Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-01-03
THE INDIAN BATTLE.

| Further Particulars OF the Late Encounter
with the Indians Sixty Soldiers. and
About $50 Indians said to Have Been
Killed and Wounded.
OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 31.-"In the morn
Ing, as soon as the ordinary military
work of the early day was done," wires
the Bees correspondent Mt the camp on
Wounded Knee creek of Mondays en-
gagement, "Major Whiteside deter
mined upon disarming the Indians at
once and ut o'clock the camp of Big
Foot was surrounded by the Seventh
cavalry and scouts. The Indians were
sitting in half circle. Four Hotchkiss
guns were placed upon the hill about
300 yards distant. Every preparation
was made not especially to fight, but to
show the Indians the futility of resist
ance. They seemed to recognize this
fact and when Major Whiteside ordered
them to come up twenty at time, and
give up their arms they came, but not
with their guns in sight. OF the first
twenty, but two displayed arms These
they gave up sullenly, and observing the
futility of that method of procedure,
Major Whiteside ordered detachment
Of X and A troops on foot to enter the
tepees and search them. This work had
hardly been entered upon when the 100
desperate Indians turned upon the sol
diers, who were gathered so closely
about the tepees and Immediately
storm of firing was poured upon the
military. 1t was thought the order to
search had been n signal. The latter
not anticipating any such action, had
been gathered in very closely and the
first firing was terribly disastrous to
them. The reply was immediate, how
ever, and in an instant 1t seemed that
the draw in which the Indian camp was
set was sunkcn Vesuvius.
1.-The soldiers, maddened at the sight
of their falling comrades, hardly await
ed the command and in a moment the
whole front was sheet of fire, above
which the smoke rolled, obscuring the
central scene from view. Through this
horrible curtain single Indians could be
seen Mt times flying before the fire, but
after the first discharge from the car
bines of the troopers there were few OF
them left. They fell on all sides like
grain in the course Of scythc. The
Indians and soldiers lay together and,
wounded, fought on the ground.
'Off through the draw toward the
bluffs the few remaining warriors fed,
but now evidently caring more for es-
cape than battle. Only the wounded
Indians seemed possessed OF the courage
of devils. From the ground where they
had fallen they continued to fire until
their ammunition was gone or until
killed by the soldiers. Both sides forgot
every thing except only the loading and
discharging Of guns.
1T was in the early part of the ARRAY
that hand to hand fighting was seen.
The carbines were dubbed, sabres
cleaned and war clubs circled in the
air and came down like thunderbolts.
Bnt this was only for short time. The
Indians could not stand the storm from
the soldiers. The remnant fed and the
battle became q hunt. 1t was now that
the artillery was called into requisition.
Before, the fighting was so close that
the guns could not be trained without
danger of death to the soldiers. Now,
with the Indians flying, it was easier to
reach them. The Calling and Hotch-
kiss guns were trained and then began
heavy firing which lasted half an hour
with frequent heavy volley of musketry
and cannon. 1t was war of extermi-
nation now with the troopers.
Reports place the number Of killed
and wounded at 90 soldiers and $50 In
dams.