The daily gazette., 1880-02-02

Indians were lounging about With every
appearance OF party deetrQtpt oil peace.
{ The ground In that viciEft9f'was rough.
and partially covered with growth OF
Spanish bayonets which afforded a Sc
cure place Of ooncealment. Feeling that
In the event of an attack had better
chances of success mounted than dis
mounted, for the reason that my fight
Ing force In the latter Instance would
have been lessened by the number Of
men requir ed TO hold and guard the
horses In rear, and shariug the belief
which generally prevailed In my regi-
ment that twenty well-arned soldiers
should be able to successfully engage
four times their number of indians, i
continued to move forward slowly upon
the Immediate right Of my line. When
we were within about twenty or thirty
PAGES of the mound occupied by the In
dians, four or five Of them advanced TO-
wards US with the flag; suddenly they
threw IL to the ground and fired upon
us. simultaneously from large heap
OF dry grass, weeds and leaves,
burst forth, in our immediate front, q
blaze OF fre some thirty feet In height,
and, with fur Gus yell, the warriors in
Stastly rose up round aboht us, whilst
Others charged down the slope In our
midst, even seizing some Of our horses
by the bride reius. Attho same momsnt
a mouoted party attacked TIE left Of our
line with lances. Thus began most
desperate struggle. The warriors were
an painted, stripped to the vast, with
either horns or wreaths OF feathers upon
their heads they bore shields for de-
fence, and were armed with niles. bows
and arrows. The quick and sharp re-
port OF our rifles, the smoke and crack
ing noise OF the fire, together with the
great odds against us, The shouts of the
soldiers and the yells OF the Indians, be-
tokened the deadly peril from which
seemingly naukht but miracle could ef-
feet our deliverance. Each man, after
discharging his rife, drew his revolver
and used 1t with terrible effect as the
warriors, in many instances, were within
lew feet OF the muzzle of our arms.
Stubboruly did my brave men hold their
ground again and again they drove the
enemy back TO the edge and in rear Of
the burning mass of weeds In our front,
when finally the Indians charged des-
perately and forced our line back few
PAGES In the centre. Having discharged
my shotgun, L rode at once with re-
volver In hand to that point, rallied the
soldiers, who again drove them back,
whilst our horses in some instances, were
beaten over the head with shields. The
NOhtcoe was az nuSu ClOSt QuaIttTb tUhJ u
warrior bore off rife which had been
used and b1nE by one of the men upon
his saddle. Meantime the Indians as
quickly as they discharged their arms,
handed them to their sQuaws, who ran
To the rear, reloaded aud returned them
AT this juncture | was pierced in the left
band with an arrow which passed through
the reins and the fourih fDger, pinning
my hand to the bride. Instantly broke
the spear head and threw It aside. Un-
mindful Of the fact that the feathers
could not pas through the wound,
pulled the arrow in the direction in
which IL had been shot, aud was COM
PEELED finally Ia order to flee myself of IL
TO seize the feathered in lieu of the barb
ed end.
Thus ragged this hand to hand conflict
until all our shots were expended, and IL
was found that owing TO the restivenes
of the horses we could not reload while
mounted. We then fell back about fifty
wards and dismounted for th at purpose
Soon afterward arose fro.o beyond the
burning heap one continuous mourning
howl, such as can alone come forth from
fhe heart of the red man n deep distress.
These sounds of sorrow revealed to me
hat We were In little danger of renewal
of the assault, and was, may in truth
say, most thankful for the truce thus pro-
claimed. Two of our men had been kill
cd ami four, besides myself, severe ly
wounded we had also one horse killed
and Sc Yeral disabled. Had the combat
been renewed 1 would have had, after
leaving a guard with the horses, but five
or six men to fight on foot,