Telegram-herald., 1889-08-27
A MYSTERIOUS FIND.
TIE Tragic Fate or Party OF
Western Enigrents.


The iadi4ns % the West were never 80
fierce an4 vinc'ctiss as after lie close of
TIE c.vi. war Beginning VITA tae spriu <
of l,1s there was rlsh ~ euigrAats inlo
tne 4ew States aad Territories, ana aboa,
tnts time cane reports 81 ge.l and silver Ia
several locsltiss- Ths Government pushed
troops ilt0 new districts, established atdi-
rcual pgsts a11 rhe red man saw the h4ad-
writing ga the wall he realized that he
wold be 5verrun unless the moyemea:
cou.t be che. zed. ana tAs various tribes
buried their differences Tor the tine beng
aad united oil their energies on the Cue OBJ
Iecf ~ driving the white mar back The
nguloer - en-. grants, land brokers, pros
pecrors aud scouts killed between Nay
lste, 4ud the campaign which closed with
Clusters death viii never De known. twas
Impossible fcr any one % secure figures
Men were butchered sirgy, Ia pairs, and
by rves snd tens along = frontier thou
san3 niles m len 9Th. and not one case IN
ten was ever recorded in ths public prints
II w1s the beginning " the cad, and fve
years ago tae power OF the red nan was
broken, and 10 was compelled 10 yield 20
The Inevitable
was seat 70 Fort Laraulie. IN Wyoming
Territory. early IN the summer of 1858,
having accepted the position OF Government
scout, and held that position al through
the troubles Of The next four years. Il may
Be- inferred, therefore, that | had nv fun
share OF close calls and narrow escapes.
As soon as fresh troops arrived al that and
other forts, ard the work OF suoduing the
Indians began IN earnest, every redskln
who could handle a gun was put into the
fed. Indeed, boys no more than twelve
years or age, armed wlth bows and arrows,
had tho opportunity 20 show their rlettlc,
aud / knew OF several dghts in watch the
Younger sQuaws took part l. was a case
= Go or die with the Indian, and be sac
ridcet his pride and MS legends that he
might hold his own against the white sol
diers / carried dispatches between Jules
burg and LARAMIE, and between Laramie
2Dd Fort Fetteruan, and outside OF tins ac-
cOmparled detached bodies on expeditions
or secuted on my own account There was
never DAY Of rest, and never day when
one felt sure tha. ne would live 70 see ths
sun 20 down. Soldiers were killed within
> nile II the gates or the fort, andthe place
vas 50 constantly under surveillance that
10 was hard. = possible 70 get IN or out with
olt beng Ercd upon.
The stran gest adventure OF the whole war
befel ne in July, 1856, and there was a
mystery connected with u which has not
been solved 20 this day / had been out
with q detached command OF 10O cavalry,
Which had secuted along the north fork OF
TIE Platte east from Laramie 10 the Copper
mountains These mountains are tho begin
uing of the Black Hills chain. On the east
SIDE or tho mountains We turned 10 the
uorth, rode Tor two days, and tue cavalry
thea made a halt for day and retired TO
Julesburg. The object was 10 cover as much
territory a possible and give the Indians 10
understand that we were aggressive. l had
.Orep0rt 20 the commander OF Fort Laramie,
aud instead OF returning and ascending the
Pate. / decided 20 try for pass through
ths Copper mountains, my fellow scouts
having tod ne that several existed. | left
The cavalry camp soon after DARK, II being
about twenty miles east OF the mountains.
We had been dozged BY Indians for two
days, and made LAY start al night 20 throw
1lcra o9 2 tho scea- l had q Jet black horse,
speedy and Intelligent, and the risk was not
- great, providing I did not run into 4
small Dand by accident.
For the frst two miles out OF camp
walked my horse, both OF Us watching aud
listening HIs senses were sharper than
nine, and a. Of a sudden he came 10 a dead
halt and pointed his nose TO the west, like a
dog flushing bird. That meant danger.
He lad been trained dovn fine before / got
him. AID was 20 0a depended on as much as
II he could speak. / was no sooner of his
bac1 taan he lay down, ard l had scarcei y
crOgched beside him waen three Indians,
mounted on ponies and heading TO the east,
passed Us % the right on q walk. The near
est one was not over ten feet away, and |
plainly scented TIE tobacco from MS pipe.
Tho ground was broken, with masses os
rock outcropplng here and there, aad i
would aavs taken sharp eyes 20 detect rs
even a. that short distance. l heard them
humble and uutter "a they passed Or, and
not until ten minutes after tao footsteps u
the ponies had died away in the distance did
Ne rise and proceed Had my horse been
oa he gailop. or had he been tea seconds
later in discovering The redskins, l might
10. have got away
Ha.f "a hour after daylight having net
with 90 further adventure. l was a. the
base of the mountains, striking the range
seventeen niles from - southern end, ard
a. = place vhica has since been named
Croos Pass I had li,tis fear of finding
Indians in tao mountains, unless SO was 2
body passing through The gap As soon as
7 was secure from ne prairle maze fire.
got ready ny cofec, and rested fcr tv1
hours Then I set ost 20 reach tho ofhe-
side ~ ths range. where would eitaer s'ay
oy until night or push n for LARAMIE g.
Cord.nT "a the iEns iD1lcatoa. ] aa pass lcr
ths first haif ui.s was fair enough f1r
wagon. Aftsr shat s. was scarce = Pcssia G
far a ssda horse 30 mszs bis way II ~s'