Telegram-herald., 1891-01-12

Opposite our right they were lower than
we behind rocks, logs and trees They
there constructed some rude barricsdcs.
AT most other points they found shelter
and were usually out OF sight Near
our left flank upon small Hill one In
dian early in the action purposely exc
posed himself to view, throwing up his
rcd blanket defiantly - you might UNI
furl fiag, and lcaping about with il
from point to point At that time we
had IN occasional sight of others In the
edge of neighboring wood Our
enemy distributed his best shooters at
various points Ono group was 20 lo-
Gated as to command our only spring of
water, which was situated some dis
tance out from our left The river be-
hind US was SO far down and so much
exposed TO skirnsishers from the other
bank that nobody vcntured there. Thus
hemmed in with savages very numer-
GUS and fighting with all the ferceness
of Arabs. without drinking water. and
with every man posted in defensive
line, the situation In the beginning was,
it must Be confessed, not very encour-
aging.
In the afternoon several enterprising
Indians crept furtiveiy toward Captain
Bancroft's and Lieutenant Haughey's
company-fronts, seized a ridge and,
with good shelter from 1t. began firing
not thirty yards OF. In the skirmish
that ensued Captain Bancroft, Lieuten-
ant Williams and several Of their men
were badly wounded. Captain NJ. p.
Miller, the senior artillery officer, ran
to Bancroft's front and called out:
"Cheer and charge" Haughey and his
company obeyed the call and joined
Bancroft in the cheer and charge. and
the ridge was promptly cleared
In one or another Of the charges made,
Captains Pollock and Jocelyn and Lieu
tenants Eltenhead, Farrow, Wood.
Baily, Duncan and their men played an
active part. We had not as yet done
much, but merely taken the outworks Of
Joseph's sheltered line. Following up
the excitement wilkinson gathered all
thssvailable men who from any cause
were not in front, including horse hold
ers, orderlies, extra duty and train men,
and with them made q rush from tho
right down into the ravine. This at
tempt drove in come worrisome sharp-
shooters and ID ade our exposed right
flank more secure. Fletcher and Otis
pointed the howitzers and helped on all
the exciting charges by landing shells 50
as to explode them among the Indians;
but this noisy work only made the warri-
ors cling more closely to their barricades.
Farther to the left the Indians soon at
tempted the white mans favorite game.
In squads, they too vailed and charged;
but Winters, Morris. Berry and Whipple
quickly arrested these onsets and sent
the Indians back with severe loss. But
as darkness came on our comrades did
not take very hopeful view of the field.
Cut of from all communication with
the outside world, our water supply still
in the encmy's hands. with every fight
ing man on the line-a single one, long
and finland with Indians numerous
enough to encircle our whole front, the
night was cherries indeed New bar
ricades were constructed on both sides.
The Indians were NOISY, and like Co
Hath Of old. frequently defied their
foes. Many of our officers risked their
lives by going in the night to the spring
to bring back water to refresh their
men, and greatly encouraged them In
the day time it had not been safe to
pass from one part Of our line to an
other. To avoid \ shot, Our officers
found that they must creep. like chill
dren, to and from the front.
Matters were yet substantially UNI
changed 1t dawn, except that IN often
sive plan had been promulgated Il
was, nrst, to recover the spring; second.
that every man should have his break
fast not emitting . cup Of coffee for
eath; third, to withdraw Captain Mill
er's artillery battalion (all that were
serving ~ infantry from the front line.
Fourth, at an hour appointed Miller was
to form q column, move out southwark,
pierce the hostile curve and, when Just
far enough across, face TO his right and
roll up that line. The howitzer battery
and all other troops were to support
and follow up Miller's movement II IL
ehould be successful But Joseph, seem
ing 70 anticipate some continuance
against him, had his own offensive
plan. He set in motion herd Of ponies,
some three hundred strong. and direct
ed them across the space which was not
covered by our troops. He did II doubt
less with view TO stampede our AMI
mails and possibly break our ranks and
terrify our men They ran swiftly. -
q herd of wild animals can. keeping
well together. but were themselves
turned from their straight course by The
discharge at them Of few pieces; and
they disappeared ~ suddenly - they
came without doing IA any perceptisls
damage
Oar operation for the second day coso-
menced about sunrise Miller bad Otis
battery 80 located a. 10 shell the bushes
and hollovs IN the neigh borbocd Of The
spring. Perry's and Rodney's men. who
were waiting on foot near ~ hand dur
ing the sheslinr. At TIE command and
with no little showing made series II
charges from hizlock 10 hiI1ock. t5l The
ground vas cleared Of enemies fer and
near. immediately picket posts were
% chosen and occups>6 ths4 . man.
rosrr with peis 90 The water, eczld Bct
A~.;p Re neoseeA~d eorn little nres
49, s~<ha<~~ ~S~< - e~1xx