Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-10-17
THE UTE INDIAN WAR.

Cheyenne advices of Oct. Sth state
that the following is just received from
Major ellis At Rawns;
RAwIlNS, Oct S,-A maiLcarrier from
Snake River, Just in, reports that Mer.
rift reached Paynes command Monday
afternoon-atter severe fight, killing
seven lndians--and found them all
right, 4 colored cavalry company
joined Payne last Friday night, losing
all their horses but two in doing 81.
The msil.csrrier knows nothing,ahout
the condition OF the officers and men.
The companies of the Fourteenth regi-
ment were vt least ~ hours behind
MerrittS command,
(Signed) GUNS.
4 THRILLING STORY.
The following has been received
from an officer with Payne's command;
RArrlE FlELp, MIX RlvER, Col, Oct.
SO p. ma courier will leave some
time tonight, with dispatches, il posi-.
bic. The Indians still surround lis, and
pour in an effective fire from the COM
manding bluffs, at distance of five or
six hundred yards, having " cross fire
upon our position, which position WAS
chosen hastily on the first cay of the
fight All our horses and but l. mules
have been killed. We sheltered them
rs best We could with wagons, but to no
purpose. Capt. Dodge and Lieut..
Hughes, with Company d, 9th Cavalry,
came to our rescue yesterday morning
at day break, after an allniGhts march
of thirty-tive miles from the Bear river.
CHEER uroN CHEER
rent the air from our trenches, when
il was ascertained who were coming, A
hull in the firing enabled them to come
in and take shelter. Their horses, MS
we'll Ms possible, were taken to the forti-
cations, quickly, when the attack re-.
doubled its fury. Had the heights been
accessible Capt. Dodge would have
charged then, with his company while
we covered him from our rifle puts, but
these being utterly impossible and the
ascent being nearly perpendicular, all
we could do during the day was to keep
Il good look out from the loopholes and
return the fire when any Indian showed
his head. This, however, was of vely
rare occurrence, rs the Indians have
rite-pits and loop holes. Before dark,
every horse but three OF Capt. Dodge's
command was shot down. A very for
tnnate thing for us has been that the In.
dams have left us unmolested nj 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 he intolera-
BILE. A sally is made every night for
water, distance of 200 yards from our
entertainments.
Night before last, Private Erzen, of
Co. f., was shot i'll the face, while out
with party after water. The Indians
were only few yards away, and were
driven off by volley from the guard
and trenches. Capt. Dodge brought up
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 we'll agree that Gen. Merritt,
from Fort RUSSELL with company of
the 5tn cavalry, there, and all other
avallance to the troops, will be
HURRIED TO OUR RESCUE;
they will all be needed TO finish the
campaign. The field OF battle was adj
mirably opportune for defense by the
Indians, and had it not been for Major
Thornburgh's advance guard, com
manded by Lieut. Cherry, discovering
the ambuscade, the entire command
would have been annihilated, He saw
IA small body of Indians disappearing
over II hill hall mile in front, and nj
once divided his party rcconnoitre, and
only discovered them when he had
fanked their position by about two
hundred yards Cherry rode back al
full speed with two or three men, who
were with him, and notified Major
Thornburgh, who had already begun
the descent into the deep ravine which
was intended to engulf the command
the Indians here dlsmounted and lying
down along the crest of the high, steep
ridge, not one hundred wards from the
point where the
DEADLY ASSAULT
would have commenced. The troops
were withdrawn short dstance and
dismounted and displayed in line Of
battle, with orders To await the attack
of the Indians. Lieut.. Cherry was or
dered by 1hornburgh to take Il detach.
nent of fifteen picked men and make
a reconnaissance and communicate, il
possible with the Indians, as il was
thought that they only desired to op.
pose his approach to their agency, and
would parley or have "big talk" ifthey
could be communicated with. Cherry
moved out at gallop with his men
from the right flank, and noticed n like
movement Of about twenty Indians
from the left of the Indian position; he
approached TO within a couple OF hun
bred yards OF the Indians and took of
his hat and waived it, but the response
was shot Aired Mt him, wounding q
man Of his party and killing his horse
This was the first shot, and WAS in
stantly
FOLLOWED BY A vOLLEY FROM THE IN
dams.
The work had now begun in real earn.
est, and seeing the advantage Of the
position he held, Cherry dismounted
and deploye1 along the crest Of the hill