Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-05

early days of the frontier. y short
while after first met him he pad
me visit at Hays City. and was
my guest. He remained with me
several days, and then went TO his
son.in.law'S residence. near Fort
Lyon, ON the Picket Wire Creek,
i'm Colorado, where in short time
he died.
DUEL WITH YELLOW HAND.
"What were the circumstances
of your duel with Yellow Hand !"
"The Sioux war broke out in
1876. General Custer was slain on
the 25th of June, when | was
acting as scout for the Fifth Cav
aliy, under General Merritt. We
were on our way to Fort Laramie
when the news reached us that
Custer and his gallant troops had
been massacred on the Little Big
Horn. We started back to join
General Crook in the Big Horn
country, when we received word
that eight hundred Cheyenne war;
riors had that day left the Red
Cloud Agency to join Sitting Bulls
forces. General Merritt resolved
10 intercept the Cheyennes. Ile
selected five hundred men and
horses and pushed rapidly to War
Bonnet Creek. On July Il, 1876,
| discovered the Chcyennes. They
did not see our troops. General
Merritt, several aids and | went
ahead and saw the Indians advanc-
ing directly toward us. Suddenly
twenty or thirty Of them dashed
off in western direction. With
our field glasses we discovered two
mounted soldiers, perhaps bringing
dispatches to us, riding rapidly
forward on our trail. The Indians
were endeavOring to intercept
them. The General did not deem
it wise to send soldiers to the aid
of the conriers, because it wOnld
discover to the Indians that troops
were in the vicinity waiting TO at
tack them. was commissioned to
90 back to the command, pick out
fifteen scouts and rescue the cOu-
riers. Jnst as the Indians began
to charge the two soldiers . dashed
with my scouts to intercept them.
A sharp running fight took place
and we killed three of their num-
Der. The main body of Indians
appeared in sight, and the sklrm-
ishers--the Indians we were chas.
ing-tOOk courage and charged us.
A lively little fight occurred, and
we checked their advance. We
we're perhaps half mile from
General Merritt, who kept an eye
on our movements. a big chief,
gorgeously attired with topplumes
and royal paraphernalia, rode out
in front on a magnificent horse,
and, in his own language, challeng-
ed me to mortal combat. lie
said:
"T know you, Pa.he-haska;' if
you want to fight, come ahead and
fight me-"
81 accepted and galloped forward
to meet him. / advanced fifty
wards and be about the same dis
tance. We were at foil speed
when we came within fifty yards OF
each other. ] raised my rifle and
shot his horse dead in its tracks.
At the same instan, my hors~
stepped into a hole and fell. ! was
not injured by my horses fall, and
sprang upon my feet. The Indian
arose as quickly as ! did and faced
me not twenty steps distant. We
both raised our rifles and fired at
the same time. lie missed me and
my bullet pierced his breast. In
second | was on him and drove my
knife to the hilt IN bis heart. Then
| pulled off his war bonnet aud
scalped him in the most approved
Indian style. The Indians, seeing
their chief slain, charged upon me.
Colonel Mason, with Company, h,
came to my assistance and drove
the enemy back. As the soldiers
galloped up l held up the scalp
and the war.bonnet and shouted:
'The first scalp for Custer ' The
chief killed was Yellow Hand, son
OF old Cut-NOse. The latter offered
me four mules to deliver mp his
sons scalp, war.bonnet and arms.
haven't complied with old Cnt-
Noses desire yet, and still keep the
dead chieftain's war outfit"
IekIn1 Marcy tnr nIuVprluS