The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-11

told less than single regiment of the Re-
bellIon. With scouts well ahead and COW
cred with skirmishers, they moved quietly
along the unused trail; they hunt their way
slowly through an extensive forest; they
probe the ravines and crown the few bare
hills, till, about noon, they merge into COM
paratively open ground. Lieutenant Fletch-
er, temporarily on the staff, takes a sudden
impulse to try his ield-glass. He gallops Oft
to join the headmost scout. A few hundred
yards being gained, standing on knoll to
the left of our path he catches the first
glimpse Of the Indians.
The General then dispatched an aid to
Captain Trimble, with the Instructions:
Take your troops and push straight on
westward to the river and watch out in that
direction" The aid went with Trimble to
scout the peninsula. General Howard then
rode over to Fletcher. and saw plainly nu-
merous mounted Indians in motion. They
seemed to have just discovered his approach,
and were taking on shadow of formation.
AS the General was looking he said: Let
the column keep well closed up and come
forward quickly" Soon the four pieces of
artillery were at Fletcher's knoll, and Lieu
tenant Otis, commanding then, was firing
endeavoring to reach the mass of Indians
that engaged his attention. Our little COL
umn On the trail, hurrying forward, had
well-nigh passed the deep canyon and the
cross ravine near ii, and were COM
ing together ON the fat plateau oppO-
site the mouth of the Cottonwood
when it was discovered that the Indians
were galloping back as fast as they could up
the main branch on both shores, mostly
concealed by the high banks. Their Leaders
turned to the leftinto the grand canyon and
were passing at a run and into a cross
rayine, which gave them good cover. OF
course the troops, to confront them, must
now face about, because their enterpriSing
enemy is nearly in their rear, and there is
danger of being caught before we are ready,
loo
pack-mues that are bearing ammunition and
food. Tired mules with heavy loads will
often lag behind and bother the best of
quartermasters. 1t was just this way that
the same Indians had turned Perry'S flank
at Whitebird. 1t was the same game that
the Sioux under Sitting Bull had played
with Custer in Montana. And how they
now sped on, yelling and running their
horses.
A moment before everybody was made to
believe that the Indians were trying TO es-
cape, for Chapman, the guide, had said {:
They cannot get away except by the big
canyon back there" Now Chapman's error
was evident; they were not escaping. At
once we took the offensive. The small bat
terry went back at double quick. 1t was
guarded by the troop of Captain Winters.
Winters galloped around the head of the
cross ravine, and there, just beyond the
bluff down in the low ground he found some
Indians already dlsm0unted, hiding and
waiting Instantly diSmOunting his men, he
put them into line, while the horses were
led back by few troopers. The firing be-
gan at once. Carbines and rifles cracked,
Calling guns ratified and the howitzerS
doomed away. Meanwhile several mounted
Indians, striving to keep beyond the range
of the guns, kept extending their line until
it became great enveloping curve. Colonel
Mason, the Inspector, seeing how needful it
was to lengthen our bending line, hurried
UP Captain BurtOn's company of infantry.
1t quickly took Winters place, pushing his
troop off to the left.
The first Indians that came out of the
canyOn-we would call them fiankers-suc-
ceeded in disabling two mules that were
loaded with howitzer ammunition, and they
killed the hackers in charge. By this time
Captains Whipple aud Perry had dis
mounted their cavalrymen aud prolonged
Winters line so much that they could cover
the fallen mules by rapid fire, and so they
saved the ammunition from capture. A
brave messenger had during the melee
guided the main supply train till Captain
Wilkinson, aid-de-camp came to help him.
They successfully maSsed the train near the
cavalry horses. aud well beyond the hostile
fire. Just as speedily as it could be done,
Trimble was brought back, and all the re-