Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-28

away, from behind the sheltering bluffs and
buttes and ridges, dashing down to the
attack, yelling like fends and firing like
boys on the Fourth of July, on they came.
score after score of Crazy Horses warriors,
bent on stampeding our poor, broken down
horses, and bursting through our lines. In
stantly every officer in our party sprang 70
join his troop. General Carr took one cool
glance about him, said "Sound to arms!
Bradley" to our headquarters trumpeter
and bade the orderly bring his horse. In
stantly, too, the men of Upham's battalion
seized their carbines and sprang into line.
''Sound the advance, Bradley" said our
placid commander, and the stirring notes
rang along the dripping ravine. The men
scrambled up the slope in front of them, and
ran nimbly out toward the herds, now
scampering in for shelter. All but one
herd. "Lookl look at the graysP' is the
yell. Sure enough. Montgomery's horses,
startled by the sudden clamor and following
the lead of one fool of charger, are scam
pering straight up the long wave of prairie
and into the very teeth of the Indian
skirmishers. A shout of mingled warning
and dismay goes up.
A GALLANT RETRIEVER.
Another moment and they are lost to us;
but, darting out beyond them, spurring his
steed to the top of his possibilities, Cor
poral Clanton turns the leader to the left
and half drives, half guides him around in
broad circle, and in less time than it takes
to write it the whole herd comes laundering
down to camp safely. Such a cheer as
goes up for ClantonI Three minutes and
all the herds-horses, ponies and mules
reach of Indian bullets, and all the cavalry
Il al
in skirmish order and driving rapid and
telling fire on the foe. The infantry come
rapidly forward on the left of Upham's
men; their "Long Toms" burst in to swell
the chorus of Indian Winchester" and
cavalry carbine, and in ten minutes the
roar of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. with us,
magazines with the Sioux-sounds like a
second Spottsylvania. The grand, stimuli
taneous dash, planned to surprise Crooks
veteran command and stampede his worn
out horses, has utterly failed in its object.
The herds are safe under cover, and in their
place long lines of fre-Aashing skirmishers
are seadily breasting the slopes, pushing
back the yelling warriors before them.
And yet, how scientifically and skilfully
these Indians fghtl Keeping 500 or 800
yards away, darling at full speed up and
down along our front, they maintain their
rapid fire and constant watch for any weak
or wavering point along the line. Every
now and then some one of their number will
spring from his pony and lie down to take
deliberate aim at some mounted officer.
General Carr on his big horse, sitting right
behind Mason's men, is an especial object
make it lively for everybody around him.
Brave old Sergeant Shredder, of "K" troop,
gets bullet through the thigh as he stands
composedly watching the fire of his men,
and two or three others along this front are
compelled to drop carbine and go limping
off for surgical aid. One young warrior in
his eagerness ventures too far and Paddy"
Nihil, of "F'' troop, runs a few yards for
ward, kneels, takes deliberate aim, tumbIes
the Indian out of his saddle, and, amid the
cheers of the whole battalion, secures his
pony.
REsCUING THEIR DEAD.
Down come scores of warriors from the
bluff, full speed, and in an instant they
have wheeled about and are scampering
back for shelter, bearing the body of their
comrade with them. And so, too, until it
| grows too dark to see, every time an Indian
drops, a rush is made and, whether killed
or only wounded, the body is thrown across
some sturdy pony and borne away behind
the screening ridge. Right out on the
good fellows and journalists, Finnerty, of
the Chicago Times. He has dropped his
pencil for the minute and is blazing away
| with his rifle, but when he sees the trooper
capture the pony he runs over to congratu-
late and take him by the hand-glorying in
the exploit of brother Patlander. Learn
ing his. name he delightedly heads new
paragraph "Nihil Fit then resumes his
long range rife practice.
On four sides of big square now-or at
least great, irregular circle-the combat is
at its height First in one place, then in
another, by furious dashes the Indians strive
to break the lines, but everywhere are met
by cool, sready volleys. "Halt" and "lie
down" have long since been signaled, and
| the skirmishers are now prone upon the
sward for the Indians have been pursued so
| far back that their bullets no longer en-
danger the herds and the wounded In the
village Little by little the fire slaekens;
little by little the dripping skies change
from gray to dun, then to brownish blue,
then night settles down upon crag and
prairie; the red flashes grow less and less
frequent, and at last die utterly away.
Slowly the lines are drawn in while strong
picket guards are posted, slowly and ten
derly the seriously wounded men are borne
back to the surgeons lodges The adjutants
tramp around from battalion to battalion
making up the list of casualties, and when
at last 1 get back to headquarters to make
my report, some poor devil of a half-starved
scout or trooper has stolen what has been
saved as my supper, and / celebrate the vic
tory of Slim Buttes on an empty stomach,
but roll in my old Navajo blanket, and with a
poncho for mattress, the prairie for bed and
the weeping skies for a roof. sleep as
soundly and as blissfully as ever man slept
on downy pillow.
CHARLES KING, U. s. A.