Milford chronicle., 1888-01-27
again set IN.


at burned clay resembling everything within
7e the range Of imagination, from the ruins
E. Of ancient castles to the majestic pillars
Of and dones Of the Turkish capital Desc
lation in Its most forbidding aspect sur
T. rounded the modern implement Of civiliza-
ton and its escort as they hurried through
" this hell Of ancient times. Gen. Sully
lt chased the Indians through the bad lands
d once. He called it 'hell with the fires
IS out" This description is complete.
At noon halt was made to feed the
e stock and rest. A good watch was kept,
r but no Indians seen. This troubled Col
Lawrence, as it indicated serious trouble
y when it did come. The march was re-
8 sumed and the bad lands left and hour BE-
D hind at sundown. Camp was formed at
the foot of the hills Of the range that leads
: through Buffalo gap, the point by which
Q the party hoped to get in to the hills. The
: party went into camp as usual, but after
darkness had settled on the camp the en-
tire party moved back some sixty rods.
The precaution was timely. Lawrence,
J Ash and Presho returned to their first
camp ground and took post for the night.
Rolled up in their blankets they laid down
on the ground to await events, nor did I
they have long to wait, for the practiced /
eye Of Lawrence detected numerous OBJ
jects crawling toward their location /
! Lutat obJeClS pIOftQ 10 ne uOSllIe SIOUX
hunting for the camp as first located.
The Indians got on their feet, and seemed
puzzled by the way they acted. They
could not account for the removal of the
camp. Col Lawrence decided to surprise
them still more. He told Ash and Presho
to select two of the most prominent marks
to the left, while he would look after the
right. The forms or figures of the In
dians were not very distinct, still he risked
little in the attempt, as the redskins could
not return the fire Lawrence and his
companions fired at the signal. Two IN
earthly yells followed, and all was still
again, but the Indians had vanished in ,
| the darkness. Lawrence and his COM
rades held their positions until daylight.
when they discovered two dead Indians. !
as they supposed, but a closer inspection
found one alive. Col. Lawrence, who is I
master of the Sioux language, asked the '
then nearly dead Indian who they we're q
He was barely able to state that he was f
Yellow Hair, of Two Kettle band. and the +
dead savage was Jumping Thunder. of f
the Corn Planting band, Spotted Tails s
agency. Capt. Branch and party Joined s.
the Lawrence party just as the Indian 81
finished. Jumping Thunder was shot 81
through the left breast and Yellow Hair ri
through the stomach. "
Ash scalped the dead Indian and the a,
other one was left to his fate. 1t was de is
termined to get through Buffalo gap be- al
fore sundown. Capt. Branch and his
men knew that there was work ahead md n,
realized their danger. Toward the mi,t- h,
die OF the afternoon q large number of O(
Indians were discovered on the bluff near n
which the trail passed Fortunately for m
the mllmen there was timber on only one ms
side OF the trail where Indians could con- ch
ceal themselves. The boiler of the mill ri,
would furnish ample protection on one sa
side at least. 1t was determined to push ba
on and test the temper of the redskins. If or
1t was fight, why let it come, as come il m,
must sooner or later. An advance was II
ordered, the men keeping the boiler pa
between them and the timbered bInfTs po
" hen within long range OF the bluff IT
where the i5'aians had been seen, it was nu
uetermlneo to halt and await the attack nc nc
The oxen were driven down a ravine on ~,
the left out of rifle range on the right. SIN
The Indians observed the challenge and cor
accepted. A duel at long range continued ha
unul dark. Capt. Branch and his men uu
determined to pass the point where the
INDIANS had been seen during the night
and make Buffalo gan before morning.
rms project failed and daylight found
.hem several miles from the gap in -od
alrly good position to defend themselves -,
ne Indians had not anticipated this move nrC
ina were seen hot on the trail bv sunrise r.
bloodless duel on the part of tie whites Sie ~
all day W. W.
Trouble was expected during the night. boo
ma II came The night was very dark of
.nu favorable for both parties to conceal ~
heir movements The oxen were hitched ~.
o the wagons and hauled back on the bod
ran some forty rods, so that the Indians cirC
ould not locate the camp before morning. and
lawrence, Assn and Presho went back to ~,
ne hrst location to keep guard No In and
ians were seen during the night. but a Iis S'i'''
cry suspicious clump of brush had grown 81.
p during the night not far from tbe saiS
arty IL charge of the mill Two Indians g
al cut quantity of brush and crayvled eo,.,
p close to the trail so as to get in the rear {.
the mil camp as first located The nior
rush looked natural enough stuck in tbe -
round, but the practiced eye of Lawrence is+
elected the fraud, and he opened fire at {,
nee 10 warn the camp and expose the In f,I
ans VINO mad no chance to run and were clin
stween two fires. 1t took but a few H.,
inutes to settle their hash. Lawrence IL i,'' "
IL back to camp and prepared for hard nf II
5nV, winch was bitter on both sides. CROW
me indians were getting desperate and {.
'". 1he whites, TO save their scalDs. ,,,as
ere Ighting as men Will fight to save 7 ON
cir lives. There was no cover on the Ieft
the trail by which the Indians could roen
proach within range, which alone saved of 4
nod o,,t t'iiiig,t M A1Ne party from being New
pea out. The Indians had evidently
en REINFORCED For nearly two hours
ey Kept up steady fire from all points
thin range on the right of the trail ~ NJ
e boiler proved to be the salvation of iie,
pt. Branch and his men The WAGONS ii..~I iiI.5
re rlddled. Evans, Ash and Tavlor re- ~ - n
Ved Slight flesh wounds, not severe .. ~ ~ ~
)ugh to render them unfit for dntv .tau n9,
rec Indians were hit, but whether oIiie oS.I.s
aily or not it was impossible to find sSty ~,
., Altef supper council Of war was a. -
a. IL was possible to hold out twenty 80 w. 7
ans of defense ,,o1, ooilul'ioh or no OF
ice 1t was decided to abandon the mill o., o. .. y
oxen, and push through the gap be- ii M
daylight and procure re-enforcements ~ tl'o 9 q
custer City and return for the mill ~ ~ Z
IS programme was carried out, and sue s,,ati, ~
sfully. suctlC
The next afternoon Capt. Branch and eacy ..asg
party arrived at Custer, where they "A. e,'sS 90:
slVed hearty welcome. Volunteers n,,o ~ :" y
ermined p,er, ,,,;tb ly-Seven inche:
!, returned to the scene Of the fobt ulies' UNI
lead OF going to the mill direct thew nv. ~
ked the position held by the Indians ny q
ing the fight, and, to their satisfac- 80 ~ p I
. discovered abor,t 6ft,., r 5s-'-~ nave
ch for those VII 80 Iii''ians on ioUs L
six Of these ,o,ls,.i, 10 the If pl
first fire and tba AllIed az buckle
thew mannosJ y, ,.oI' - !. wouhued, ing wi
make good their escape. The mill seliiaI II.i y.
hauled into the mining camp. where l,i p1le "a
lid good service in furnishing tbo apply
ers with lumber. The oxen had been
en- OIL, and were never recovered
Evans and Taylor soon -recovsroJ The
! their wounds. Three of tbe orioi consid,
party are still in the Hills II = ing CO
is justice of the peace at -Sfnrois seen.
He baliavos - 81 - 80 IA, a.,