The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-06

rifles, Girard and about dozen of the
men started out to meet them. When
mile away from the fort and 600 or 700
yards from the Indians, they were fired
upon, and for the first time became
aware of the hostile intentions of the
approaching savages. Girard's men
had passed the deserted village, which
was composed of dirt tepees. They
noticed that Indians were going into the
tepees with the intention of cut
ting them off from the fort.
Girard halooed to the men to
RUN FOR THE FORT,
and they started back, 70 to 80 Indians
firing on them as they passed. They
had barely time to get inside and close
the gates of the fort, when the whole
body of the Indians were in the village,
which was within 80 yards of the stock
ade. The battle ragged from 9 a. m. to
3 O'Clock in the afternoon. About rs
tons of hay were set fire to, as we'll as a
large number of the dirt tepees in the
immediate vicinity of the fort. Under
cover of the smoke number of the
Sioux came up to the block-house with
fire-brands, which they thrust through
the portfolios and endeavored to set
fire to it by shaking the sparks on the
floor. At times the smoke was so dense
that Girard and hi, men were compelled
to fall on the floor to get a breath of
air. They managed to keep the saw
ages at bay, until the friendly Indians,
40 miles away attracted by the column of
smoke, moved forward to their assist
ance and scared off the Sioux. About
so of the enemy were killed during the
fight, but Girard's small force were un-
injured with the exception of one man
who received scratch on the nose
from flying splinter. Next day the
friendly Indians returned to their win
ter quarters, and every one of the en-
ployees deserted Girard, being afraid
that the Sioux would return and be a
little more successful in their second at
tempt to capture the fort. Girard
stayed in the fort
ALONE FOR TEN DAYS.
Scarcely a day passed by without seeing
some hostile Indians on the outside.
Every night he went to the block-house
and mounted two dummies, placing old
United States muskets alongside of
them. One morning On taking them
down he found two arrows sticking in
the breast of one of the dummies. Each
morning after lighting the fires he
would go on the block house in differ
ent dresses-sometimes rugged as
white man and then as an Indian, using
different colored blankets. Altogether
he assumed 20 different characters, and
probably succeeded in convincing the
redkins that there were 20 or 80 men in
side thefort who were prepared to de-
fend it to the death. Girard had deter
mined to sell his life dearly in case he
was attacked. He had arranged 25
kegs of gun-powder in a circle, knock
ed in. the head of one, and piled all the
merchandise on the top of the powder.
1t was his intention to wait until a good
ly number of Sioux were inside and then
send them simultaneously to kingdom
come" There was, however, no need
for the extreme measure. The friendly
Indians learned that he was alone at the
fort, and on the tenth day 40 of them
came and took up their quarters with
him and remained until the spring. His
employees also came back and the blood
thirsty Sioux gave up the idea of cap
turing the fort.
The reporter asked the plucky scout if
he had ever come across
sITTING-BULL.
" Yes" was the reply. CT once had a
hand-to-hand encounter with him. In
the spring of 1864, a body of Sioux
camped on the opposite side of the
river, within mile and a half of the
fort. Sitting Bull and a party of -
came on visit to the Berthold Indians,
who were still in their winter quarters.
They afterward came to the fort, and
told Sitting Bull that could only allow
himself and few of the principal men
of the tribe to come inside and trade.
He knew this regulation was customary
when we were a little weak, and he
made no objection. I further told him
to 60 into the store and trade at our
regular prices, and when he was through
l would satisfy him by giving him any
thing that he wanted, but l could not
permit him to fix the price. He went
into the store and got some Iroouois
shells, which are largely used by the
savages for purposes of ornamentation.
He offered five buffalo-robes for them,
but the price was ten, and the storeman
would not accept his offer. Sitting-Bull
came into my office and said he would
not give more than five robes for the
shells. told him he could not have them
for the price, and took the shells away
from him. l walked toward a bureau
to put the articles away. Knowing the
treacherous nature of the Sioux, I
watched him over my shoulder. He
had his arms crossed on the stock of |
a double-barreled gun, the muzzles of
which were resting on the floor. As 1
stepped away from him