Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-01-05
Battle With the Indians.

Hostilities between the Indians
and government troops which have
been in anticipation for some time
in Dakota commenced Dec. 80.
Quite large number of Indians in
Guiding women and children had been
gathered at an agency where an at
tempt was made to disarm the men.
There were about $50 Indian war
riors who were surrounded by 5 regi-
ment of q. S. Cavalry. The Indi-
ans commenced to shoot down the
soldiers With the results detailed be-
| low.
In the morning, as soon as the or
dinary military work of the early day
was done, Major Whitesiles deter
mined upon disarming the Indians
at once and at six o'clock the camp
of Big Foot was surrounded by the
Seventh cavalry and Taylor's scouts.
This work had hardly been entered
upon when the 120 desperate Indians
turned upon the soldiers, who were
gathered closely about the tepees,
and Immediately a storm of firing
was poured upon the military. 1t
was as though the order to search
had been 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,
however, and in an instant it seemed
that the draw in which the Indian
camp was set was a sunken Vesuvius.
The soldiers, m addened at the sight
of their falling comrades, hardly
awaited the command, and in a mo-
ment the whole front was a sheet of
| fire, above which the smoke rolled,
obscuring the central scene from view
Through this horrible curtain single
Indians could be seen at times flying
before the fire, but after the first dis
charge from the cal bines of the
troopers there were few of them left.
They fell on all sides like grain in
the course of scythe. Indians and
soldiers lay together and, wounded,
fought on the ground.
OFF through the draw towards the
bluffs the few remaining warriors
fed, turning occasionally to fire, but
now evidently caring more for escape
than battle. Only the wounded In
dians seemed possessed of the cour-
age of devils. From the ground
where they had fallen they continued
to fire until their ammunition was
gone or until they were killed by the
soldiers. Both sides forgot every
thing excepting only the loading and
discharging of guns. 1t was only in
the early part of the affray that hand
to hand fighting was seen, carbines
were dubbed, sabers cleaned and
war clubs circled in the air and came
down like thunderbolts. But this
was for only short time. The In
dians could not stand storm from the
soldiers. They had not hoped to.
1t was only stroke of life before
death. The remnant fed and the
battle became a hunt. 1t was now
that the artillery was called into re-
quisition. Before, the fighting was
so close that the guns could not be
trained without danger to the soldiers.
Now with the Indians flying where
they might, it was easier to reach
them.
The Gatling and Hotchkiss guns
were trained and then began a heavy
firing which lasted half an hour with
frequent heavy volleys of musketry
and cannon. 1t was a war of ex-
termination now with the troopers.
1t was difficulty to restrain the troops. |
Tactics were almost abandoned. |
about the only tactics was to kill while
it could be done wherever an Indian
could be seen. Down into the creek |
and up over the bare hills they were
followed by artillery aud musketry
fire. and for several minutes the
went on until not a live
Indian was in sight.
WASHINGTON DEC. 80. The commits
sioner of Indian affairs, late this
received a telegram from
Special Agent Cooper at Pine Ridge,
dated today, confirming previous re-
prts of the fight at Wounded Knee
Creek, in which he says 25 soldiers
killed, 80 wounded, and about $50
Indians killed and 80 wounded and
captured. 4