The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-09
FIGHTING THE INDIANS.
A Lively Encounter at Milk River
The Indians Firmly Intrenclled.

The Indians Firmly Intrencled.
A Gallant Charge.
Arrival of Belief How Cen. Merritt Was
Received by the Utos The Xii ed
and Wounded.
CHEYENNE, Oct IA courier from the front
brings the following from officers with peynes
command.
BATTLE FIELD. Milk River, Oct. 81 go
courier will leave some time tonight with
dispatches, If possible The Indians still sur
round ua nnd pour In an effective firs from
CON tnnndirg bluffs, at O. distnnea of 600 OF GOO
which position was chosen h stlly on the first
day of the fight. All our l,ocaea and all but
twelve mules have been kiIled We sheltered
them as best we could With wagons, but To no
purpose Capt. Dodge and Lieut.. Hughes. with
Company ID, Ninth Cavalry, came tn our reaclle
yesterday morning at dnybreak, after forced
nights march of thiity-tiye miles frou Bear
river. Cheer upon cheer rent the air from our
trenches when 1t was ascertained they we're
coming. A lul In the firing enabled them to
como IN and shelter their horses as vol as
possible, taking to the Qualifications quickly,
when the attack was rsdoubled In Its fury.
Had tho heights been accessible Onpt.
Dodge would have charged them with his
company, while we covered him from our
our rifle pits, but this being utterly imppssl-
BILE tthe aschnt boing nearly perpendicular,
all we could do during tho dly was to keep
agond lookout from the loophnas and return
the fire when any Indinn showed himself.
This, however, wns very rare occurrence,
as the Indians have rifle pits and loopholes.
Before dark every horse hut three oi Uapt.
Dodge's command was shot down A very
'ortunate thing for US has heen thut the In
dlhns have left ,ls unmolestei mt night, with
The exception OF an occasional shot to make
ua scatter to our pits. We have been able at
great risk, to haul off our dead animals every
night, otherwise tho stencil would be iutolsra-
BILE. sally Is made every night for watsr,
distance Ut 200 yards from our entrench-
tnents.
Night before last Private Erser, OF Com
phny i, was shot In the face while out With O
party for water The Indians were only d
few yards nwny and were driven of by Il vol
ley from the guard and trenches. Capt. Dodge
brought us the cheering nsws that our dis
patches reached Beat river safaly and would
undoubtedly reach Rawlius.
We have been counting the hours which it
Will probably take for relief to reach us. We
all agree that Gen. Merritt, from Fort Rus
cell, with companies OF the Fifth Cavalry
there and oil other available troops, will be
ordered to our rescue. as they will all be
needed to finish the campaign.
The fold Of battle was admirably chosen
for defense by the indiana, and had It not
bten for Major Thornburghs advaucs guard,
commanded by Lieut.. Cherry, discovering the
am huscnde the entire command would have
been annihilatsd. He saw u small party Of
Indians disappear over the hill half mile in.
front and NJ once divided his purity to re-
ebnnoitre, and only discovered them when
10 had flanked their position about two hun
dred yards. Cherry rode back again with
tho two or three men who were with him
aud notified Major Thoinbufgh, who had
already begun tho descent into IL deep rnyYile
which was intended to engrlf tho command.
he Indians were demouuted aud lying down
along tho crest OF % high, steep ridge for
hundred yards from tho polnt where ths
deadly ASSAULT would have commenced. The
troops were withdrawn u short distance dis
mounted and leployed III liue Of battle, with
orders to await nm attack Of the Indians.
Liet. Cherry was here md ordered by
Thornburgh to take detachment Of fifteen
picked men and make a Reconnaissance, and
communicate, II possible with the Indians, as
it was thought they only desired to oppose
his approach To their agency, and would par
ley or have q big talk II they could bs COM
muntcnted with. Cherry moved out al u gal
l0p with his mon IRON the right flank. and
N
dans from the left of the Indian position. He
approached to within couple of hundred
yards OF the Indians, nnd took off his hat and
waved 1t, but the response was shot fired at
him, woundlng man Of his; party and killing
his horse. This was the first shot, and WIS
followed by q volley from the In
dans.
Work had now begun In real earnest, and
seeing the advantage OF the position he held,
Cherry dismonnted his detachment and de-
Txxry1
the Indians tlanking his position, or to cover
tho retreat II found necessary to retire upon
the wagon train, which was then coming up
slowly guarded by Lieut.. Haddock, Company
y, Fifth Cavalry. Orders were sent to park
the wagons and cover them with the company
guarding them. The two companies In adj
vancs were Capt. Payue's, Company f, Fifth
Cavalry, and Capt Lawsons, Company e.
Third Cavalry, which were dismounted and
depioyed as skirmishers, Capt. Payne on the
left and Capt. Lawson on the right. From
Cherry's position he could see that the In
dians were trying to out him off from the
wagons, and ut once sent word TO Major
Thornbnrgh, who then withdrew bis line
slowly, keeping the Indians In check until the
opposite point which his men held was
reached. when, seeing that the Indians were
TO cut off his retreat, Capt
Payne. with Company T, 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 their
point, the company rallied on the wagon
train. Major Thornburgh then gave orders
10 Cherry to hold his position and cover
Capt. Lawson's retreat, who was ordered to
fall back slowly with the horses OF bis COM
pany. Cherry called for volunteers Of twenty
men, who responded promptly and fought
with desperation. Their names will be given
In Later dispatch, as nearly every man was
wounded before he reached camp and two
men were killed. Cherry brought every
wounded man in with him. Cspt Lawson,
brave old veteran, displayed the greatest
sending up ammunition to Cherrys men,
when once they Wece nearly without it.
Major Thornburgh started back to the
wagon train, after giving his final orders to