Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-07-02

night, the settlers along the trail fur
nishinp them with fresh horses and pro-
visions
The willy redskins had learned by
some means that they were being Pur-
sued and kept scouts in the rear on the
trail in order to warn them OF the APP
proach of the soldiers. hoping to reach
Fort Lyons before beingovertaken- and
once there they would make a treaty OF
peace For once the red butchers were
caught IN their own trap Col Chiving-
ton made no attempt to follow the trail
of the Indians but cut directly across
the valley, and consequently while the
the troops swept down to Land creek.
where the Indians were camping.
The Indians Were discovered lust
after night-fan on a clear winter even
ing, and preparations Were at once
made for the battle The Indians went
through their usual war dance. as they
had murdered two families Just few
days before, and the fresh scalps of
their victims hung before the tepee of
one of the chiefs The wretches little
dreamed that the troops were intently
watching their performance. and be-
fore another sun arose they would all
be sent to the happy hunting grounds
One of the families that had last been
butchered was that of Joe Lamon, and
he had Joined the troops only the day
before the battle. swearing he would
never rest until the last Indian was
dead Lamon kept his word
The Indians could not have selected
a more propitious spot for camping. so
far as the soldiers were concerned
Their tepeeS were pitched in a basin in
the bed of the creek, and on all sides of
them were high banks Just before
daylight the soldiers surrounded the
camp and quietly waited Just as
dawn was breaking and the Indians be-
gan to stir about the critical moment
had arrived They had given no warn
ing to the settlers and shown no mercy,
and why should the soldiers give them
the slightest advantage2
At a signal from Col. Chivinrton
a hundred muslzets belched forth a vol
ley of leaden missiles right into the
tepees of the Indians The frightened
savages who were not killed by
the first fire endeavored to escape.
but each succeeding volley moved
them down, and finally ali We're
| still The rest is known. The
braves, their squaws and children had
| been killed and the murder of the inno-
| cent whites in the Arkansas and Platte
valleys had been avenged with a VEN
| geancef
Now comes the story of how old Joe
Lamon kept his word. In searching
through the tepees the soldiers found
two young Indian girls who had miracu-
ously escaped the fusilade. They were
| taken in charge by Col Chiyington,
and that night he had them placed in a
tent adjoining his own, for fear that
some of the enraged settlers would kill
them and make the score fully even
As an extra precaution he placed two
of his most trusted men on guard in
front of his tent During the night the
rear end of the tent where the two girls
were sleeping was split open. and in the
| twinllling of an eye the girls were dead.
A long. keen knife flashed in the air
and all was over.
The following morning when Col
Chivington ordered the girls brought 10
| his tent the horrible discovery was
made that they were dead Their heads
had been severed from their bodies,
just as Joe Lamsn found his wife and
daughter whsn he returned to his ruined
home after the savages had killed five
mem s<s of his ia My
The old settler vad kept his word; the
last of the bloodthirstv band had been
| wiped out He never returned to his
former home, but soon Joined a party
who were emigrating to New Mexico
| He settled down near Santa Fee where
he lived until his death--National
Labor Tribune.