Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-06-10

against regiment so long as his ammu-
milton lasted. This extravagant idea was
all but realized to the letter one summer
day in 1867, in the wilds of Dakota, when
Capt James Powell and twenty fol-
lowers kept at bay for three and a half
hours over 1900 Cheyenne and 'Arapahoe
warriors. 1t was an accident, of course,
that handful of men should be pitted
against such a host. 1t was an accident,
too, but a very fortunate one, that the
handful had just been armed with the
serviceable repeating rife, then quite new
on the plains, and the Indians were not
aware of it, and supposed that they had the
little band completely at disadvantage.
Capt Powell, with his company @, Twen-
ty-seventh United States infantry, was
guarding the wood train belonging to Fort
Phil Kearny, and disposed of his men in the
best manner possible in the timber where
the choppers we're at work. The pinery
was about five miles from the fort, the
nearest point from which help could be
drawn. Ordinarily the hostility of the
savages was displayed in harassing at
tacks on the choppers at their work and on
the wagons passing to and from the fort.
The summer previous, however, a body of
seventy-nine men, including officers, led
by Col. w. J. Fetterman, had been inter
cepted on the march from the fort to the
relief of wood train that had been at
tackled and slaughtered to a man. In an
ticipation Of an attempt by the Indians to
repeat that terrible act of vengeance, Pow
ell, on being assigned to the duty of guard
ing the choppers and trains, prepared for
the worst The drivers, choppers and
herders were under orders just where to go
and what to do in case of attack, so that
there might be no confusion or stampede
at the trying moment
Now in an emergency a man with a gun
standing or lying with an object between
his body and the foe, no matter If the OBJ
iect is only piece of canvas, feels better
for the bit of cover. To have him feel just
right at the outset will often make a brave
man of him through long fight The
better the protection as bullet armor the
better he will feel and the Drawer he will
be. Powell constructed cover for his camp
and reserve guards by removing the wagon
beds from their gearing and arranging them
with the right side upward on the ground
in the shape Of a circular parapet or a so
called corral" The wagon bodies were
of wood, of course, and were loopholed so
that men could fire without exposing
themselves. The wagons numbered only
fourteen, and in order to eplarge the circle
for the accommodation of all who might
seek protection there, intervals were left
between the wagon bodies, and filled up
with OK yokes, sacks of grain, rolled tent
cloths and other objects that would serve
to stop bullets and arrows. There were
also defensive positions on a rocky hillside
close to the places where the choppers and
cattle herders were employed during tn,
day, and in these the workmen and theil
immediate guards were to seek refuge il
case of a sudden attack.
Powell and his second in command
Lieut. John c. Jenniss, remained in the
corral with twenty-five soldiers and five
armed frontiersmen, who acted as guides
Interpreters, etc Thus the muster o.
fighting men in the corral was thirty-tw
in all, including the officers. Sharp Wig
ilance was practised night and day to pre-
vent surprise. On the morning of Aug
faint signs Of an attempt on the part o
the Indians to stampede the animals il
their grazing ground were disclosed abou
daylight, and all of the men of the CANT
took up their fighting attitudes In
very few minutes small mounted parties
of redskins dashed forward toward tn
corral and toward the herd. The herder
with their guards repulsed their assailants
and Capt Powell promptly deployed hi
reserves 10 cover bne ItbTtdb VI bhc pai y
to their hiding places among the rocks
where the choppers and their guards ha
already taken shelter. The Indians ar
peared in force, coming to level out o
ravines where they had massed themselve
while it was dark. A spirited skirmis
took place along The rocky hillside, bu
the Indians were driven off with heav
loss. Powel's reserve party lost fou
killed, and the remainder retired to tn
corral to await the general assault Tn
tactics of the savages were to stampede tn
cattle and the outlying parties first, an
then overwhelm the principal camp. tn
surprise having failed, they fell to NOR
serious work, and formed a body of sever
hundred mounted warriors in sight of I'll
->--I. g.. pc=a1l distributed his me
a e.