Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-31
ATERRIBLERIDE
From NacheE River TO SteiiRcoOm
Thirty Years Ago-WbItes Am
pushed by TEdlans.
Reminiscenses Of "a Pioneer Vito stsNived
the Trip, bat who Was Re
ported Dead.


looking over my diary as kept in 1865,
lind the following account Of trip from
Capt. Hays camp on Nacheg river TO
Stellacoom, as an escort tojgpress Mes
sengers Mai. WIZ. 1idd and John Bradley.
Believing that may be OF interest to
your readers, | send you a copy; On
Octobef so, Col. A. B. Mcses, DR.. M. Il.
Burns, George Bright, Joseph Miles and
myself, 10 company with the express
messengers, left camp et the first cross
ing Of the Naehez riyer,'c travelled un-
molested until we Arrived at Bonnell
prairie, in the White river valley, at
o'cIocs Wednesday evening. Here we
met with party OF fllckitat and Ms
qually Indians, numbering about one
hundred and fifty warriors. HeYing
there discovered tiat Mr.. Connelrs
house had recently been burned, we in
quired of the indians (they at that time
showing no signs CT molestatio20 who
had burned the house, or II they knew
how il cams TO be burned. They denied
all knowledge Of tho cause, and declared
themselves entirely peaceable, saying
that their tum-tums were hyas close copa
Boston, 1. that o. cir hearts were right
towards tire Americans. We talked with
them a long time, csking many questions
why they were there, and endeavored, as
much as words would do, to draw them
out and make them show their true posi-
tion, they all the while making deoara-
lions OF friendship. We then went to
the place where we supposed they in
tended TO camp end endeavored to pur-
chase some mocclsins from their squRws,
and while there, we saw and oonversed a
while with their main chief, Leshi. Ia
the meantime al the first Indians were
gradually dispensing, but we did not
know ct that time where. We then
mounted our horses again and proceeded
on our route, about half a mile 10 "a
deep muddy swamp. There we re-
ceiyed
A Nc RDERoUS FIRE
from these very same Indians, who had
secreted themselves in ambush behind us.
Col. A. Benton Moses received ball, en-
tering the left side OF the back andpassed
Immediately under the heart and came out
through the right breast, going through
the center OF letter in the breast pocket
OF his overcoat. Joseph Miles OF Olympia
received wound In the neck, which I'M
horsed him, lie tell In the deer mud and
was unable to regain his horse or get out
without assistance. We directed him 70
take hold OF his stlrrup-leather while we
gathered his horse's bride, aud then put
ting spurs to our horses we succeeded
in dragging him out of the mud We
found that he had become 80 faint that II
was impossible for him TO mount his
horse He then told us to leave nim and
make our escape II posi-
BILE. as there was no hope for
him All this time the Indians were pour
ing iuto as continuous Gre, not.
more than thirty yards distant, In which
Mai. Tldd received three slugs on the
head, which did not penetrate the skull.
We were compelled to leave Mllea, 80 we
put spurs TO our horses and rode about a
mile and a half, when Col Moses became
so exhausted In consequence Of his
wounds that he could not remain on
horseback any longer. We dismounted
and carried him some two HundreG yards
and hid him In the brush remountod
and rode at full specific vt crossing
OF Finnelrs creek HuJc discovered
another ambuca dei who. on We dis
mounted and made d into the
brnsh, three ~ us up'u ne side OF the
road Npd twoUUDu tuD other. Each OF us
dischargiug thg luii contents OF our re-
Yolgers and tGgn using our sabers, COM
pletely
ROUTING THE INDIANS,
they not tring a gun. We must have
killed quite number of them as none Of
MS had TO Shoot more than ten feet, and
btNtIhl tlthtb Ut pluCth our IcNO'NcIa
against their bodies. Returning To Col.
Moses for the purpose Of making him
more secure and comfortable, we took our
coats and wrapped them around him and
left him, having rendered him all the as
sstance In our power that we wers able
under the circumstances. On leaving
him, his last words were; "Boys, If y0u
escape, remember Riu" We returned To
the edge OF the bluf, going down TO Fin
nell's creek aud discovered large body
OF Indians ON the opposite side OF the
prairie, that lay close by, but our
number being so few, we did not
think IL advisable 10 risk another at
tack All of us, with the exception of
Dr. M. r. Burns, took to the brush, but
he kept straight on, declaring that che
would fight until he died" We consid-
cred IL recklessnesG, hnt IL was utterly
impossible to persuade him otherwise,
We saw him enter the timber on the OPP
posite side of the prairie, aud immediate
ly heard the report OF three guns and an
Indian yell, and very naturally supposed
that was the last OF him, We Kept In the
brush and travelled until dark, and then
stepped and held quite a consultation as
TO which course to pursue Some We're
for returning 10 Capt. Hays camp, others
for making the settlements, but ws finally
concluded to make for the settlements,
believing that we could get assistance to
Col. Moses sooner. The weather was
very disagreeable rainy and dark ia the
forepart OF the night and freezing In the
atterpart. We all became so exhausted
that we could not travel bat short dis
tance at time, sometimes
VITO uUE WAISTS IN WATER,
and at others entangled In the immense
thickets Of undefbrush aud fallen timber
While we rested two Of us would lay
down on the ground and the other two on
top OF them. When the two underneath
would get little warm, we would then
change positions. At other times when
we would get 70 a hollow stump or tree
two OF us would eEter and allow the
other two TO lean against our breasts
and blow the warm breath In one
anofharic facpg Ahnut daviiUht u,a