The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-10-23
THE INDIAN WAR,

Fought Dcsperasely-The Killed and
wounded.
CHEYENNE, wy. T., October 8.
A courier from the front brings the
following from an officer with Paync's
command:
BATTLEFIELD, MILK RIVER, Col,
| October 3Esx D. m.
A courier will leave some time tonight, with
dispatches, if possible. The Indians still sur
round us. and pour in an effective fire from a
hundred yards, having a cross-fipc upon our our
position, which position was chosen hastily on
the first day of the fight.
All our horses and all but twelve mules have
been killed. We sheltered them as best we
could with wagons, but to no purpose.
Captain Dodge and Lieutenant Hughes, with
cue yesterday morning at daybrcak, after a
forced night march of thirty-fivc miles from
Bear River. Cheer upon cheer rent the air
who were coming. A lull in the firing enabled
| them to come in and shelter their horses as
well as possible, taking to the fOrtiticatiOns
Had the heights been accessible, Captain
Dodge would have charged them with his COM
| pany, while we covered him from our rifle
pits, but this was utterly impossible, the as
All that we could do during the day was to
keep good lookout from the loop-hOles, and
head. This, however, was very rare occur.
renee, as the Indians have rifie-pits and loop
holes.
Before dark every horse but three of Cap
| very fortunate thing for us has been that the
Indians have left us unmolested Mt 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, dis
lance OF aO yards from our intrenchments.
Night before last Private Essir, of Company
+. was shot in the face while out with party
after water. The Indians were only u few yards
away. and were driven off by volley from the
guard and trenches.
Captain Dodge brought us the cheering news
| that our dispatches reached Bear River safely,
and would undoubtedly reach Rawlins.
We have been counting the hours which it
will probably take for relief to reach us. We
all agree that Genera! Merritt, from Fort Rus
sell, with the companies of the Fifth Cavalry
there, and all other available troops, will be Or
dcrcd to our rescue, as they will be needed to
The field of battle was admirably chosen
for defense by the Indians, and had it not
been for Major Thornburgh's advance guard,
commanded con mar by Lieutenant Cherry, discover,
would have been annihilatcd He saw small
party of Indians disappear over hill, half a
mile in front, and at once divided his party to
he had thanked their position by about two
| hundred yar.s. Cherry rode back ut full
| speed, with two or three men who were with
already begun the descent into the deep ravine
| which was intended to enguf the command.
The Indians were dismOunted and lying
not one hundred yards from the point where
| the deadly assault would have commenced.
| The troops were withdrawn short distance,
| dismOnnted and dcplOyed in line of battle,
with orders to await the attack of the Indians
| Lieutenant Cherry was here ordered by Thorn
burgh to take detachment of fifteen picked
| men, and make reconnaissance and com
muncatc. if possible, with the Indians, as it
was thought that they only desired to oppose
his approach to their Agency, and would par
muncatcd with. Cherry moved out at gal
| lop with his men from the right flank, and no
| ticcd Il like movement of about twenty In
dams from the left of the Indian position.
drcd yards of the Indians, and took off his hat
and waved it, but the response was a shot fired
hs honse This Sf his Pay AMID
was instantly followed by u vollcy from the
| Indians
The work had now begun i'm real earnest,
| and, seeing the advantage of the position he
held, Cherry dismounted the detachment and
dcplOycd along the crest of the hill to prevent
the Indians thanking his position, or to cover
| their retreat, if found necessary to retire upon
the wagon-train, which was then coming up
| slowly, guarded by Lieutenant Paddock, of
Company ID, Fifth Cavalry.
cover them with the company guarding them.
| The two companies in advance were those of
Captain Payne, Company f, Fifth Cavalry and
Captain Lawscns, Company E, Third Cavalry,
which were dismOuntcd and dcplOyed us
skirmishers, with 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 wagons,
and ut once he sent word to Major Thorn
burgh, who then withdrew the line slowly,
keeping the Indians in check until opposite the
point which his men held, when, seeing that
the Indians were concentrating to cut off his
retreat, Captain Payne, with Company F,
Fifth Cavalry, was ordered to charge the hill,
| which he did in gallant style, his horse being
shot under him and several of his men
| wounded.
| The Indians having been driven from this
| train. Major Thornburgh then gave orders to
Cherry to hold his position and cover Captain
| l.awsOn's retreat, who was ordered to fall back
| slowly with the led horses of his company
Cherry called for volunteers of twenty men,
who responded promptly, and fought with des-
peratiOn.
patch, as nearly every man was wounded be-
killed.
Cherry brought every wounded man in with
Captain Lawson, brave old veteran, dis
played the greatest GOODNESS and courage dur
ing this retreat. sending up ammunition to
Cherry's men when once they were nearly
without it.
Major Thornburgh started back to the
wagon-train, after giving his final orders to
ILL,
tain Lawson and Lieutenant Cherry to cover
the retreat. He must have been shot dead
when barely halfway there, as his body was
seen by one of Captain LawsOn's men, with
life extinct and lying on his face
Captain Payne, then in command, Mt once
set about having the wounded horses shot to
boxes, bundles of bedding, corn and Hour
| sacks, which were quickly piled up for fOrtif-
cations. Picks and spades were used vigor-
Ously for digging intrenchmentS.
fir,1c a rail- ur f1ro
upon the command from all the surrounding
bluffs which commanded the position. Not an
Indian could be seen, but the incessant crack
of their Sharp's and Winchester rifles dealt
fearful destruction among the horses and
men.
The groans of the dying and the agonizing
cries of the wounded told what fearful havoc
was being made among the determined and
desperate command. Every man was deter
mined to sell his life as dearly as possible
About this time great danger was approaching
ut frightfully rapid pace. The rcd devils, at
he beginning of tho fight had set fire to the
dry grass and to the sage-brush to the wind
ward of our position, and it now came sweep
ing down toward us, the flames leaping high
into the air, and immense volumes of smoke
rolling ON to engulf us. 1t was sight to make
the stoutest heart quail, and the fiends were
we were driven from our shelter. Now it
reaches our flank, and blankets, blouses and
empty sacks were freely used to extinguish
inc re Names hics Some 81 the re- wagons were set on
smother it. No water can be obtained, and
the smoke is suffocating, but the fire passes,
and we hold our position.
Meantime constant vOlley is poured upon
us, Captain Payne being wounded for the
second time, and First-Sergeant DOlan, of
Company +, killed instantly. McKinstry and
Mckee were killed, and many others wound
cd. Our greatest danger now is past. The
men have now mostly covered themselves, but
the poor horses and mules are constantly fall
ing about us.
just about shutdown a charge was at
tempted but rcpulsed, the Indians trying to
drive of some of our horses which had broken
loose.
The attack ceased at dark, and soon every
man was at work charging the trenches, haul
ing out the dead horses, caring for the wound
ed, and burying the dead.
At daylight the attack was resumed, and the
firing of the sharpshOOters has been kept up
every day since, and occasionally at night,
sending us to our pits in q scramble.
This is the fifth day of our siege, but we are
determined to hold out, if it takes month for
succOr to reach us. But VIC are confident that
General Merritt, whose name is upon the lips
of every one, is on the road to rescue us.
THE KILLED.
The names of the killed and wounded are as
follows:
Major Thornburgh, Fourth Infantry; First
Sergeant John DOlan, Company F, Fifth
Cavalry; Private John Burns, Company F,
Fifth Cavalry; Michael Firerton, Company f,
Fifth CQva1rv. Samuel McKoo COunr,op,v n