The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-14
BY SERGEANT HOLIDAY.

valley, Just at this point was q lord.
Leaving our train and camp in charg'
Of a small force, we silently stole away il
Indian file to the bluffs, through which vi
hastily marched to the point opposite th,
ford. Here we waited in breathless anxi
ETY. for further developments.
Soon we heard the low quick sound o
strange voices and the tread Of their DO
mics on the opposite bank OF the Platte
Now we hear them splash as they ART
forced into the wide shallow stream. W.
are becoming impatient, when in q low
distinct voice we receive the command &c
charge.
Away we 60, every fellow for himself,
down from the bluffs, into the valley,
across which we fly like the wind, and il
a moment come to a dead halt on the rivel
bank.
linen a shrill war whoop is heard on the
opposite bank which Is taken up by Others
and echoed from bluff to bluff, and In an
instant the air Is wild with the blood .curd'
ling whoop from a thousand warriors.
Now we hear the splashing Of ponies
plung ng through the wateronly ahundred
yards distant coming toward US, and we
open fire upon them, but we discover that
they are riderl,s s. and are a part OF their
pack ponies which have escaped. We
cease firing and they come out on the bank
and are soon secured. Day is now dawn
ing and We are astonished to see that all
the buttes OIL the north side Of the river
are swarming with redskins.
We again open fire upon them with our
Spencer csrbines, and surprise them by
throwing sand in their faces a mile away.
They beat q hasty retreat to the back bills,
and We string out along the bank in line
| OF battle. Our Wanibsgo scouts are now
sent over to the river 10 draw them within
range OF our guns. Once they charged
upon our scouts from different points, but
a well directed volley from our guns scat
tered them right and left thro' the bluffs
leaving behind them several dead bucks
and some OF their best ponies either killed
or wounded.
Our force is small and We have too much
property at stake to force them into an en-
gsgsment, and hence our commander de
termined to act only on the defensive.
For several hours our Indian scouts, re
inforced by the famous Bill Purdy and hi
scouts, kept up a running fight at Ions
range, for it was impossible to get within
pistol shot Of them. For several hours th,
fight is kept up and occasionally an Indian
would fall; but he would be thrown upoI
the back OF a pony and carried of. lndi
ans never let their dead or wounded fal
into the hands OF ar enemy when it can b,
prevented. About s o'clock in the morn
ing q large red flag or blanket was RAISED
on the end of Il tent.pole on n OF tn
highest bluffs, and then we can plainly Sc,
them Fastening from every bluff in tina
direction. We are now confident that
hard battle is to be fought with fearful
odds against us. They were nov out o
range ct our guns, and for an hour vi
watched their movements with intense in
terest.
While we were thus engaged a prolonged
var whoop is heard in our rear on th,
bluff s through which we had passed only
few hours before. The yell was taken III
by others on the %neighboring hills and TO
a moment we were led to believe that W,
were entirely surrounded. We now turned
our attention to the Indians in our rear
and without waiting for orders, started il
hot pursuit through the bluff. A division
Of emigrants and transportation trains havl
come up and have corraled their wagon
and secured their stock within the en-
closure. We are somewhat reinforced il
number by their force, and we feel re
assured by their presence. The Indian
we're armed with bows aud arrows, bu
occasionally an old mnsket cleaned in th,
sunlight and belched forth in tones o
thunder from some far off bluff. They haC
a large number Of old guns, but fortunatel!
for US they were out OF ammunition.
Once while q squad OF our cavalry wer,
in pursuit Of several hundred warriors the,
were surprised by 3 band OF seventy. fyl
warriors who suddenly filed ont from be-
hind 5 hill and made q sudden dash upor
them. Running within fifty yards anC
lying fat upon theirponies they discharged
arrow after arrow under the necks OF theil
ponies, which whizzed past the heads o
our boys aud fell harmless on the grounc
beyond. The cavalry returned the tr,
with their reyolvsrs, and a chief OF th,
b md fed to the blutswith his leg dangling
helpless from his side.
While we were engaged in this skirmist
the whole band Of Sioux crossed the river
and went pcll NELL for the bills, takins
with them their women and children, and
thus they escaped and crossed the great
Platte trail, and are safe again on tbs
lonely desert on the way TO Western Kan
sas on agrand buffalo hunt, where they
will laden their ponies with meat for theil
winter supply and then return in the fall
In their tllght they lost many robes and
hlankos, which were gathered up, but
soon dropped again when the boys discov,
cred that ibey were alive with gray backs.
Thus ended the Battle OF Old California
Crossing, Of which the Wheeling and all
the West Virginia papers gave a glowing
4 count under flaming headlines.
II was u big battle where we lost not a
man nor captured an enemy, neither could
We tell how many we had wounded
and slain, for they were borne
away by their comrades We had, how.
ever, secured several poor old worn ont
ponies with old worn pack saddles, which
We threw away as worthless.
This force Of Indians were 4 part OF the
Sioux tribe and we're commanded by the
big chiei, Standing Elk. During the fol.
lowing winter we made peace with this
same tribe OF redskins at Fort Laramie, W.
T., where I became acquainted with Stand.
ing Elk, and found him a tirst nate boy, but
hard to get along cleverly With when
drunk. Twill write the old mans history
further on.
For a few days We travelled on In com.
pany with several other trains, camping at
night with a heavy guard around us, and
marching by day, alnked by our Indian
scouts and s detachment Of our regiment.
The third day after the fight we arrived at
Julesburg, Colorado. atterward called Fort
gedgwick, in honor Of General sedgyick.
With Flinn, Cal, Jour negro boy) aud q
comrade by the name Of Wesley Howell