The Jersey City news., 1890-12-10
A CApTIyES ESCAPE.
I be Story Of Night Shadows FIigh
Under Fire.

LuNtT Lltts
On the 10th day Of June, 1857, small
body Of Indians appeared to the west Of
Fort Wallace. and from their maneuver-
ingscemed to be spying ct theehances of
cutting out the stage station. i,alf mile
from the fort. The station was guarded
by four o- FIVE men at the time, and the
corral held about thirty-five horses. /
had just come IN that morning from q
long scout, and was asleep when the In
dians were first seen. As soon as routed
ont | took two men with me and rode
down TO the station We picked up a
fourth man there and headed direct for
the redskins, who were then mile away.
We were not quarter Of mile from the
station when became suspicious that it
was q plot to draw rs away. We brought
our horses to a walk, and after getting
half a mile from the station we turned
to the left as If TO circle back. At that
moment 800 Cheyenne warriors, led by
old Roman Nose, burst out of the dry
ravines where they had been lying con-
cealed for two hours and made straight
for the station.
The plan would have done credit 10 a
brigadier. About 200 warriors threw
themselves between the station and the
fort, 30 as to be ready for any move on
the part of the soldiers. Thirty attacked
the adobe huts constituting the station.
About fifty made for the inclosure where
the horses were kept, and the others
rode to cut us four off the fort. Only
one part Of the plan miscarried. The
men at the station made such a fight
that the Indians could not break in on
them. They killed three warriors and
wounded seven, while they suffered no
loss themselves. They got the horses,
partly destroyed three stages. and kept
the soldiers of, and the four of us, seeing
that escape to the fort was cut off, rode
to the west in hopes TO outrun our pur-
suers. Unfortunately for me, / was
mounted on my own horse. who had
done sixty-five miles the day before and
was jaded For three miles he showed
a good leg, but then he began to weaken.
We were then ON level ground, and /
held him up with voice and spur for
another mile, or until we had gained q
spot coveres with outcropping of rock.
Those WHO wrote about this incident at
the time held the three station men up to
contempt for deserting me. did not
blame them at all. They were only en-
ployes Of the stage company. None OF
them had ever been at close quarters
with Indians before, and it would have
been strange if they had not been rat
tied. They were ahead Of me as my
horse went down, and | do not believe
they missed me- Poor fellows. Had
the four of us been there in the natural
rife pit among the rocks we could have
stood the redskins OFT in a handsome
manner. As it was was captured, and
they were shot down one by one as they
continued their fight.
Only thirty-fve Indians took up the
pursuit. When my horse fell with me
fifteen Of the warriors remained behind
to effect my capture. l rolled into a
natural hollow, pulled saddleand blanket
off my horse, and then as he struggled
up drove him liInping away. 1t was
an unfortunate thing. He was only 80
feet from me when they shot him dead,
and as he fell saw that he was in line
with dry ditch up which the enemy
could creep and shelter themselves be-
hind the body. That was just what they
did do. They didn't dare charge me, al
though fifteen to one, but they secured
positions from which they could shoot
me if raised my head six inches from
the earth, and when / realized that /
was helpless surrendered. There was
little formality about it. Among the
besiegers recognized Gn Indian named
Dark Day. / called out that / would
surrender, and the fifteen walked in on
me.
When an Indian is in luck he is good
natured. Those who had pursued my
three companions were now returning
with their scalps, horses and guns
had not hurt anybody. Roman Nose
had defed the fort and got away with
the station horses. There was every rea-
son for rejoicing, and as they formed a
circle about me every face wore smile,
and several of them greeted me with a
.'howdy?" They knew me for q govern
ment scout and rider. They knew had
killed three Cheyennes on the Smoky
Hill fork only the week before. They
knew that / had bslked two Of their
raids on stage stations, and that I had
once ridden right through camp Of 200
of them and carried OF the best horse
Roman Nose ever had.
An Indian sizes man up according
to his deeds. They took my rife, re-
yolver and knife, but We're very respect
ful about it. was then mounted on a
station horse, my feet tied under his
belly, and he was led behind a warriors
pony. They headed to the northwest,
and about an hour after dark we came
up with the main party. which was en-
camped in grove of cottonwood on a
small creek had no sooner disnount-
ed than was taken into the presence Of
Roman Nose. History has said that he
was one of the smartest chiefs any west
ern tribe ever had. He was smart only