Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-01-14
4 DESPERATE Boat FIenT.

In MAY, ltIc, uAtDO6J lOnueO WIFI
kettles, intended for the manufacture
Of salt at Bullitt's Lick, left Louisville
with thirteen persons-twelve armed
men and one woman-on board. The
boat and cargo were owned by Henry
Crist and Solomon Spears; and the
company consisted of Crist, Spears,
Christian Crepps, Thomas Floyd, Jos.
eph Boyce, Evans Moore, an 1rishman
named Fossett, and five others, and a
woman whose name is not preserved
On the 25th of May the boat entered
Salt River, and the hands commenced
working her up with sweep-oars.
There was no current one way or the
other. While in the Ohio the great
breadth of the river secured them
against any sudden attack, but when
they came into Salt River they were
within reach of the Indian rifle from
the shore. 1t became necessary, there
fore, to send out scouts to appraise
them of any danger ahead.
In the evening Of the first day OF
their ascent of the river, Crist and
Floyd when ashore to reconnoitre the
bank of the river ahead of the boat.
Late in the evening they discovered
q fresh trail. but for the want OF light
they could not make out the number of
Indians. They remained out all night,
but made no further discoveries. In
the morning, as they were returning
down the river toward the boat, they
heard q number of guns, which they
believed to be Indians killing game for
breakfast. They hastened back to the
boat and communicated what they had
heard and seen.
They then pulled on up the river un-
til o'clock, and arrived at q point
eight miles below the mouth of the
Rolling Fork, where they drew in to
shore on the north side of the river,
now in Bullitt County, intending to
land and cook and eat their breakfast
As they drew in to shore. they heard
the gobbling of turkeys Gas they sup
posed) on the bank where they were
going to land, and, IS the boat touched
Fossett and another sprang ashore, with
their guns in their hands, to shoot tur-
They were cautioned of their dan
ger, but, disregarding the admonition,
hastily ascended the bank. Their COM
panions in the boat had scarcely lost
sight of them. when they heard vol
ley of rifles discharged all at once ON
the bank Immediately above, succeeded
by yell Of savages so terrific as to in
duce q belief that the woods was filled
with Indians. This attack, so sudden
and violent, took the boats company by
surprise, and they had barely time
to size their rifles and place them
selves in posture ofdefense, when Fos-
sett and his companion came dashing
down the bank, hotly pursued by .
large body OF Indians. Crist stood in
the bow of the boat with his rife in his
hand. At the first sight of the enemy,
he brought his gun to his face, but in
stantly perceived that the object OF his
aim was white man. and sudden idea
flashed across his mind that the enemy
was company Of surveyors whom he
knew to be then in the woods. and that
the attack was made in sport He left
his gum down and, at the same time,
his white foeman sank out Of his sight
behind the bank. But the firing had
begun in good earnest on both sides.
Crist again brought his rife to his
face, and, ~ he did 80, the white mans
head was rising over the bank, with his
gun, also, drawn mp and presented.
Crist got the Are on him, and at the
crack Of his rifle the white man fell
forward dead.
So intent were the Indians on the
pursuit Of their prey, that many Of them
ran TO the waters edge, and struck and
shot ct Fossett and his companion
while getting into the boat, and some
oven seized the boat and attempted to
draw il nearer the shore.
Repulsed in their efforts to board the
boat. the savages withdrew higher up
the bank, and, taking their stations be-
hind trees. commenced . regular and
CALLING FIRE, which was returned with
the spirit Of brave men rendered des-
perate by the certain knowledge that
no quarter would be given, and that it
was IN issue Of victory or death to
every soul on board.
The boat had log-chain for = cable,
and when she was hrst brought ashore.
the chain was thrown round ! small
tree that stood on the waters edge, and
tho hook run through one Of the links.
This had been done before the first fire
was made upon Fossett on shore. The
kettles in the boat had been ranked up
along the sides, leaving "a open gang
way through the middle Of the boat
from bow to stern.
Unfortunatsly, tho bow lay TO shore,
% that the guns Of the Indiana raked
the whole length Of the gangvay, and
their 6re was constant and destructive.