The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-01-02
n LAST
Freeman q. Wray, wounded b. the
Gtes October xz, lsso.
Republican.

Den1eT Republican.
Freeman q. Wray, aged 10, died yes
eefaay a the house of his brotherin-
law. b. +. bush, COS Lawrence street.
This young boy was the victim of Ute
vengeance, and Ute cowardice and
cruelty Atthe time of the Tharnhurub
massacre, be was in the employ of Geo.
Bags and o. d. Gaff, owners OF herds
OF cattle and horses in Middle Park.
They were in camp on Bear river.
north of the reservation. Baggs and
Gaff had gone down the river to look
after the cattle, leaving Wray alone at
the camp to watch the horses. About Q
O'Clock on the morning of October ODD.
he noticed dust arising from a wash
out about $50 Yards away, and started
out to ascertain the cause. When
within some fifty yards of the place. it
occurred to him that a bear might be
he cause of the connection, and that
II would be desirable to have a rum,
hence Returned back. Just as he turned
around a yolley was fired from a band
OF otes lying in ~concedfment. Two shots
hit him in the leg, one striking near
the knee and passing entirely through.
inficting only a flesh wound, and the
other striking the thigh and lodging
against the bone. He fell, and the In
dams ~supposing him to be killed or EN-
tirely disabled, sprang from their cover
and rushed toward him. But with
wonderful nerve, he got up and started
Tor the wagon, making his way toward
1t through a perfect rain of bullets.
none OF which, strangely enough, struck
him. A Sharps' rifle, 49-calibre, hap
pened to be standing by the wagon
wheel. As the brave boy reached this
and turned about, the cowardly saw
ages again skulked to to their cover.
He clambered into the wagon, where
there was plenty of ammunition, and
piiing bags of grain about him to form
a barricade, cody settled down to stand
a siege. The savages, from safe cover,
kept up a constant fire, which the boy
returned as best he could, shooting
wherever he saw a puff of smoke or de-
tected anything to Indicate the where
abouts of a Ute. This unequal fight
was Kept up till nightfall, when the In
dams withdrew. Some time in the
fight, probably near its close, a bali
struck Wray just we the right eye.
and ranging downward, came out near
the left ear. He probably fired no
more shots after receiving this wound,
for his rifle wa found clotted with
blood and with an unexploded cartridge
in place. Altogether he fred about a
hundred shots.
He estimated the number of Indians
that rushed out at him when he fell at
about twenty. The Indians took with
them on their retreat A horses.
The wounded boy remained alone all
night and all the next day, and when
found by his returning companions was
well nigh d~elirious. He had managed
to Chamber from the wagon and crawl
twenty or thirty yards to a stream Of
water. The next day Baggs and Calf
started with him for T. H. Hes ranch,
at the government crossing of Bear
river. The poor wounded boy was
obliged to ride the whole distance, 25
miles, on horseback. He made it in
about ten or fifteen hours, and then first
got rest and care. Two detachments
of Merritt's command soon passed by,
each with a surgeon, but, for some
strange reason, neither would do any
thing for him. Finally, the fourth day
after his injury, Surgeon Grimes passed
in charge Of the wounded of Thorn
burgh's command, and stopped and
dressed his wounds. The wounds in
the leg healed, and the wound in the
head seemed to heal, but loose bones
remained a constant source of danger,
and in the course of several months the
boy was able to work again.
He came to Denver last July and
went to work at the stock yards, and
seemed to be well. But last Monday he
was tai, an sick, and yesterday he died,
his physicians say from the effects Of
the old wound. Seldom has a boy SO
young displayed SO great heroism. He
never received any reparation from the
government, and his death will prob
ably never be avenged.