Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-04-21


Hardly half their original number
reached the hills and before the bar
the bodies lay In piles rs II hurled
there by some great explosion.
The first days fight was ended by
the taking of the chiefs body. The
night fell, still aud dark, and passed
without alarm. Tho dead were buried
In shallow graves dug in the sand, and
the wounded were made rs comforta-
bic as possible. About midnight two
OF the men crawled slowly away from
the bar into the blackness beyond
They were to try 10 get beyond the
Indian lines before daybreak, hide
themselves till dark again, and then
push on toward Fort Wallace. This
was a desperate chance, and their alb
sence weakened the defending force,
but the only hope was to get aid from
the post, one hundred and thirty miles
away.
Soon after they left the camp Lieut.
Beecher died. For hours he had begged
the men TO shoot him and end his suf-
fering lie was q nephew OF the late
Henry Ward Beechcr, and was brave
man and good officer
The Indians had posted their forces
so as to leave the road down the river
open, hoping that the scouts would try
TO escape by that way. Burdened with
their wounded and without horses,
they would have fallen an easy prey TO
the well-mounted savagea
No fires were lit on the sand bar, and
the darkness and silence completely
deceived the Indians
With the first gray light OF day the
scouts saw n large band OF mounted
Indians coming down TO take up the
trail of the supposed fugitivea Every
man laid low In his little rife pit, and
when the savages rode within hun
bred feet OF the bar each man picked
out his brave and fired. Many Indians
fell, and band OF ponies. seemingly
riderless, scurried back TO the bins
After this the Indians grew more eau.
tious and kept up siege at long range
No men were killed after the first
day, but the wounded suffered much
for food and care. One man dug n shall
low we'll In the sand and got plenty of
water, warm and full OF nlkali, but u
blessing for all that
They cut Oft the hind quarters OF tho
horses and boiled some of the flesh In
n small jar. Tho animals had laid for
two days Just as when killed and the
meat was horribly tainted Only by
sprinkling II with plenty OF gunpowder
could IL be used Mt all.
Whom night came again two men
tried to get through the Indian lines,
but were driven back. On the third
day n steady siege was kept up, with
only occasional hard fighting. That
night two men succeeded In getting
away.
On the fourth day Mr.. Moore died.
He had received heavy rife ball In
the head and had laid unconscious
since the arst day.
After tho 9th day no Indians were
seen. but the scouts could not venture
to move, for over half their number
were disabled. All woro suffering
from lack OF food and pricltly pears
were gathered to help out tho horse
meat The pears were 50 full OF tiny
needles that they only added TO the
sufferings OF the starving men
For four days more they waited.
watching the hills for Indians and
bghting starvation and death inside
the camp.
On the morning Of tho ninth day tho
| guard raised the cry of "Indinnsv'
The acn were worn and weary with
watching and fasting, the ammunition
was almost gone and all felt that the
end had come.
| Over the hills the dark line OF the
enemy was coming ON like ~ storm
cloud Each man grnsped his rifle
| tighter and braccd himself TO meet the
last charge.
The rising sun threw It's glow across
the valley, and n wild cheer arose from
| the little sandbnr rs It's light fell, not
on Indian warpaint and spear, but on
| the rifles OF soldiers. Threats fuu OF
dust, gunpowdcr and prickly pear
needles were forgotten. How they
cheercd those blue coatsl Even the
wounded raised themselves TO look at
the line that meant life and home. IL
was the relief from Fort Wallace. The
brave fellows who had crawlcd away
from the sandbar into the darkness had
reached the post and hurried back with
aid for their comrades
The Indians were gone. siege and
battle were over, litters were made,
and with every care for the weak and
wounded the return to Fort Wallace
was begun.
Everywhere were met traces Of the
battle The Indians had suffered great
losses, as was shown by the remains
on the field, though the majority Of
the dead were carried away Many
bodies resting on scaifolds were found
along the line Of the Indians retreat
Wet blood on some Of these showed
that the warrior was yet living when
placed there. Tho scouts had lost their
chief and many more, while their
colonel and half tho survivors were
wounded They reached Fort Wallace
in safety, and the Indians did not soon
forget the lesson Of the hriclsaree
fight, where fifty white men held back
ten times their number OF savnges -
San Francisco Chronicle.