The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-09

near and some more Indians. l say to de
lieutenant, 's1bley, by gar, we have to get
out of dis. Leave desc horses
'Sibley he say, MOL cam leave de horses.
Dey government property
III say, What you talk? by gar, l have
got de best horse i'll de whole out
fit. He my horse, my own horse. l
let him 90. l want to save my life.
If 1 wounded, you have got to
leave me. If you wounded we have to
leave YOU, You know what dat means. Any
man wounded he left, and dat means wors,
dan dead"
Bat was right. wounded mar in savage
warfare imperils the living, and there is no
hope for him if he is left. Those who blame
Gen. F'orsythe to-day, should remember that
he had thirty-eight wounded people to carry
from Wounded Knee. They were an en-
barrassment in that kind of warfare i'm
measureably beyond what they would be in
civilized warfare. All army men NOW
this.
In the battle at Wounded Knee a sergeant
received II fatal shot. u am lone TOR" he
said, as he fell. Make a breastwork of nv
body and save yourselves, boys" And they
did it.
Big Bat continued his story thus:
'Sibley, he say, 4 must account for de
government for de horses if We leave DEM
say, "If you stay here you count for
noting. De government have to count for
you"
81 crawl over to Frank and we join Sib-
ley. Dem pop pop, pop. A roam horse
falls. 1 say to Finerty, 'Ha, Finerty, some
ting more to put in you p,apalrI
''Oh! Damn my papalr, SAYS tlnerty.
eve consult with Gruard. We decide to
skin out an leave de horses as a blind, an
get up de mountain. 1t was shutdown. We
expect a charge. If We get up de hill we
would have some chance. Dere in de TIM
Der we had none. Sibley den give de or
ders for every mai to crawl on his belly. l
stay behind to shoot any man dat stand up
we strike de foot of de hill. Den we climb
carefully. so nobody could see us. We lis
ten to de pop, o pop. | say, 'Finerty,
dere must be some more horse gone, l
don't know de color. | can't tell you for
your papair.'
"Finerty he say: On! damn &c color
and damn de papair.'
by gar, we scrambled up de hills.
When we was going about twenty minoot it
come what expect-une grand fusillade,
and pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. Dey charge.
Get de saddles. Indian d%amphools, kill all
de horses, an get no scalp. Indians as
tonished. Dey know we got good position
1t CONS about dark. We get to de top of
de mountain. Den | miss my overcoat.
Mon Dieu. how cold! We look from top OF
de mountain on de oder side. Whew! We
see dc village. DO we know how many
Sioux. De whole village of de Sioux nation
was dere for miles. Den IN your
hair to creep. | look at Finerty and say
Now you have something to put in de
papair.'
"And Finerty he say: ooh, don't men
ton dat damn papalr.'
SIT get cold like a big blizzard. / have {
hickory shirt on. My overcoat is on da'
damn saddle. But we in a good strong pc
sition. Gruard he very sick. He dom
care it he live or die. say to de lieuten
ant, 'Sibley, l freeze. We got to have
fire.
Lieutenant he say, Bat, you make
! fire, | shoot you
II say, 'Sibley, | die wild de cold.
might as we'll be killed with pistol as freeze
, | make de fire
II do make it, Sibley he warm himself
, He say, it's all right, Bat. You an l d
together
4 II feel better. l get warm. l loo
around. By gar what you tink | see. Fin