Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-10-11
THE INDIAN FEGH'r.
A Detailed Description of the battle
ma which Thornburgh was killed.

been received from Major ellis at /
Rawlins:
RAwLINs, October ga mail /
carrier from Snake river is Just in. |
He reports that Merritt reached
Payne;s command ON Monday after |
noon, after a severe fight, killing 81
Indians. He found them all right.
The colored cavalry company Joined
Payne last Friday night, losing all
their horses in doing 50. The mail
carrier knows nothing about the
condition OF the officers and men.
A company of the Fourteenth regi-
ment were at least twei1ty-four
hours behind Merritt's command.
SECOND DISPATCH.
CHEYENNE, October S.-A courier
from the front brings the following
from an officer in Payne's coni-
mand:
BATTLEFIELD, MILK RIVER,
Col, October 3, 6 r. MA courier
will leave some time tonight With
dispatches ii possible. The Indians
effective fire from commanding
bluffs at a distance of 800 or GOO
yards, having a cross-tire upon our
position, which position WAS chosen
hastily on the first day of the fight.
All of our horses and all but twelve
mules have been killed. We shell
tered them as best we could with
wagons, but to no purpose. Captain
Dodge and Lieut.. Hughes, with
/ Company ID, Ninth Cavalry, came
to our rescue yesterday morning at
daybfeak, after forced nights
| march Of 35 miles from Bear river.
Cheer upon cheer rent the air from
our trenches when it was ascertained
who were coming. a iull i'm the
firing enabled them to come in and
shelter their horses as we'll as posi-
bic, after which they took TO the
Notifications quickly, and the at
tack reduuhled in its fury.
Had the heights been accessible,
Captain Dodge would have charged
them with his company while we
covered him from our rifle-pits; but
this being utterly impossible, the
ascent being nearly perpendicular,
all we could do during the day was
to keep a good lookout from the
loop-hOles and return the fire when
any Indian showed his head. This,
however, Was a very rare occur
renee, as the
INDIANS HAVE RIFLE-PITS
and loop-holes. Before dark every
horse but three of Captain Dodge's
command was shot down. a very
fortunate thing for us has been that
the Indians have left us unmOlested
at night with the exception of an
occasional shot to make us scatter
to our pits.
We have been able at great risk
to haul off our dead animals every
night, otherwise the stencil would
be intolerable A sally is made
every night for water a distance Of
200 yards from our Entertainments.
Night before last Private Erser, Of
Company +, Was shot in the face
while out with It patty after water.
The Indians W,'rr only il few yards
away, ana Wtir t.rlvtn oil i'Y a
Voll,'y from tn, guard and trenches.
CAPTAIN DODGE
brought Us the cheering news that
our dispatches reached Bear river
safely and would undoubtedly reach
RaWlins.
Ne have been counting the hours
which it will probably take for
relief to reach us. We all agree
that Gen. Merritt, from Fort Rus
sell, with the companies of the
Fifth cavalry there, and all other
available troops, will be ordered 10
our rescue, as they will all be needed
to finish the campaign.
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
, was admirably chosen for defense
by the Indians, and had it not been
for Major ThOrnburgh's advance
guard, commanded by Lieutenant
Cherry, discovering the anlbuScade,
the entire command would have
/ been annihilated. He saw a small
) hill half mile in front. He at
once divided his party to reconoiter,
and only discovered them when he
had thanked their position by about
200 yards. Cherry rode back at full
speed with two or three men who
were with him, and notified Major
: Thornburgh, who had already be-
gun the descent into the deep ravine
which was intended to engulf the
command. The Indians were dis
: mounted and lying down along the
? crest of the high, steep ridge, not a
f hundred yards from the point where
the deadly assault would have COM
, menced. The troops were with
drawn apart a distance, dismounted
: and deplOyed in line of battle, with
> orders to await the attack of the
j, Indians, but Cherry was here or
dered by ThOrnburgh to take de-
tachment of fifteen picked men and
5 make a reconnaissance and commu-
! nicate if possible with the Indians,
! as it was thought that they only
desired to oppose his approach to
their agency, and would parley OF
have big talk if they could be
f communicated with.
Cherry moved out at a gallOI
, with his men from the right flank
l and noticed a like movement Of
l about 20 Indians from the left Oi
g the Indian position. He approached
within a couple hundred yards o.
the Indians, took off his hat and
waved it, but the response was
A SHOT FIRED AT HIM,
wounding man of his party and
5 killing his horse. This was the
. first short, and was instantly fol
lowed by a volley from the Indians
! | Inc WORK Ilitu now b6SuH III earn
4 est, and seeing the advantage of the
g position he held, Cherry dismounted
f his detachment and deplOyed along
+ the crest of the hill to prevent the
Indians thanking his position or tC
> cover the retreat if found necessary
| to retire upon
| THE WAGON TRAIN,
| which was then coming up slowly
: guarded by Lieut.. Paddock, Com
: pany d, Fifth Cavalry.
Orders were sent to park the
l wagons and cover them with the
1 company guarding them. The two
o companies in advance were Captain
Payne's, Company f, Fifth Cavalry
!, and Captain Lawson's, Company
f, Third Cavalry, which were dis
l mounted and deployed as skirmish.
\ ers, Captain Payne on the left and
, Captain Lawson on the right.
FROM CHERRY'S POSITION
he could see that the Indians were
trying to cut him off from the Wag'
ons, and at once sent word to Major
r Thornburgh, who then withdrew
y the line slowly, keeping the Indians
!, J in check until opposite the point
which his men had taken, when