St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1879-10-18
HEAVY LOSS OF HORSES BIT TIE TROOPS
D. GALLANT CHARGE.

HEAVY LOSS OF HORSES BIT TIE TROOPS
i GALLANT CHARGE.
ARRIVAL. OF RELIEE-1IOW GEN. MEE-
KIT WAS RECEIVED By THE UTEs-
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
CHEYENNE, Oct e.--A courier from
the front brings the following from
officers with payne's command.
BATTLE FIELD, Milk River, Oct. "a
courier will leave some time to-nlght
with dispatches, if possible. The In
dams still surround ns and pour ~ an
effective fire from commanding blitns,
at i; distance of 500 or 600 yards, having
nositiou was chosen hastily on the first
day of the fight. All our horses and
ali but twelve mules have been killed.
We sheltered them as best we could
with wagons. but to no purpose. Capt.
| Dodge and Lieut.. Hughes, with Com
pany d Ninth Cavalry, came to our res
cue yesterday morning at daybreak,
| after Il forced nights march OF thirty
! five miles from Bear river. Cheer upon
cheer rent the air from our trenches
when it was ascertaincd they were
coming. 4 lull in the firing enabled
them to come in and shelter their horses
IA we'll as possible, taking to the fortiti-
cations quickly, when the attack was
rcdoubled in its fury.
| Had the heights been accessible, Capt.
Dodge would have charged them with
his company, while we covered nm
from our rifle pits, but this being utter
lv impossible (the ascent being nearly
pcrpendicular>, all we could do during
the day was TO keep a good lookout
from the loopholcs AND return the IRE
when any Indian showed himself. This,
however. WAS d very rare occurrence, RE
the Indians have rifle pits and loopho!cs::
Before dark every horse but three OF
Cant. Dodxe's command waa shot down.
4 verv fortunate thing for us has been
that the Indians have left us unmolest-
ed at night, with the exception OF an
= occasional shot to make lis scatter to
, orr Dits. We have been able, at great
risk. 10 haul off our dead animals every
} NIGHT. otherwise the stencil would be
: intnlerab|e. \ sally is made every
night for water. Il distance of 200 yards
from orr entertainments.
Night before last Private Erser. OF
:, COMPANY +, WAS shot in the face while
/ out with Il party for water. The In,
y dams were only few yards away and
), were driven OFF 10y volley from tl't
i guard and trenches. Capt. Dodge
c brought As the cheering news That oui
b dispatches reached Bear RIVER Talels
= and would undoubtedly reach Raw
Inns.
: We have been counting the hours
which it will probably take for reliet Il
p rench us. We all agree that Gen. Mer'
rit. from Fort Russell, with Companies
: of the Fifth Cavalry there and all othel
e available troops, will he ordered to Oul
e rescue, as they will all be needed tx
n finish the campaign. >,
The field of battle was admirably
e chosen for defense by the Indians, ant
0 had it not been for Major Thornburgh'i
u advance guard, commanded by Lieut.
Cherry, discovering IT, ambuscade, thu
entire command would have been annl
hilated. He saw a small party OF In
dams disappear over the hill half
mile in front and at once divided hl'
party to reeopnolt1e, ana only dls
: covered them wie0 he had thanked
their position about two hundred yards
u Cherry rode back again will! the two o.
three men who were with MN ant
notified Major Thornburgb, who hat
already begun the descent into deel
travinc. which was intended to engul
the command. The Indians were dis
mounted and lying dsyn along thu
rreat of a high, steep ridge tor Il hun
dred Yards from the point where tn.
deadly assault would have commenced
The troops were withdrawn short dis
lance. dismountcd ana. deployed in lin'
| of battle, with orders to await an at
tack of the Indians: -,
lief. Cherry was here and ordered b,
ThorDburg to take detachment OF tif
teen picked men and make a reconnols
!, ance. and communicate, if possible
= with the Indians, us it was taough
they only desired to oppose his approach
to their agency, and would parley o
have 2 big talk il they could he com
m,,nicated E;th. Cherry moved out a
| a gallon with his lnen from the righ
flank, and noticed like movement o
a abont twenty Indians from the left o
the Indian position. lie approached t
, within couple of hundred yards OF tn
Indians, and took off his hat and waves
, it. but the response was a shot tired a
him, wounding Il man OF his party ant
killiug his horse, This was the frs
shot, and was instantly followed by
. volley from the Indians.
Work had now begun in real earnest
and seeing the advantage OF she posi-
ton he held, Cherry dismounted his de
taclnment and deployed along the ores
Of the hill to prevent the Indians flank
ing his position, or to cover the rctrea
if found necessary to retire upon tn
j wagon train, (which vas then comm!
.. up Slowly, guarded by Lieut.. Haldock
:, Company D, Fifth Cavalry. Order
, were sent to park the wagons and cove
:. them with the company guarding them
;, The two companies in advance werr
u Capt. Payne's Company T, Fifth Caval
~, and Capt. Lawson's, Company E
Third Cavalry, which were dismounte,
d and deployed as skirmislers, Capt
y Payne on the left and Capt. Lawson Of
l. the right. Trons Cherry's position Oh
q could see that the Indians were tryin!
to cut him off from the wagons, and a
once sent word to Major Thornburgh
a who then withdrew his line slowly
!. keeping the Indians in check until tb
e opposite point which his men held wa
@ reached, when, seeing that the Indian
+ we're concentrating to cut of big retreat
|i,apt Payne, with Company I, FIG
:Cnva,ry, was ordered to charge the bill
wI,ieI, liz iia in gallant style, his horss;
:: being shot UNDER him and several of bi
y men wounded,