News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-02-12

one such was the gallant struggle OF Col.
G. A Forsyth and band of fifty scouts
with the terrible Cheyenne and Sioux war
riors and their bandit allies on the line of
the Kansas Pacific in 1863 In August of
that year there was an outbreak of savage
fiendishness along the borders of Kansas,
Colorado and Nebraska east of Denver.
The tribes of the region opposed the con-
struction of the railroad, and began to raid,
ravish and kill over a widespread territory
of thriving settlements. Their deeds were
such that no white man able to handle a
weapon could stay the passion of revenge.
Among the officers at Fort Wallace was
Col. G. A. Forsyth, civil war veteran
who had served with Sheridan. He was
on staff duty and had no followers, but in
the excitement of the hour drummed up
fifty unemployed scouts, mounted and
equipped in their own wild fashion, and
placed himself and men under military Or
ders. The second i'll command was hero
fitted to hold such relation to the gallant
colonel. This was Lieut.. f. H. Beecher
nephew of Henry Ward Beecher), also
civil war veteran, and one who had been
disabled at that. He was under orders TO
report for duty in Washington at later
date, and volunteered, or even begged, to
I'll in the interval fighting Indians.
the most recent depredations reported at
Fort Wallace, and struck a trail on
branch of Republican river on the 18th of
September. They followed the trail two
days without seeing a redskin, but evil
dences pointed to their presence in the vicin-
ity. They were trying to mislead and am
bush the daring party. On the afternoon
of the 10th Col. Forsyth halted and estab-
lished camp on Dry Fork, stream with
but few inches of water. He was in the
center of n plain skirted with hills and
dotted with clumps of stunted trees. Late
in the afternoon a band of several hundred
Indians rushed from cover and attempted
to stampede the animals that were grazing
near the camp. They were repulsed, and
Col. Forsyth, assuming this demonstration
to be the forerunner of a grand attack,
moved his force to an island in the middle
of the water course. The island bore a few
low trees. On the morning of the 18th
every man was alert before daylight, and
not q moment too soon. The horses were
tied in the bushes close at hand, and while
several picked marksmen kept up fire on
the nearest Indians, their companions dug
rifle pits and made circle of them SO as to
receive the enemy on all sides.
The Indians kept up steady fire with
their improved repeating rifles and coolly
took position in easy range, boys with bows
and arrows stealing up very close by crawl
ing on the ground. A shower of bullets
and arrows soon announced the onslaught
of numbers. Col. Forsyth babe his men hold
their fire and save ammunition for the try
ing moment The elevations at safe dis
tance were covered with non-combatant
savages, old men, women and children,
and with a wild, weird whoop they began
to jump and gesture as band of mounted
warriors, mum bering several hundred, set
out at full gallop toward the island. Not
n shot was fired by the scouts until the
savages came within easy reach. Then
rapid fire was opened, sending down the
front lines of warriors. The charge had
been made in solid column, as if to over
ride the brave little band in the rifepits.
At the head rode the war chief of the
Cheyennes, Roman Nose" typical saw
age of the wilds. No gaudy calico, or
flower sack stuff, or cast off army blanket
corrupted his regal figure, which was of
giant build. But buckskin and beads, and
feathers of the wild wing, and robe of
the rarest fur. distinguished him over all
his followers and above many a noted chief
OF these degenerate Indian days. He was
a taWny colored war god, breathing fire
and flashing lightning from his eagle eye
But all that heather nagniicence was not
bullet clad, nor was that noble form in
vulnerable. Roman Nose'' fell within a
few feet of the riaepits, and the painted
bucks that survived the terrible volley of
death shrank back appalled, at the spectacle.