The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-04
THE Scene OF CARNAGE.
A Graphic Description Of the Field
Of Blood at Wounded
Knee, Dakota.
The Redskins Fought With Fiend-
ish Audacity Against Over
whelnlin9 Odds.
Awful Reyei Of Death When tho Troops
Had Rallied From Their Mo-
mentary Surprise.

PINE RIDGE AGENCY, s. D., Jan. 3.-The
special correspondent of the Chicago Herald
telegraphed that paper the following ac-
count of the battle Mt Wounded Knee, under
date Of December 81: II has been nearly
fifteen years since the Seventh regiment OF
cavalry faced the Sioux in war. When they
parted the last time the contingent of the
regiment under command Of Gen. George
Custer lay dead on a plateau and in the
ravines of tho Little Big Horn. Not man
III the command escaped. 1t has taken
long time for the troopers Of this now
famous regiment to avenge the death Of
their comrades. But the score is now being
wiped ont.
For forty eight hours the gullies and hills
to the north of the agency have been ring
ing with the reverberations Of the machine
guns Of the army as they send a storm Of
bullets beating npon the ambuscades and
hiding places of the painted warriors. The
war opened in earnest on Monday when Mai.
Whitesides attempted to disarm Big Foots
band. The story of this fight has been but
vaguely told by the newspaper correspon-
dents, owing to the confusion which exists
everywhere. But it was fight in which no
quarter was asked or given; where the
wounded fought until killed and where the
living seemed possessed of the hatred of
fends and gave battle SO long as blood
could be drawn. The morning was bright
and warm, and many Of the soldiers had
removed their heavy overcoats and caps.
iuip ina ~ <ha ca
onth had joined the command during the
night and at breakfast the soldiers had a
merry time. There was then no prospect
of war. Big Foot, who was i'll from conges-
ton of the lungs, had surrendered his
band, which consisted of about 100 able
bodied warriors and $50 old men,
women and children, and it was
thought that, with these hostjles
out of the way, the last disturbing
element among the Sioux would be removed.
The sun had been but few moments up
when ''boots and saddles was sounded,
and then with clanking carbines and sabers
Foot's camp. preceded by Captain Taylor,
OF the Ninth cavalry, who was in command
of a detachment Of Indian scouts. The
hostiles were in their tepees. and the smoke
which poured from the tops of the grimy
and dilapidated tents showed that the
savages were awake. The troopers we're
drawn up in line of battle 100 yards away,
X troop in command of Captain Wallace,
being in front. While the hostiles tum-
bled out of their tepees and began squatting
on the ground in half circle battery of
Hotchkiss guns was being placed in posi-
tion on the crest of commanding butte
at least one hundred yards behind the SOL
diers. II WAS noticed that the Indians were
sullen and in bad humor. Big Foot, who
WAS 80 i'll that he could not stand erect
crawled out of his tepee and extended his
hand as n sign that he wanted peace. The
suuaws were huddled back OF the bucks,
who were squatted on the ground. while all
around the village the little Indian children
played unmindful of the approaching
storm.
When everything was in readiness, Major
Whitesides, ,speak king through an interpreter,
formally demanded the unconditional sur
render of the band. A suilen grunt of as
sent went round the half circle. Then
Major Whitesides, continuing his short
speech. ordered the savages to approach in
companies of twenty and throw down their
guns and side arms at the feet of the
soldiers. The Indians were slow to act.
Finally twenty of them arose with aggra-
waiting deliberation and approached the
TROOPERS, who we're dismounted. Two of
them dropped two inferior looking rifles up
on the ground. Major Whitesides lost his
temper at this display and ordered Troops
and A to search the tepees. The
men responded with a will. Led by Capt.
Wallace. X troop. began the search of the
tents, while A troop surrounded the saw
ages. who were slowly rising from the
ground. Like flash the hostiles flung their
blankets aside, and as they did 80 their
hands clasped their rifles, which up 10 this
time had been concealed. Before an order
could be given to the imperiled troopers a
terrific volley WAS poured into their ranks
by the savages. The muZzles of some Of
the guns were pressed against the bodies OF
the cavalrymen. SO close were they TO the
treaclerous redskins. There was n clicking
of shell electors. and then again and again
n sheet of flame sprang from the rifles OF
the Indians. The destruction was awful.
Some of the troopers fell mt the tepees while
others filed the space between the actual
combatants and the rest of the soldiers, who
were hastily preparing to come to the re-
lief of their comrades. For two or three
minutes the savages were masters of the
field. Troops X and wavered before the
terrible onslaught and then fell back in dis
order. Contrary to all previous known
fanatical redskins fought with fiendish au-
dacity. They were 100 against 800 of the
best fighters of the army. VINO were backed
up by improved machine guns and COM
manded by veteran officers. They must
have known that they were to die there and
then. but it seemed to be the purpose OF
each one to perish fighting. There was no
running on their part after the first voliey
had been fired. With the awful war cry OF
their tribe the savages pressed forward
against the remnants of the two shattered
troops Not commissioned or non COM
missioned officer was left i'll X troop. Cap
tain Wallace lay dead in the flaps of n te-
pee, where he had fallen with a-rifie bullet
in his BRAIN and his skull beaten i'll with q
stone war club. and scattered all about him
were his men, many of them dead and
others groaning with the pains which their
wounds gave them.
treachefous onslaught. When the first vol
ley was fired, Capt. Taylor, commanding
the scouts, ordered his Indians to throw
themselves upon the ground SO that they
would not be mistaken by the troops for
hostiles. Taylor himself foil upon the
grass, a6d with his force poured n deadly
fire into the hostiles. His men remained
loyal and brave. Within live minutes after
the first shot was fired the whole regiment
WAS iii action. The troopers charged upon
tho sayages in the depression in the ground
whero Big Foot's village had been pitched.
and then ensued a hand to hand encounter,
the desperate character of which hns never
been recorded insthe history of i.dian war
fare. The Indirn was "A demon in his de-
Ii 4 Ex..rx. h.