The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-10-16
| by Associated Press.l
| THIHTY-sEyES INDIANS KILLED,

|
THIRrY-sEvEN INDIANS KILLED.
CoRIENE, W. T., Oct. s., A. Nth
70 lowing has Just been received from Rsw
lins:
KAwLISs, October S.-Tne mail courie
| from Snake River, Just in, report
that Merritt reached Payne's comman,
| Monday afternoon, after n severe fight
| killing thirty-seven Indians.
The colored cavalry company j0ine,
Payne last Friday night, losing all thei
horses but two in doing 30.
The mail carrier knows nothing abou
the condition OF the officers and men Of IN.
IA h regiment. They were at least twenty
four hours behind Merritts command.
INA CRITICAL POSITION.
CHEYEsNE, Oct s.-A courier from tn,
front brings in the following from an oiiicel
with Psyue's command:
BATTLEFIELD, MILK RIVER. Col, Oct
8, p. m.-Courier will lesve some time to
night with dispatches if possible. The In
disns still surround us, and pour in an ef
fective fire from the commanding bluffs, al
q distance OF FIVE or six hundred yards
having a cross fire upon 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 the
best We could, with wagons, but to no pur.
pose.
Cspt. Dodge and Lieut.. Hughes, with
company 3D." 9th cavalry, came to oul
rescue Yesterday morning at daybresk,
oft s-I 3, e Al G
miles from Bear river. Cheer upon cheer
rent the sir from our trenches when it was
ascertainej who were coming. A lull in
firing enabled them to come in and shelter
their horses as we'll as possible, taking to
the fertilization quickly, when the attack
redoubled in fury. Had the heights been
accessible, Dodge would have charged them
with his company, while We covered him
from our rifle pits. But this was utterly
impossible, the accent being nearly perpen.
dicular. All we could do during the day
was to keep a good lookout from loop
holes and return the fire when an Indian
showed his head. This, however, was a very
rare occurrence, a. the Indians have rife
pits and loop holes.
Before dark every horse but three of Cap
tain Dodge's command was shot down.
4 very fortunate thing for us has been
that the Indians have left us unmolested at
night with the exception of an occasional
shot to make US scatter TO our pitt. We
have been able, at great risk, TO haul of our
dead animals every night, otherwise the
stencil would be in,olerable.
A sally Is made every night for water,
distance Of 200 yards from, our intrench-
h. bat 1aa 10 II
Company +, was shot in the face while out
with party after water.
The Indians were only few yards away
and we're driven off by a volley from the
guard and trenches. Captain Dodge
brought US cheering news that our dis
patches had reached Bear River safe, 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 General Merritt, from Fort
Russell, With the companies Of the Fifth
Cavalry there, and all other available
troops, will be oriered to our rescue, az
they will all be needed to finish the cam
paign. The field Of battle was admirably
chosen for defence by the Indiana, and had
it not been for Major Thornburgh's advance
guard, commanded by Lieutenant Cherry,
discovering the ambuscade, the entire COM
mand would have been annihilsted.
He saw small party of Indians
disappear over hill q half mile
IN 'front.' and at once divided his
party to reconnoitre. and only discovered
them when he had hanked their position
by about two hundred yards. Cherry rode
back at full speed with two or three men
who were with him ard notified Major
Thornburgh,w who had already began the de-
scent into the deep ravine which was in
tended to engulf the command. The Indi-
ans were dismounted and lying down
along the crest of the high, steep ridge, not
q hundred yards from thu point where the
deadly assault would have commenced.
The troops we're Withdrawn . short distance,
dismounied and deployed in line of battle |
With orders to await the attack of the |
Indians, but Cherry was here ordered by |
to take . detachment of ff-
zen picked men and make . reconnaissance
md communicate if possible with the In. |
:ians, as it was thought that they only de-
tired to oppose his approach to their |
Agency, and would parley or have q big |
ak il they could be communicated with, |
Iheny moved out At . gallop with his men
rom the right flank, and noticed . like
movement of about 20 Indians from the LETT
4 the Indian posit,on. He approached to
Vithin . couple hundred ya.ds of the In
hans, took of his hat and waved it, but the
esponse was . shot fred 1t him, woundinR
man Of his party and killing his horse.
his was TIE 6Est shot and w. followed
3 volley from the Indian. IL work
~ now ke~un n Narnnr 81 nn,snw H.