Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-09-07

-4N'A. SI4cu ,4cAStAss W { IaNS
been waiting for you 10 come. Why have
You been so longs Come on; we are
spelling for q fight; but mind you 10
more get eff. want at least ten scalps."
The Indians dIsnounted and begsn
crawling toward the fort. The grass was
high and gave good shelter. I've must
not let them get too close" said Max en,
for there are too many of them. Pick
out man each of yen, commencing on
the night. There is q fello. fatteRiug
himself on the earth. / think l can get
him, though he is about as thin as pane
OF x1udcw glass and SIS long as willow"
He took careful aim ana frsd, and the
savage sprsng up and then pitched for
ward on his face and lay still.
He is down." cried Maxwell, "and now
for the rest, boys"
The Indians had opened, and the firing
soon became general. For two hours is
went on without intermission. The
indians worked up nearer and nearer to
the fort despite the resistance of the
garrison. For three hours nothing could
be heard but the roise of the guns, the
yelling OF the white men and indians,
and the cries of the women. Maxwell ana
his msn fought like demons. Mrs. Max
well loaded and cooled the guns, aud May
went about among the men, helping hor
mother and carrying the men water and
food. After five hours hard fighting the
Indians drew eff, held a council and theu
went into camp. They divided into two
parties, one party eIcamplng on each
side of the fort so as to prevent the garri-
son from e,capipg during the night.
Several of the Indians csme down quite
close to the fort in the evening and
wanted to speak 70 the garrison, but after
one WAS shot they gave no more trouble
on that score.
Come! come on!' cried Maxwell, II am
spelling for fight. l don't want TO tax.
Why don't you fight, you cowardly red
TascatsY Here goes for ycu!' and he
fred his piece at the nearest warrior.
tie Indians fell back in haste, no doubt
thinking the very devil was in old Max
we'll. Bat they rallied and came on and
the battle became general again. The
white men were surrounded on every
side, aid it vas with the utmost difficulty
they could keep the Indians out of The
fort. Charge after charge Was made,
but the brave garrison stood true. After
an hour and halls fighting the Indians
back for rest and smoke. They next
commenced throwing arrows from their
bows, shooting them up in tbs air and
letting them descend point foremost into
The fort. As the meu had no protection
for their backs and heads this proved q
most formidable mode of attack. One OF
the men was soon severely wounded, an d
May Maxwell got an arrow through her
foot. About noon an Indian, who had
| been observed smoking all forenoon on a
| hill near the fort, suddenly rose up aud
walked down toward il. He kept on I'M
| til within sixty yards of the breastworks
when he suddenly fell dead, pierced by g
bullet from old Maxwelis gun. He was
| probably a medicine man who had lied
so long and so much to the Indians that
! he came to believe his own lies aud
thought that the white men could not hit
HIM with bullet.
| As soon as the medicine man fell, the
Indians drew off ana held a council.
! They seemed to think the only way now
was to watch the garrison ana starve it
out. Creeping up close to the works and
picketiDg the stream they began their
| patient seige. Not head or hand
| in the garrison could be seen without a
| bullet being fired at it.
The besniged had to lie close; but old
| Maxwell raised the devil about midnight
! by making a sudden attack, and the
Indians thinking he was coming sure
enough, ran off little. Next morning
| Maxwell surprised the savRges by build
| ing large fire, showing them that he had
wood aud water. Mrs. Maxwell also had
| tent put up, and the Indians observed
! the condition of the garrison was much
| improved, as if they liked it, and were
| going to stay there and fight it out IL il
| took all summer. Dashing down at the
! fort, they fired over a hundred shots al
tho tent, but Mrs. Maxwell bravely stood
! her ground and quietly went on with her
| cooking. The Indians circled around the
beseiged for nearly an hour, bat it waf
observed they did not fire much.
"They are getting out of ammunition
! said Maxwell. "Let US give them bluff,
! end jumping up, all the men poured in 6
steady and rapid fiIe for a few minutes
| The reds fell back and counseled again
and then one of them came down anC
called out: ''Good-bye; we are going
now"
Don't" cried Maxwell. "Give US one
more good fight before you go, do" The
Indian could be heard laughing, as b.
called back:
High! high! You are heap much too
brave!'
"Who are you people?" asked Maxwell
"Sioux and Nez Perces," he replied
"Good BY"
as it on the square?" asked one OF tn,
men of Maxwell.
Il guess So" he said, "but We will taxi
no chances, and keep close"
The Indians then rode off. Maxwell
and his little party kept close to the fort
but never saw an Indian again. The,
had killed eight reds in the fight, and onl.
two of their men were wounded. During
the battle Mr.. Maxwell had a close call
ball cutting away lock of his hair
and another one glazing his jaw. Mrs
Maxwell had ball wound in her arm
another carried away part of her shoe.
The man Maxwell sent out on the frs
night of the siege reached Fort Keogh il
safety, and Col. Baker with party o
cavalry was at once sent to the relief o
the beleaguered little garrison. HI
reached there the day after the INDIAN
left, and found Maxwell and his party en-
joying themselves. He brought then
b3ck to Miles City, where they wer'
Toasted by the citizens and made muci
of. Mr.. Maxwell gave up all idea of set
Ting on the Little Missouri and became
a citizen of Miles City. He was pho
neer in starting q line of stages from
Miles to Deadwood by way of the Tongut
river, and think is running them still.