Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-10-06
0ATANNAH COURIER.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY.
s9AvANNAH.> = TENNESSEK
HBLoon FOR BLOOD.
How the Deaths of Kidder and Hts Mon
Were Avenged.

n ..H HH
now the Deaths of Kidder and Hts Mon
Were Avenged.
IL was eleven o'clock In the forenoon
when the column suddenly halted, and
minute later the news came down the
lines that tho trail of the lieutenant
and mis- six men was blotted out by the
hoof-prints of ponies. This meant that
war party had swung in behind them.
The ponies had been at full gallon
That meant that the party was in sight
of the redskins. H
We rode on Tor a mile and Just over
the crest of ridge we found the dead
body OF cavalry horse. II belonged
to one of the men with the Lieutenant,
The blood had poured out on the ground
from mouth and ears, proving that the
swift pace had brought death There
had been an instants halt here, Just
long enough for the trooper to secure
ammunition and mount up behind
comrade. Us s.iNI.f if INf
Another mile and we find where the
party had halted again. A horse fell,
hut was lifted up again and urged for
ward. Here we picked up half dozen
empty cartridge shells The Indians
had been held off for time. Only
half mile had been passed when the
horse went down again and died as he
fell. Here he lies on the trail, his bones
picked almost clean since day before
yesterday by wolf and vulture. Here
we pick up a handful of shells. Asthe
party started OF, again. two of the
horses were carrying double. fsbI
And whence, were, the men fleeing?
1t is forty miles TO Fort Wallace-thirty
miles back to the temporary camp from
where the courier started with this
escort. Rut they make head to the
west, squirting their jaded horses as they
never used spurs before. The lieuten-
ant rides ahead, looking for battler
ground; the Indians Shrek and scream
as they follow.
Halt! Dismount! Lie down.
The two double-loaded horses fell at
the same instant and lay prone on the
dry grass Of the sun-balsed plains, The
other three .heave to and fro and pitch
about as their riders dismount, but
keep their unsteady footing until
brought down by the bullets Of the
Indians Now the doom of the soldiers
is surely sealed. They are only seven
TO forty, and the ground furnishes all
the cover a warrior could wish for.
They make their circle to cut off Ill es-
cape, dismount and creep forward up
the dry bitches, along the ridges, from
rock to rock and bush to bush. Three
of the horses fell SO as to make tri-,
angle. sWithin the triangle gathered
the seven, using the bodies Of the
horses for a. breastwork, The sun
was not yet two hours high No
man lived to relate what orders were,
given by the, officer, what they planned
their hopes and fears, Under the burn
ing August sun, without water, with
out hope. of relief, with grim despair
weighing themldown, they hold their
own hour, after hour, At 10 O'Clock one
of their number was killed. AT noon a
second AT one O'Clock third AT
half past enc q fourth, At three
o'clock only sthe lieutenant and one
man were 1eft AT four there was no
more firing from the tiangle, and the
Indians charged TO find all dead. =.
They are here before us just as the
warrior found them. No, not that, but
as they left them. The wolves and
buzzards have been satisfied to feed on
the horses and pass the corpses by, but
as Ne Took down upon them every
soldier cries out in horror and indigna-
ton. The demons swho show no
mercy to the living can feel no
respect for the dead y who died
soldiers death. They have mutt.
lated them until the spectacle will rise
up as nightmare to every man in this
troop .sforevermore. God be thanked
that all'were dead before those fiends
beganDaworls with arrow, tomahawh
and knife!
We scatter out to search the battle
field. Here a warrior was wounded
here one killed. Here-and here--and
here are blood spots, which the wolves
have passed by. They prove what a
soldier loves to know-that his dead
comrades fought gallant fight
Scores and scores of empty shells in
that bloody triangle, but not single
cartridge left. We dig trench for thu
men-a grave for the officer-and wher
the earth has covered them in and w,
have piled stones as a safeguard
against Sthe hyenas of the plains
we ride away, in silence. NJ
man has al word for his comrade
He ii too busy with his thoughts. Al
thatvision dances, before his eyes ant
the odor OF. blood clings to his scent h
vowsyepgeance against warrior, squaw
and papoose to the end of time. aaa =.
A week later daylight breaks OF
the valley hundred miles away, tn,
bugler sounds the, charge and we dasi
intoan Indian village Nothing tina
lives Is spared. No cry for quarter i
needed. There are old men totterinl
about, babes born less than q mont
ago.s hAstroopsof demons charges. bacl
and forth shooting and lashing, scream
ing and eursings When the fight j
over there are no prisoners--no wound
ed IAN here are dead. Even the dog
of the village have been extermina to-
in that wild frenzy for revenge. Me-
look at the dead and cast reproachfu
chances at the troopers who sit thei
painting horses. In reply these mel
silently point to the. west and whisper
Remember 'Kidder and his menu