The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-10-30
A Fight Similar to Capt. Payne's

One of the most remarkable fights in
the annals of Indian warfare took place
II years ago when, Congress having au-
thorized the employment of frontiers
men against the indians, then very
troublesome, Gen. Geo. A. Forsyth, then
and still upon Sheridan's staff, was Sc
lected to head an expedition of 80 picked
men from the Kansas border.
At 3 ro'clock on the evening of the
eighth day out the command went into
camp on the Arickaree force of the Re
publican, which Just at this point divid-
ed and surrounded sort of iSland-a
strip of sand and gravel about a hundred
yards long, round which flowed the
'' river" if that name came be applied
TO a stream then some eight feet and
two or three inches deep. There was
only one days provisions left, but For
syth, feeling that he was within striking
distance of the hostiles, resolved to 90
on next day. At dawn of the morrow
the guard gave the alarm. 80 Indians -
Forsyth instantly ordered his men to
lead their horses to the " island - and
tie them to the few bushes that grew
there in circle, and lying on the sand
within the line of animals sell their lives
as dearly as possible. Thus began the
fight, the Indians in turn dismOunting
and crawling in the sand up to within
short distance of the island to open all
most at point-blank range a CALLING fire
on the party from Spencer and Henry
rifles. So soon as it was daylight and
the Indians could be distinguished, it
was found that they were surrounded by
nearly a thousand warriors, Brules,
Sioux, Cheyennes and Dog Soldiers.
The first care of the besieged was to
intrench themselves by throwing up with
their knives little mounds in the form of a
circle Ere this work was accomplished
two men had been killed and several
wounded, Forsyth among them.
On the fourth day the main body of
Indians departed, leaving a small invest
ing force. The wounds of the injured
were rudely dressed, shelters were con-
structed, and soup made from horse
flesh. On the sixth day, however, the
first traces of gangrene set in, and the
entire party was almost overpOwered by
/ the intOlerable stencil from the carcass
es of the dead horses. Food there was
none. Forsyth assembled the men, and
bade those who would 90 and leave the
wounded, and those who preferred stay
ing in the camp and taking their chances
of aid coming from the fort. All voted
to stay together till the end They lived
on putrid horse-fesh rubbed with gun
powder for two more days. On the 25th,
Col. Carpenter, with the cavalry, came
up from Fort Wallace, which Trudeau
and StillweH had reached in safety.
I - When he reached the island he found
the defenders in the most pitiable con-
ditiOn, yet the survivors were deter
mined to be plucky to the last. Forsyth
himself, with rather Indifferent success,
affected to be reading an old novel that
he had discovered in a saddle-bag; but
Colonel Carpenter said his voice was a
little unsteady and his eyes were some
what dim when he held out his hand
to Carpenter and bade him welcome to
sBeecher's Island a name that has
since been given to the battle-ground. d.. -
OF the 81 men who went into the fight
eight were killed, eight were disabled
/ for life and u others were wounded.
! The Indians, WHO were II to l, admitted
subsequently a loss of IS killed.-Ne5C
York World.