The Helena independent., 1891-11-18
4 DECEMBER TRAGEDY.


Tho Tcrrlbls Attack by sioux Indians ON
| Unitod staten Soidiers.
This was tho soeno on that dark Daccm-
Der day iii 186G--a day which made nation
shuddsr az it read the news from the from.
tisr: Here on the rising ground was Fort
Phil Kearny--a rude post against which the
hostile Sioux had hurled themselves g,Any
times. A quarter of q mile beyond vas q
ridge, with bushes scattered here and there.
| This ridge slopsd down to bit OF valley,
| and beyond the valley was second ridge;
This ran away into thioket and FOREST, ana
| here the Indians found cover and laid lans
| against the fort. Tho fuel for the post had
| to be cut and hauled from this forest, dis
tant at least three miles, and for weeks and
| the wagons.
This was the scene three or four years
| ago, when stood on the highest ground
and looked into the valley and over the
ridges. The wheat WAS ripeninR all along
the hillsides and upon tho ridges, and down
in the valleys the sheep and horses and
cows were grazing on rich green grass
There were hills OF corn in place OF bushes,
a field of oats, where the red men lay III
ambush that day.
1.-THE wood train has bssn attacked, sir!'
So reported the officer of the day to Col.
moment later an alarm WAS sounded. II
WAS early forenoon and the wood train and
ita guard had not been gone an hour. They
had scarcely crossed the second ridge when
the Indians attacked, and the sound of the
firing came back to the fort sharp and
clear.
There was something pitiful in the move
ment Immediately made to go to the rescue.
When all had been assembled, less than
eighty men could he spared to march out,
and some of those were volunteer civilians.
The garrison as it stood was not strong
enough to beat of vigorous attack, and
yet the wood train must be rescued.
There were those who lived to tell the
world how brave Col. Fetterman pleaded
with his superior officer to be allowed the
privilege of leading the detachment, and of
how the officers dropped out of line to kiss
open. Men looked about with white faces
and compressed lips and nodded good-bye
to those they were leaving behind, and
every living soul left in the fort stood at
the gate and watched the little band as it
marched swiftly over the first ridge and was
lost to sight.
The wood train had made good fight of
it. but the Indians had not planned to close
in at once. They wanted the firing TO be
heard and they wanted troops to be sent
out. The ambush was already prepared.
Down where the lambs frisk about in the
summer sunshine were the wagons at bay.
Here where the wheat was turning golden
were two hundred redskins hiding in the
thickets. Over there by the oat field was
another band. Down through this valley,
then lined with brush, came Fetterman and
his gallant men, cheering and firing and
seeing only half a hundred Indians dodging
about. They reached the train, but it was
only to be suddenly surrounded by circle
of fire.
Those at the fort heard crash after crash
of musketry, but in ten minutes all was
over, A scout sent out brought back dire
full news. Now the post was stripped of its
last man to send out another detachment,
until tho next day that the living reached
the dead There they lay on less than an
acre of ground-over there where the black
berry bushes grow rank and the rocks are
monuments to mark the tragedy. Officers
and privates; the veteran and the recruit.
broken through and escaped. All dead; all
frozen stiff; all hacked and scalped and
mutilated until wives and children could
not identify them.-Ihe World.
A Breach of Etiquette.
"What you doin', honey?' called an old
colored woman on Croghan street to he's
grandson, sitting in the shade eating
watermelon.
''Eatln' dish yer watahnilyun," replied
the boy.
"Ain't you eatin' hit wild knife, honey2"
''Yes'm; but tain no house knife; Use
got a barlow knife, has;'' this with boyish
pride.
"Well. honey. shet hit up an put hit in
yo' pocket" she said kindly. ''You amt
to blame for not knowin' how to eat a
Shet up. dat knife right
away, tells you, an dom lemme me ketch
you again eatin' watahmilyun wild it.
'"Iake up dat slice of milyun in yo' hams.
honey, an eat it right outen de CO. wild yo'
mouf. Stick yo' haid in hit clar to yo'
ysahs an chaw it out like as eff it was good
to eat. Watahmilyun aim no desert to be
eat wild silvah spoon honey; hits a lux
sury dat you got to waller in an eat wild
yo' intiah face; dat's what watahmilyun
is. Fo' de Lord, honey, Use sorry dat you
amt got de same op'chunities yo' granny
fer bein' raised wild quality folks"
The old woman heaved sigh of regret,
and the boy took up the melon and tried to
eat properly. Free Press.