Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-11-08


times, and did not intend to APP
proach it until daylight. The sentinels
would be on the qui vive for Indians,
and the chances would be nine out of
ten that they would fire upon me in
the darkness. | had plenty of time,
therefore, and let my horse go at a
walk. We were in the open, and it
was nearly midnight when seven In.
dams suddenly rode across my course.
My horse heard them coming and
stopped of his own accord, and they
passed SO near that | could plainly
count the number. Had we been
broadside to them we might have been
seen, but as we were head on, and as
they were going at a cahter, we were
undiscovered. just about mile further
on we walked right into the camp of a
pioneer, who had pulled up stakes,
thrown his all into wagon, and was
bound for Kearney The family con-
sisted of seven persons, and every one
OF them were sound asleep. Talk
about luck, but they had Travelled all
the day before without seeing an In
dian, and had camped down here and
gone to sleep as coolly as the people
OF city go to bed! / had to get off
my horse to arouse the man, and when
l told him that Indians had passed
within mile, and that he must hitch
up and start out at once, he growled at
being broken OF his sleep! He started,
however, and strangely enough, the
whole outfit arrived safely at the fort
| rode on to within two miles Of the
springs, and then dismounted and
waited two hours for daylight. A
mist rose from the grass, and it had
just cleared and l had mounted and
advanced TO the brow of d rise, when
l caught sight of nine Indians on
horseback not over quarter of a
mile ahead. They had halted, and
were in consultation, and | was not
seen. What followed is a matter OF
frontier history. Singing my Win
chester over my back, and pulling my
revolvers | sounded my war-whoop
and charged the crowd. Three shots
were fired at me as | charged, but in
five minutes / had cleaned out the
crowd, killing three, badly wounding
two others, and causing the rest to
rattle away as IL the devil were in
pursuit. The dead and wounded were
carried into the post by the men,
where one warrior died and the Other
was later ON sent to Fort Leavenwortf
us prisoner. Had made any other
move than what | did | should hav,
lost my scalp.
| That same fall, late in the season
while was scouting from Fort Larnet
in the direction of the Smoky Hill
fort OF the Kansas river, having ,
pioneer with me, we suddenly came
upon signs of camp. AS we turned
I a hill saw an Indian pony picking a
the dead grass. As he was saddled
| huCW llldb ITO JlCbouOt Wio ICtti W bl'
it was likely that small party had dis
mounted to rest and eat their meat. In
deed, we soon discovered the smoke o
their fire, and there was no longer an
) doubt about it. The hostiles had the
broken up into small parties an
: were heading for winter quarters
| md I li.I hn1iaun thnpn
. six or eight reds in this one. TIL
pioneer had begged to come with m
to secure revenge, as all his family ha
t been butchered that summer. an
. up to this moment | had not doubte
Q his courage. Now that danger wa
: near his nerve went dead back on him
r and he even cried in his fright. / hav
Q seen this happen to a truly brave MAI
Q 1t is because his mind is not stron
s enough to control his nerve. 1t is as
: he had met with fall, and produce
II nervous prostration. He would be n
u good for a day or two, and althoug
d he begged of me to retreat, felt tn;
g our safety required me to scatter tn;
: band. He agreed to hide among I'll
n rocks and let his horse charge wit
mine, and he had his face to the cart
s when | left. | proceeded at wal
II until close upon the pony we had seel
y Beyond him were FIVE others, and b
= yond them was the camp fire, AS soc
d as the pony saw us he started off at
d trot, and then drew my revolver
, and charged. The pioneers horse ga
d loped beside me, and the Indian poni,
d made dash right through the cam
It | was indebted to them for this actio
= for it threw the redskins into CO
IT fusion. The affair did not last thrt
IS minutes. | killed three, wounded
y fourth, and the other two got away
d one on foot and the other on the pi
/ neer's horse. | secured four of Il
e ponies, all six of the rifles and outfit
D. and then went to the wounded warrio
IS He had bullet in his back, and w
lr MORALLY wounded. He tried his be
n to put an arrow into me, and, when
g would have propped up his head al
or give him drink, he bit my hand.
n therefore left him to the wolves, and
/, doubt they got him. When / came
| look for the pioneer he had disappeare
ly and four days later he turned up at t
rs fort, crazy as loon.
5, The next spring while leading
* scouting party up the Loup Fork
i'd the Platte river, the signs became
S, fresh one afternoon that | rode
ne ahead to reconnoiter. A band
about sixty Indians had conceal
ID themselves in a dry ravine, and / ST
II. denly found myself between two be
ID les. There wasn't one chance in
IL thousand of my getting away, and
nd the minute they gave me for reaecti
cd | determined to down as many of the
es as | could. | therefore rode straig