Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-12
In the event Of his not hearing from Mills he
can surmise what has happened"

can surmise what has happened.
LIEUT.. SIMPSONS DIVERSION.
Simpson rode out and the Indians seeing him
we're apparently puzzled for o few minutes by
the movement. but as soon as he rode upon
the mound and opened fire they evidently re-
garded it a sort Of challenge They swarmed
out into the open ground and commenced cir
cling around the little squad, whooping and
yelling and firing their rifles. As soon as they
appeared to be pretty well occupied the staff
officer galloped down the trail and when he got
to the canon turned into 1t and rode on to
Mills with all speed.
Maj Ranlalrs command, consisting Of the
Snake and Grow warriors, was about as uncer-
tain as the enemy. Sometimes they would be
all around him and then they would vanish as
suddenly and as completely as il they had
made themselves air, into which they disap-
times he came within a hairs breadth of being
captured by reason Of those sudden aud unex-
pected assertions.
Capt. Bourke once got too FAR out on the line
and suddenly found himself nearly surrounded,
with disabled soldier on his hands The In
dams saw the situation and swooped down upon
them. The soldier begged Bourke to save him
self or both would be lost. There was too
much Irish blood in the aids veins for
this and he finally succeeded in bringing him
self and his comrade of.
COL. HENRY's FEARFUL WOUND.
Col Henry Of Royals command was not 90
fortunate, however. A we'll aimed shot struck
him in the face, inHicting q frightful wound
and nearly destroying both Of his eyes. For
some time ho was completely blind and help
less The fight was still being waged with vary
ing success along the generals and Royals
front, when suddenly Mills and his cavalry ap-
peared on the edge Of the canon and partly in
the rear OF the assaulting savages. They had
come up from the bed of the canon through the
little ravines in several columns, so that they
appeared on the bluff almost simultaneously.
No better object lesson upon the effect Of move
ment upon the line of an enemy's communi-
cations could well be imagined.
There was O general rush of the whole band
to their right rear, and in an incredibly short
space OF time not a hostile Indian was in sight.
The term rear" in this instance means the di-
rection opposite to the hostile village for in this
fight: 30 far as the troops were concerned, there
was absolutely no rear" or place OF safety.
The hostiles were on all Sides and an Indian
ally. who went back to the place from which the
command had but just moved, was there killed
and scalped.
TO MOVE THE WOUNDED.
The fight was over, but there was still diff
cult problem for the commander to solve.
There were o large number of dead and desper-
ately wounded men on his hands. The dead were
easily disposed of. They were buried and q
large fire was built over the spot to hide the
freshly disturbed earth. But without an am
bulance, wagon or wheel Of any kind the trans
portation of the wounded was not 80 easy.
From the custom of the Indians themselves
came the suggestion which was acted upon.
Poles were cut between fifteen and twenty feet
in length and between each pair mule was
roughly harnessed in much the same manner
that horse Is placed in the shafts of a single
wagon, barring the fact that there was no har-
ness, the substitute being of such material as
was to be had in the pack train. Between the
mule and the ends of the poles that dragged on
the ground after the manner OF the Indian
travaux were swung army saddle blankets and
such old pieces Of canvas as were obtainable.
Upon these roughly constructed hammocks or
stretchers were laid, with their heads consid-
erably elevated and their feet within a few
inches of the ground, Q score and more terribly
wounded men.
HENRY's MAGNIFICENT GRIT.
One incident Of this trip Of horrors will suf-
fee for all 1t was witnessed by the writer of
this sketch. Col Guy v. Henry, who is now
Fort Myer, who was being thus
had his head swollen to twice its
natural size. He could not see and could
barely speak so as to be Ineligible. The mule
that was dragging HIM along the side of an ex-
ceedingly rocky mountain path suddenly SHE'D
to one side, bringing one OF the poles of the