The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-05-20

The Fight Between the indian,
and the ". >. Troops near La
fontaine, Wabash 60.


,Imagnificent Wabash valley and aijacen
country, VIII commence 10 disintegrai,
and crnmble away. They will then hav,
,Ireeeived their last payment from the gov
.Iernment. their reservation will be throw
open 70 general settlement aud they vii
'.drift here and there and finalls dissap ,..,.
Y seems like dream. and one can scarce
'liy realize il that the handful OF red
men. now within the borders Of iii.
.ccanty, were almost within the memory
Iof our oldest citizens, and only sixfy-
eight years ago, powerful and war-likt
tribe. giving battle 10 the regular troops
'of the United States. NJ their village III
Liberty township. Net II Is true. The
Ioid battle ground, Mr.. Charles Sailors.
who resides near IL. tells as when he
came there. some thirty years ago. could
be plainly distinguished by the bulle,
marks in the trees. Only few vear-
'ago Hon. Elijah Iiackleman. and Others
visited the battle field just below Lafon-
|iaine. on the borders Of Grant county
and among other relics brought hack All
least half hushel Of horse shoes from
the field. all that was left Of the large
number Of the dragoon's horses that were
slain. Old Neshingomasia, the chief.
was then alive and pointed out all the
places of interest. In Dillon's history Of
Indiana, a brief account OF this battle All
i<sfonfaine j. given. which Is regards ifs
elect in breaking the power and spirit or
the Mianis and Indiana -avages. was sec
cni only in importance 10 the great bat
t'e o. I ppeeanOe. During 1872 the Mil
amis had been growing hostile, they had
refused % attend the council at Piqua, o. |.
md announced that they had 4taken up'
ne 'omahawk.' 50 that nothing was left.
but % conquer and crush them. The.
iuty OF attacking and destroying their
rillages on the Mississincwa was assign, ,
"a by General Harrison. then in CON-
nand Of the army, 70 Lieuteuant-coloncl
Iohn Z. Campbell, Of the 10th regiment.
.nItsd States army, who. with six hun.
ired kentucky dragoons, commanded by,
-ol cintaIl, squadron Of mounted VOL
lnteers. commanded bv Major Jams v \.
Ball. company Of infantry, Buffers Y
'.tt~bnrg Blues, AIcxander's Pennsylva-' y
'ia liilemen, and Company or scouts.
marched from Franklington, Ohio. tol
ubduc the refractory Miamis. \,
~ his letter 81 instructions 10 Colonel,
ampbelI. General Harrison wished
ome Of the Miamis 10 be saved from''
destruction. He said. There are. y
iowever, some Of the Miami chiefs who
ave nndcviatingly excrfed themselves n
2 keep their wasriors quiet, and to pre- n
crye their friendly relations with Is. IN
hiS has been the case with Richardville
= hall frenchman. the second chief OF
he ~ Ilanis.l Silver heel. the White Loon. ii
ertainiy, and perhaps Of Pecan. the prin-
slpal chiefof the Miamis. and Charley 4;
( principal cf the Eel River tribe. Iff;
! not my wish that You should incur anv |b,
TX n saving those people but IL il can|oI
? done without risk, Il would be ex-lA
'emely gratifying 20 me and no donbfG
The president. <%s An old Cana-|ht
'sn, BY the name Of Godfrey, has lived ~
lere several years. and has squaw forhi
j. wie- lie i and always has been aca
lend 70 The United States. There wiIlso
e no difficulty in saving him, as hisad
ouSe j. arart from the rest le
Colonel Campbell devastated the conn-fo
" Al the way along the Mississinew VIA ha
ld towards The last Of December arrived
efore the Indian village nearly on theI
te where now stands Laf0ntainc. AT II
clock n the morning Canpbell's camp
~ vigorously attacked, the IndiansJ. !
IDLY rushing upon the very lines OF
nfs. which were. however, profecfedrn
| slight earthworks. AT the first fircpe
Iptain Pierce was killed, receiving twocaI
IIs through his body and being foma lam
wked. The Indians were well armed|to
4 poured in tremendous fire whichlihs
on formed behind their horses and. II
PIP this shelter fought all through the |sti
NJ hours of the gray dawn. Iii his 0f-cas
iaI report of the fight Colonel Camp-ec,
n says: AT this time day-|wa
'ht began 70 dawn. ! then ordered soc
ptain Trotter, whose troops had becnlto
iered BY Colonel SimralI TO mount forlwa
} purpose, 10 make . charge. Theans
ptain cried out for his men 10 followter
u they tilted OH II full galIop. ~
Ij0r Mcdowell. with small party. con
he'd into the midst OF the enemy andcin
posed himself very much, / can notion
: too much for this gallant veteran. Ihol
plain Marklc. with about fifteen Of his|l86
ops. and Lieutenant Warren, also
dc daring charge on the enemy
ptnin Narklc avenged the death OF hisI +
stion. Lieutenant Waltz. upon an In-|nh,
" Win ~ own SWORD. fear-Iuat
tnat Sapsain irot!cr might re tooIin I
"a pressed, 1 Iortlcrcd Captain Johnson, 49,,
Ihe kentucky light dragons, 10 ad-'tur,
nee with his troops 20 support him. l|he ,
ind johnson ready, and Colonel Sim-ltra,
reports 70 me that oil his other Cap-Irh \,
D.. VIZ. Elmore, Young and Smith, ,CIn