Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-08
rHK WOUNDED KNEE rraHr.
A Graphic Description by One q tire Trssy
erx of the seventh.

Shnco StAtes caNalr.. WHICH perticipeteu IN
the Wounded Knee battle, save the Philsaei
phia Isqwi'v- today. has written the following
letter 30 his father. Alfred Edmunds Of Roy
boro. Private Rdmunds IL an unusually intel
hsent man. ss his description 10 scrse. vivid and
complete:
PrSr RrDoE AGENCY. SD, Dec. 81 iseo-N
$50 pm, December -. Lieut. Nicholson rode
into camp and reported that Maj white~ides
had corraled Big Foots band and that he
needed the assistance Of the SECOND battalion
TO disarm them We saddled up and went out
on the jump, arriving at Maj whitesides' camp
at II pm. that night We reinforced Maj.
whitesides without the Indians knowing Of 10
The first battalion had q chain guard around
the Indian camp. the sentries stationed about
10 yards apart and an officer with each relief.
We passed the night in quietne-s and dept on
the ground in our buffalo overcoats.
HOW THE TROOPS WERE POSTED.
DECEMBER 29.-Reveille at 5.<5 an We nd
died mp and everything Was in readiness NJ 80.
At am. we surrounded the Indians, taking
the following positions: @ troop mounted on
the east and about $50 yards east Of the circle
formed by the braves" in council. The circle
of braves surrounded by X and b troops
dismounted. formed in three parts Of a square.
and within fifteen yards Of the circle; A troop
N. n
twenty-five yards in the rear Of the square
formed by the troops around the council.
Battery OF Hotchkiss guns ~ was stationed on
hill $50 yards north II the Indian camp. To
the right OF the battery was r troop mounted.
On the south OF the Indian camp vas a troop
OF Indian scouts mounted and deployed ~
skirmlshers- In the OF the Indian scouts
I and ID troops mounted were depioyed rs
sknmishers. troop formed the chain guard
around the Indian camp. Between the INDIAN
L. h.
about fifteen to twenty feet deep.
THE HUNT FoR GUNS
The braves who formed the circle gave mn
about eight guns. Satisfied that they had hid
their arms, search was. made in the tepees
and guns were found in abundance Some
were taken apart and secreted In saddle bags
While the searching party going through
the tepees the squaws were ssddling up the
ponies aud the medicine man in the council Of
braves was making medicine 10 make the
braves proof against the white mems bullcts.
he was going througha pantomime all the time
and every motion he made an order that
was understood by the braves alone.
After the officers and searching party were
sure that they had all the arms that were So
GREETED they started for the braves in the circle
No one anticipated any trouble. but the mo-
ment they began TO search the first buck the
medicine man stopped down and gathering M
dirt IN each hand threw il in the AIR and inme-
~AA%s~AF ~ hhAAb-
THE BATTLE.
simultaneously every buck in council
jumped 10 his feet, drew Winchester from the
folds Of his blanket and commenced firing very
rapidly. II was a complete surprise but the
men stood their ground and poured shot after
shot into the reds. q troop dismounted and
followed mp the braves that sought the rsvine
for protection. Nolley after volley was poured
into the Indians in the rayine with deadly ef-
IL
down every Indian that showed up.
In the lnGian camp in a space Of 100 yards
square l3s dead Indians we're lying on the
ground. 1 do not believe that one Indian e.
capped. Squaws, children, bucks and ponies
were massacred. We lost twenty-seven Killed
on the battlefield and three died from the ef-
fects Of their wounds on the way 10 camp.
making a total of thirty. and forty wounded
now in the hospital IL is estimated that fron
$50 to 800 Indians were killed. The bullets
few around us like hailstones, and think that
the most Of our men were injured by our own
cross-fring.
soUAws AND CHILDREN.
We took about fifteen wounded squws and
children prisoners, also captured two herds q
ponies and about LIS Winchester rifles. Capt
Wallace Of troop was killed: his head was
crushed in by a war club. Lieut.. Darlington
was wounded in the shoulder. We marched
back to camp that night, arriving there about
Ii pm. Not a man in q troop was injured
We had two horses killed On our arrival at
the agency we found out that they had been
attacked, but they did not return the fire, Gen.
Brooke having ordered them not 10 do 30. No
harm resulted from the attacks rs the Indians
pulled right out One of the bands from the
agency had G troop in a bad place about two
miles from the battle with Big Foot's band.
They sent q courier into camp and We Of q
went outon a charge and pulled them through
AGAIN IN THE SADDLE.
December 30.-At reveille the ninth c.y,lry
came in from their fifth scouting trip. Half
hour later boots and saddles sounded IN the
ninth cavalry camp, q courier having come m
and reported that their wagon train was cap
tured by the Indians. Immediately after boots
and saddles was sounded in our camp and ~
went out to assist the ninth. The Indians we're
driven of and the wagon train retaken and
then we went back TO camp. Shortly after ve
got into camp water call was sounded IL VS.
thea am. While on our way TO water boots
and saddles was sounded again and we had 10
pull out without watering our horses The In
dams were firing and pillaging everything north
OF us. They tired to fire the Catholic mission,
a large brick building, about four miles north
of us. but we arrived too soon for them 70 90
complish their ends.
FIRING AT LONG RANGE.
We chased the Indians about two miles
further north into hilly country and then Che
battle commenced and lasted until nightfau-
The firing was mostly all at long range one 10 two
Thousand yards, but the bullets new thick and
fast for all that. We had bad position, and
but for the arrival of the ninth cavalry at
O'Clock we would have been surrounded.
shortly after we began to retreat toward camp.
The retreat was made in good order and with
out excitement Wounded in today's battle,
ten; killed, one-Francescheth of &c" troop.
At $50 pm. were aroused from our beds
TO fortify hill northeast of our camp and
southeast of the agency, word having been
brought in that the Indians would make IN a.
tack ON the agency and our camp during the
night. After terrifying the hill the men re-
turned to their beds about one and one-half hours
later. Nothing else occurred during the night.
There was heavy artillery firing northsast 81
us all night.
TEE INDIANS LOSSES.
December 3l.-This morning fifty prisoners,
all squaws and children, were brought in by
Indian police. The scouts had been out during
the night to find out the strength and los Of
the Indians in yesterdays battle. They ny
that the Indians numbered between 500 and
800 and that they lost in yesterdays battle 80
men. Lieut.. Mann was seriously injured in
this fight -Four companies OF the INST reg1-
ment Of infantry arrived at ] O'Clock today
with Gen Miles This afternoon the soldiers
are burying their dead
THE ORIGINAL JOHN.
A Question Conccrping the Rensins % -