Red Canon would be unsafe for a small
party, and concluded to await the arrival
of a larger one that was expected to
overtake us. A short time afterward,
Metz's party arrived with two two-horse
teams, having Mr.. and Mrs. Metz,
negro woman from Custer. and Mr..
Simpson as passengers. They stopped
to water the stock at the spring, and
laughed at my fear of trouble ahead,
saying that they were not afraid of In
dams. With this they went on, and at
the continued urging of my passengers,
though against my own judgment, 1
hitched up and followed. We travelled
together undisturbed in the afternoon,
and went into camp at the head of the
canon about five o'clock. Everything
went of peaceably during the night,
and early on the morning of the 18th,
Easter Sunday, we started down the
canon, seven in number. About half
way down the canon, where stands a
giant cottonwood tree, there is a line of
low hills, and close to the side
of one of them, skulking we'll down,
I discovered ten or twelve of the
painted imps, under the lead of Sioux
Jim, we'll known at the Red Cloud
agency, waiting for us. This was about
ten in the morning, and my party was
then about quarter of mile ahead of
the Metz outfit. On seeing that they
were discovered, with a terrible yell
the Indians fired at us, putting a bullet
through Burgesser's leg and one through
my hip. Seeing the attack upon us,
the Metz party turned about their
teams and endeavored to turn up the
canon. Grasping my rifle. I jumped
from the wagon, and using it as a
breastwork, returned their fire with in
terest, knocking two of the cowardly
scoundrels off their pins, and keeping
the dust in cloud around them, where
most of my hurriedly sighted shots
struck. As I began to fire, Graham
started to run, and was shot through
the stomach. He fell. After several
volleys, sending shower of bullets
over our heads and into the wagon, but
doing no further damage, the Indians
disappeared behind a neighboring hill,
and thinking they were running after
their ponies to cut us off, we mounted
the wagon and again started to run the
gauntlet. We had gained only few
rods, however, before the red fends as
suddenly appeared on an adjoining
ridge, and gave us another unexpected
volley, plugging me through the left
arm into the breast, through the feshy
part of the calf of my right leg, and
again through my shoulder. For a
moment it seemed as though was per-
fectly riddled with bullets, but leaped
to the ground just as another volley
lme, one of the bullets striking Bur-
gesser in the thigh, knocking him into
the wagon box. Keeping close to the
front wheel furthest from the Indians, ]
drove and ran alongside the wagon for
half mile down the canon, when in
crossing a small stream the axle
broke, and the wagon was left in the
mud. There we were, all severely
wounded, the Indians close upon us, and
we unable to move. There was no time
for thought, and though rapidly losing
courage and strength from many
wounds, I quickly unhitched the two
lead mules, managed to get Burgessel
on one, and while Gresham, who did not
then appear to be severely wounded,
ran on down the canon, 1 mounted the
other and sent them forward as fast as
possible. After riding about mile
and half we met party of six en- route
to Custer, and they took us to the
Cheyenne river stage station, where
Burgesser and Gresham died on the fol
lowing morning.
"The mutilated bodies of Metz anG
his wife and Simpson and the coloreG
woman were found the next day. Metz
and Simpson had evidently been sho
out OF the wagon. Mrs. Metz and th'
colored woman must have jumped from
the wagon, tried to escape, and beer
murdered some distance from where th'
bodies of the two men were lying. Th'
bodies were brought into camp, and al
buried side by side. and on the evening
of the 18th of April found myself th'
sole survivor of this ill-fated party.
"After lying, more dead than alive
for eight weeks at Cheyenne River" con
tinued the scout, "a few soldiers O
Capt. Esgan's company took me to For
Laramie hospital. Four months after
ward 1 was sufficiently recovered t.
return to my home in Colorado; bu
two years have passed, and the woun'
in my hips is not fully healed. In
back again in the Hills" he concluded
with much emphasis, "and though
little the worse for wear, am ready a