Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27
POWDER RIVER MASSACRE
How Fetterman and His Brave Com
rades Fell.
DRAINED HIM WITH A BuoLE
General Brisbin Graphically Describes
One orthe Most Cruel Fights in
the History of Indian
Warfare.

eral Brisbin in the Chicago Times, Will
be remembered as long in the Powder
river country as the 18th Of June, 1916,
will be remembered in the valley of the
Little Big Horn. On the former date
fell Colonel Fetterman, Captain Fred
erick Brown. Lieutenant George w.
Grummond, seventy-siN enlisted men,
and two citizens. On the latter date
fell General Custer, eleven officers, $50
enlisted men, and three citizens. The
massacres marked epochs in the history
of Indian warfare in our country.
With the latter massacre we have
nothing TO 10 here. 1t is still fresh in
he minds Of men, and thousands of
pens have told the sad story of Clusters
folly and the sacrifice OF his brave and
devoted command. With the former
massacre it is our purpose and province
to deal in this sketch Of the Powder
river country.
On the day of the massacre the chill
dren who had been outside of the gates
of the fort playing, ran in shouting,
''Indians, Indians At the same time
the scouts on Picket hill signallcd that
the wood-train had been attacked. The
wagons were also reported as having
gone into corral not far from the fort.
Colonel Fetterman was detailed, and
Lieutenant Grummond, at his own re-
quest, went with Fetterman. Captain
Brown went without orders. The de-
tachment under Fettcrman, when it
marched out of the fort, consisted Of
himself. Lieutenant Grummond, Cap
tain Brown, and Wheatley, the guide,
and Fisher. an experienced frontiers
man, with seventy-siN enlisted men.
Colonel Darlington says he gave Fetter-
man particular orders to relieve the
train, and under no circumstances
to 90 beyond Dodge Trail ridge. Col
onel Darlington repeated his orders to
the mounted party. After Eetterman
had started. it being ascertained there
was no medical officer with the com
mand. Darlington sent Dr.. Hines with
an orderly to overtake Fettcrman and
report to him. The doctor soon re-
turned and said the train had gone on
to the woods and that Colonel Fetter-
man was on the ridge with hosts of In
dians in his front. Dr.. Hines said he
saw so many Indians to the right he
could not join Fetterman. Pretty soon
firing was heard and it was very sharp
for a time. The indians were falling
back and Eetterman following them
steadily. The firing died away for IL
time, but was soOr removed with such
rapidity it was evident to all hat heard
it a battle was in progress. In about
twelve minutes Captain Ten Eyck.
Lieutenant Matson, DR.. Hines, and
DR.. Guild marched out with a relieving
party to support Fetterman. They
moved at a double-quick and made
straight for the ridge where Fetterman
was fighting. He bad now disappeared
over the ridge at what was known as
Sullivan's hill. 1t was evident he was
driving the Indians and it was hoped
he would be successful in winning the
battle. The firing was increasing all
the time and Colonel Darlington Or
dered all the garrison to muster, and
the wagons and ambulances to be
hitched up.
THE DEATH STRUGGLE A CONE
and every one seemed to know it. There
were two heavy volleys, then some
sharp tile-firing, and all was quiet over
the hill. Had Colonel Fetterman sue
ceeded in beating the Indians or was
he himself beaten? The movement Of
Ten Eyck's party was watched with in
tense anxiety.
Just before Captain Ten Eyck reached
the top Of the ridge all firing beyond 1T
ceased. Either Fetterman had gained
a great victory or he was himself sur
rounded and being slaughtered. The
strain at first was terrible. 1t seemed
an age. but 1t was really only a few min
utes, until Orderly Sample was seen re-
turning at full speed on his horse to the
fort. He brought the news that the
valley beyond the ridge was filled with
hundreds of yelling Indians and that
| nothing could be seen of Fctterman or
his men. They challenged Ten Eyck
to come on n made "a movement to his
| right as if TO cut him OIL from the fort.
Ten Eyck, seeing he could not fight
with his feeble force one-half the In
dams in his front, fell back steadily IL
short distance, but soon advanced again
as the Indians seemed to be running
away. He was very cautious. but the
Indians we're evidently Withdrawing to
the east. The skirmishers soon came
upon the bodies of Fetterman and mis-
party, all killed, scalped, and many of
them horribly mutilated. Fetterman
and Captain Brown were found at IL
point nearest the fort, each with Il re-
volver-shot in the left temple and both
so scorched with powder as to leave lit
tie doubt they had shot each other when
all nope Vi SuCctSS OF c5CupC lltu lltu.
Wheatley and Fisher were found near IL
pile of Rocks surrounded by exploded
cartridge shells, showing their Henry
rifles had done good execution before
they were captured and killed. There
were DO Winchester shells lying about
Jim Wheatley's rock. The men lay on
the top of II narrow ridge over which
the road ran. They had evidently been
] drawn into a trap and attacked on all
sides by overwhelming numbers. There
was a ravine beyond where they had
first been assaulted and then reiterated
to the ridge to make their death stand
All the evidences of the ground showed
they had fought we'll, but not a man
was left to tell the tale of how they
ought. A bugler boy had
KILLED AN INDIAN WITH HIS BUGLE.
A soldier was found grasping a naked
gun-barrel in his stiffened fingers. An
other held a butcher-knife in his dead
hand and half the blade was broken off
in the body of an Indian.
Captain Ten Eyck recovered and
brought into the fort forty-nlne bodies
of Fetterman's command, including the
~colonel's and Browns. Lieutenant
Grummond's body could not be found.
1t was long after dark when Captain
Ten Eyck returned with his SAL burden
of forty-nine dead men, who marched
out of that fort at noon full of hone,