Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-08

when we were fitting out the canoes,
''Lave you any small, strong rope on
board OF the Otsego"
I Eyes, colonel. Here is coil of
deep-sea lead liae, which will hold
strain Of five hundred pounds, and is
small, as you see. )"
1T is the very thing Send that
coil Of rope to my boat. I'll make
good use Of it before we get back. he
answered. clinching his remark with
one of his usual bitter oaths against
the numbering red niggers.N
TO make the story short, we got
away just after dark, provisioned for
ten DAYS, but armed and munitionsd
for a weeks steady fighting, if it came
to that We mad thirty boats and
canoes, averaging about seven men in
each. We padded as silently as pos
sible up to old Fort Dallas, at the
mouth of the Little Miami river, and
entering it pushed rapidly up into the
everglades. Everything depended on
our taking the Indians by surprise.
The strictest orders were given not to
fire a gun. or even give an order IN
| loud tone. An experienced guide
was ia the frs canoe and the others
followed IN line as close as one could
be kept TO another.
1t took all night to pass up the shall
low, sinuous stream and get fairly
into the glades. Then, fearing to be
discovered, we lay all day close on a
little island, watching through our
glasses for smoke or signs OF oceupa-
ton on distant islands in sight of us.
Our vigilance and care were reward
ed We saw on one of the largest
islands evident signs Of occupation,
but no sign OF alarm to show that our
presence in the glades had been dis
covered. We knew shat we were
near the haunts of Sam Jones, or
Arpiaka, the oldest chief in the Semi
mole nation, end of Chlkiki, the giant
fishing chief, who was supposed to
have been at the head of the party
that committed the massacre we were
now to avenge.
All day, resting and sleeping az
much as we could, eating cooked pro-
visions. making no Sire, and waiting
for night to cover our further move
ments. And right glad we were when
it came, and just cloudy enough
not too dark to cover our approach to
the island, which we knew was occu-
pied. Every man was now on the
alert. Arms we're inspected, orders
given to keep in line until close to
the island. Then certain detailed
boats were to lay off around
it to cut off escape, while three
landing parties were to advance and
surprise the enemy, not shot to be
fred until we were discovered by the
Indians. Then, 'said Harvey, with
bitter oath, go IN for work. XIII
or capture all you see-young or old,
he or she Spare them only as they
spared my poor boys over on the
Caloosahatche"
On, slowly and steadily, muflled
paddles rising and falling with meas
ured cadence, we pushed through
shallow water and stiff saw grass. 1t
was not more than six or seven miles,
apparently, that we had to &c, yet we
we're till midnight getting into posi-
ton for action, close up TO the tree
covered island. We had so far heard
no sound except the occasional yelp
of some Indian dog on the Island.
But now, understanding their orders,
the officers of each detachment moved
forward.
Harvey and his dragons, with car
bines, took the center, the artillery
men, armed with muskets, the right;
the navy men the left, supplied with
United States wager rifles.
Soon tho landing parties were on
shore, Yet no sound of alarm. For
wardW came the order, passed in
whispers from officer to man along
the line. Still onward, and a chorus
of yelping ours breaks the stiffness Of
the night
forward double quickm
Then in a few seconds we burst into
village of palm-thatched houses
with smoulderiRg fires around and
among them, and a horrible yell and
scattering fire from the startled red
skins greet US as we rush in, Ering as
we 90. 1t was the quickest bit of
work / ever saw, yet the surprise was
so complete that it was hardly like a
fight. Fifteen or twenty shots on
their side and full volley on ours,
and we had nothing more to shoot at,
for all who were not down, dead or
wounded, fell to the earth in submits
sion, except four or Eve who fled off
in the dark among the trees and
shrubbery. Among these we saw the
gigantic Chikika, dropping his rifle
from broken arm as he
ran A brave private in the
81 dragons his name was Hull,
and he was made sergeant soon after
saw Chikika as he ran, and follow
Ell, earbine in hand. lie never lost
sight of the chief, but kept on until ne
could get a sure shot. Wounded and
bleeding Chikika found he could not
escape. He halted, threw up his left
uninjured hand, and cried out in his
unbroken English
mo shoot! me good injun-heap
good No shootl'
Take that for Caloosahatchie!"
shouted Hall, as he sent a ball through
the chiefs heart. An instant later he
tore the spaln frorn Chikika's head