Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08

board OF the Otsego2"
Eyes, colonel. Here is a coil of
deep-sea lead line, which will hold a
strain of five hundred pounds, and is
small, as you see"
1T is the very thing! Send that
coil of rope to nay 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. y
To make the story short, we got
away just after dark, provisioned for
ten days, but armed and munitionad
for q weeks steady fighting, if it came
to that. We had 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 strlctest orders were given not to
ire a gun. or even give an order IN a
loud tone. An experienced guide
was In the first 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
little island, watching through our
glasses for smoke or signs of occupa-
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 that we were
near the haunts of Sam JONES'" or
Arpiaka, the Oldest chief in the Semi
mole nation, and of Chikiki, 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 as
much as we could, eating cooked pro
visions, making no Gre, and waitlng
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 were 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
fired until we were discovered by the
Indians. Then" said Harvey, with
bitter oath, Ego in for work. Kill
or capture all you see-y0ung or old,
he or she. Spare them only as they
spared nay poor boys over on the
Caloosahatchiem
On, slowly and steadily, muff1ed
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 GO, yet we
were 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 the 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 chorus
Of yelping cars breaks the stiffness of |
the night.
Forward double quick''
Then in few seconds we burst into |
a village of paint hatched houses
with smouldering fires around and |
among them, and q horrible yell and |
a scattering fire from the startled red
skins greet us as we rush in, fring as
we go. It was the quickest bit Of !
work ever saw, yet the surprise was
so complete that it was hardly like
fight. Fifteen or twenty shots on
their side and a full volley on ours,
and we bad nothing more to shoot at,
for all who were not down, dead or
wounded, fell to the earth in submits
sion, except four or five, who fed 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
Sd dragoons-his name was Hull, |
and he was made sergeant soon after
saw Chikika as he ran, and follow
ed, earbine in hand He never lost |
sight of the chief, but kept on until he |
could get 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:
''No shoot me good injuE-heap
good No shootr'
''Take. that for Caloosahatchie! !"
shouted Hall, as he sent a ball through
the chiefs heart An instant later he
tore the scalp from Chikika's head,
and then ran back to the village to
present it to Col. Harvey. The colonel