Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-06-21
\ Company Of Fifteen Rangers Sur
''rrissd and Put q Large Body of
Redskins to Route.
.bps Bird Greek Fight in Bell County
1 Three Hundred indians Against
\ a Handful of Whites.
kill and Correct Account of This
slosdy Battle on Texas Soil
~ Ever Published.
written for the Gazette.
1877.

Ing republic, our Indian troubles
An rapidly to increase. Almost
fry day the murder Of some unpro.
Es,ed citizen or the stealing of their
les was heralded through the land.
6se Indians were now depredating
IN the border settlements TO such
n alarming extent that 1t had
'.some necessary to keep out
- or scouts to warn the settle
Ling of any threatened invasion.
b companies Of rangers who acted
Etoncert with each other had been
|aoned, one at the falls on the
|lszoa and the other at Fort Smith
little river. The scouts from the
& forts
IN MET on MIDDLE GROUND
IA day, where they exchanged news
ID each other.
In the 9TH day Of January
two companies met rs
kaal both parties rep 'rting that
b trail between the two forts had
Ia crossed by Indians going in
Mhwest direction towards Elm
Mk, in what is now Bell county,
La included in Robertson's colony,
Fold Milan land district as IL was
ID styled. From the signs made by
RI Indians the conclusion was at
IL reached that IL was only q small
lRvlng party on q demonstrating ex-
3ltion. Can't. George b. Erath nov
shg at Waco with company
ii fifteen rangers, some from
hh fort, Immediately repaired TO the
|ibt where the Indians had inter
bed the trail, following in the direc.
b they had gone almost to the
nth of Elm creek. Here they sud.
4ly discovered that number of
lis came together, showing evident
Mat the Indians were not few, as
"a supposed, but many. They had,
|eems, up to this point been travel
Mn small parties, and IT was one OF
BE parties whose signs had been
kovered
"a BETWEEN THE FORTS.
Dr. the night of.the 9th the rsngers,
BIZ an elevated position, saw the
nbke ascending from the camp fires
HE Indians in densely timbered
|atom near by, and from the number
4eamp fires concluded that the enemy
she in considerable force. But moth
6f daunting the brave Capt. Erath
ia his trusty little company, an at
~ was ut once determined upon,
Notwithstanding the great peril which
|M few would have TO encounter in
hitting against such fearful odds. Ty-
|W their horses some distance out the
.'ikgla, with much difficulty, under
# cover of night, cautiously ap.
|tpsched the rendezvous of the In
Ehns, Arriving at the point before
|ay, they took shelter under the bank
n The creek within thirty feet Of the
ne, and silently awaited
Fl THE COMING OF THE MORN.
Nange to say, the dogs OF the In.
ans, rs wstchful as they are, did not
.&cover the near approach OF the
Mites. Daylight soon appeared, aud
ia Indians now began to arise from
Heir beds and stand about the fires.
|Aath had divided his men into
kpups of threes and ordered them to
|ApOr at different fires and to be Ger.
IN that no two were to shoot at the
<ihe Indians. Just rs the last In
Pms were budding around the fires
III dogs made the discovery and di-
pied attention 10 the spot where the
@gers lay in ambush eagerly waiting
the fray. The command was now
|Fen TO ire and at the crack of the
/ PES 8 number OF Indians fell at
|Hery camp fire. The IAitaus were
|Fnic-stricken and general
4mpede ensued among the survivors
very gun was now empty and the In.
Mn. We're thought to be about one
Rhdted and fifty in number. bis
c9Ye'lng that the rangers were few
/ Wy soon rallied and the fight now
BECAME A DESPERATE ONE.
kRsth ordered his men TO retreat, at
IN same time keeping himself in the
IN as they were retreating, While
4Nsing this retreat two OF his men,
IAnk Childress and David Clarke,
TIC killed outright. in the ravine.
large number OF the Indians had
{Shs. Some forty or fifty balls were
kgerwsrds found imbedded In the tree
Tie point where the rangers first
}OWed themselves in their retreat
.{m the ravine. The Indians were
EXPRESSING them very closely. Capt,
s'h was on one side Of the ravine
aalarge Indian n the other; both Of
EeI guns were empty, ana both were
%mqly loading their pieces, glaucing
III each other, There was no time for
Ii Precise measuring Of their powder
n Erath In his hurry and excitement
lred down handful. Both were
ftaed and raised their guns at the
ne moment. There were two stimuli
fFieous aud loud reports,
III BOTH FELL,
indian 10 rise no more, but Erath
IAntly rose To his feet. A ranger
- out, George, are you hurt"'
sh the genial Erath, German 10y
tsi, replied, mo, ish not hurt, my
I Knocks down before and behind
III gun had killed the indian and
Aed him down. The thirteen
encAns soon got out OF the bottom
III 70 their horses, from whence they
~ Their way back 10 the forts, leav
Il oehlnd them their two dead com
~ Poor Childress was not killed
= on the field, but was afterwsrd;
~ some distance from the ravine
FL hleless body resting sgainst q
IA with his guu by his side
ne was scalpe1 aud his hands
Me cut Off. The Indians buried
M ~ dead In a pOnd OF water aud II ed