The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-12-19

tealns, naVlng Mr. ana MIS-. Metz, ne
gro woalan from Custer, and Mr..
Simpson as passengers. They stop
ped TO water the stock at the sprin q,
and laughed at my fear of trouble ahead,
saying that they were
NOT AFRAID ON INDIANS.
With this they passed on, and at the
continued urging of my passengers,
though against my own Judgment, |
hitched up and followed. We Travelled
together undisturbed in the afternoon,
and went into camp at the head of the
canyon about 5 o'clock. Every thing
went off peaceably during that night,
and early on the morning of the 10th,
Easter Sunday,we started down the can
yon, seven in number. About half way
down the canyon, where stands giant
cottonwood tree, there is a line of low
hills, and close to the side of one of
them, skulking well down, l dis
covered ten or twelve of the painted
devils, under the lead of Sioux
Jim, well known at the Red Cloud
Agency, waiting for us. This was
about 10 in the morning, and my party
was then about quarter of a mile
ahead of the Metz outfit On seeing
that they were discovered, with a ter
rible yell the Indians fired at us, putting
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 escape
up the canyon. Grasping my rifle, l
jumped from the wagon, and using it as
breastwork, returned their fire with
interest, knocking two of the cowardly
scoundrels off their pins, ard keeping
the dust in cloud around them, where
most Of my hurriedly sighted shots
struck. AS / began to fire, Ora
ham started to run, and was shot
through the stomach. He fell After
several volleys, sending a shower of
bullets over our heads and into the wag-
on, but doing no further damage, the
Indians disappeared behind n neighbor-
ing hill, and thinking they were run
ming 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 fiends as suddenly appeared on an
adjoining ridge, and gave US another
unexpected volley, plugging me
through the left arm into the breast,
through the fieshy part of the calf of my
right leg, and again through my shoul-
der. For moment it seemed as though
| was perfectly
RIDDLED WITH BULLETS,
but l leaped to the ground just as an
other volley came, one of the bullets
striking Burgesser in the thigh, knock
ing 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
canyon, when in crossing small stream
the axle broke, and the wagon was left
in the mud. There we were, all severe
ly wounded, the Ineians close upon us,
and we unable to move. There was no
time for thought, and though rapidly
losing courage and strength from many
wounds, l quickly unhitched the two
lead mules, managed to get Burgesser
on one, and while Gresham, who did
not then appear to be severely wound
ed, ran on down the canyon, 1 mount
ed 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 Grasram died on the fol-
lowing morning.
"The mutilated bodies of Metz and
his wife and Simpson and the negro
woman were found the next day. Metz
and Simpson had evidently been shot
out of the wagon. Mrs. Metz and the
negro woman must have jumped from
the wagon, tried to escape, and been
overtaken and murdered some distance
from where the bodies of the men were
found lying. The bodies were brought
into camp, and all buried side by side,
and on the evening of the 18th of April
found myself the sole survivor of this
Inflated party.
CATER lying, more dead than alive,
for eight weeks at Cheyenne River"
continued the scout, '' a few soldiers of
Capt. Eagan's company took me to
Fort Laramie hospital. Four months
afterward I was sufficiently recovered
to return to my home ia Colorado; but
two years have passed and the wound
in my hips is not fully healed. Pm
back again in the Hills,'' he concluded,
with much emphasis, "and though lit
tie the worse for wear, am ready at any
moment to mount the saddle, throw the
cartridges into my pet rifle here, and
give the red devils another chance to
get the scalp of California Bill"