Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21

tnelf nanus Dut rlnes ana belts OF ammunition,
were escaping from the other. In the exulta-
ton OF the moment our people forgot the cold,
the sleeplessness. the fatigue and hunger of the
two previous days and made the rocks resouud
with their cheers and shouts of derision. The
Cheyennes answered never a word. They hur-
parative safety farther up the TANKS Of the
mountains, and then, crawling into sheltered
hooks and crevices, awakened the echoes with
THE SHARP CRACK OF RIFLES
and the ominous ping" OF bullets, each seek
ing its billet. Under cover of this fire they
perfected arrangements for the safety of their
households, but reserved further demonstra-
tions until few bold youngsters, stealthily
creeping back through the mist of early morn
ing, should have driven out of our clutches the
herd OF several thousand ponies, hundreds of
which were already enveloped by our lines.
Several Of their warriors had already been
killed or wounded in an endeavor to save this
precious stock, and may say that one of the
most wildly remembered episodes Of the
whole affair was the baking of my horse at the
stark and stiffening body Of q dying Cheyenne
boy who lay directly across my path, shot
through the neck as he was bravely trying to
stampede the ponies In the very teeth of our
scouts. Wound closely about his neck was his
larlat; no doubt in my mind that he had slept
with it around or beside him, ready to spring
out Of bed and rope the first pony he might run
against In just such an emergency as this in
which he had yielded up his young life to q
sense Of duty worthy of any Spartan.
But, crawling in behind rocks and bluffs,
lodging from tree to tree, and sneaking back
among the tepees Of the village itself, the bold,
cunning Cheyennes were making ready to fight
for their herds and to drive us back. The mist
had lifted and the light Of morning was filter
ing down into the canyon. The movements of
the enemy were detected and Gen. Mackenzie.
realizing that not a moment was to be lost,
ordered Lieut.. John A. Mckinney with his
company, NJ of the fourth cavalry to charge
into the place where the enemy appeared to be
concentrating. The brave young officer never
battered Tor an instant, but charged across the
plateau and down upon the Cheyennes, until
he came to a gully with cut banks, which COM
pletely checked his advance. As his little COM
mand was wheeling by fours to the right to
pass TINS obstacle small party Of hostile
sharpshooters, concealed in and around the
gully and almost under our horses bellies,
opened murderous fire, beneath which poor
Mckinney fell. struck by six bullets, six of his
men wounded and a number of his horses shot.
The company was thrown into confusion and
several of the sets of tours turned in retreat.
mckenzie had observed the unfortunate turn
OF affairs and another company-that of Capt.
John NJ. Hamilton, fifth cavalry-being at hand.
he ordered it to the rescue, Mai. G. A Gordon,
NTH cavalry, accompanying this charge with
some men of the fourth and fifth not belonging
to Hamilton.
HASD-TO-HAND FIGHT.
The Cheyennes were unprepared for this
second onslaught, which, being most vigorously
pressed, drove them back in confusion Davis
of the fourth cavalry. coming up on Hamilton 8
flank, followed in after the Cheyennes and
boldly attacked them in the rocks and gullies
where they tried to make stand. This was
the hottest part of the fight, and both Davis
and Hamilton's men had hand o-hand fights
with the savages; twenty OF the bravest war
rlors OF the Cheyennes bit the dust and eight
of their bodies fell into our hands. From all
sides the enemy began closing in ON Davis and
would, am certain, have wiped out both him and
Hamilton had 1t not been for the mastery judg-
ment shown by Lieut. Schuyler who had ordered
his Shoshone scouts to make their way to the
summit OF very steep crag which commanded
the village, the plateau and the whole position,
and was, in fact, the key point. The joyous
yell of the Shoshones proved that they recog-
nlZed the value of their success; half of them
began demoniacal dance of triumph to the
music of the Cheyenne war drum. captured on
the groundwhere 1t lay just outside of the village
shrleks OF Joy almost drowned the roar of the
yolleys their more sagacious but not bit more
bloodthlrsty comrades were pouring in upon
the discounted Cheyennes.
The day was won and no one saw that better
than did the Cheyennes. They could not re-
tire from our immediate front with their
women and children, because that would pre-
cipitate an attack and entail further loss
Their policy was to hold on to their natural
Notifications in the high rocks, from which we
could not dlslodge them, until nightfall, and
then withdraw with their families their
wounded and dead to some locality impregna-
BILE to assault
Our men were peremptorily ordered to lie
down under cover and to waste no ammunition
There were paroxysmal volleys from one side
or the other, but the losses suffered were
trldlng, and 80 far as the Americans were con.
cerned there was no great amount of danger
shelter being adequate, except in the places OF
aids-de-camp, orderlies and officers reporting
Tor instruction, who, in moving from one fanB
to the other If not able to hug the cover of a
favorable ravlne. were compelled to ride at full
tilt, exposed to a more than generous share OF
leaden attentions from Cheyenne sharpshooters
One OF our soldiers met with death in rather q
curious way. He dlsregarded his orders anC
lifted his head and shoulders above cover
Hardly had he done so before a Cheyenne rifle.
man had drawn bead and put bullet through
his jaws; knocked senseless by the blow, he
fell forward, but still remained on his feet
against the bank in front Of him. The blood
from his wound poured down his throat and
choked him to death. Had he fallen head
downward, the blood would have flowed out from
his mouth and his life. perhaps, been saved, al
| the wound was not necessarily fatal one.
10 dlspel the monotony numbers of the
Shoshones and others, hurled their contemp
| and defiance at them, and then returned Il
their own lines.
There was something peculiarly irritating in
all this to the Shoshones. between whom and
the Cheyenpes a special hatred seemed to exist
The canyon became perfect bedlam with the
echoing and re-echoing of rifle volleys and the
yells and counter-yells of exasperated savages
but through it all the Cheyennes would dash
about Oh their war horses, chanting theil
songs, and bearing charmed lives whose frai
thread the tickle fates disdained to cut
DARING WARRIORS.
There was one notably daring warrior O,
chief, powerful-looking man, riding a fine
white horse and himself bearing on his left arm
a circular shield of buffalo hide and upon hi.
head war bonnet whose pendant eagle
plumeS swept the ground at his horses feet
Bullets struck the ground before him, behind
him, beside him; the air groaned with the
ominous whistle of deaths messengers, bu
each and all spared the grim Cheyenne, who
serenely rode along the front Of our line, vent
ing derision in the teeth of his foes until the
cool, deadly aim of Lieut.. Allison of the second
cavalry knocked him lifeless from his charger
Before the cheers from the whites and thei,
Indian allies had died away there issued from
the Cheyenne line a young warrior gorgeous
In his decorations Of feathers, mounted upon
spirited pony and bearing also upon his lef,
arm shield of buffalo hide, hardened in ths
fire and decorated with the plumage of the
bald-headed eagle. This brave CHEYENNE
charged recklessly into the face Of death
| scorning the bullets which made the air no,