The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-03

ate charges were hurled back by the
scouts, until at last, rushing over the
bodies of their dead. they reached the
body of their chief and bore 1t away.
Hardly half their original number
reached the hills. and before the bar
the bodies lay in piles as if hurled
there by some great explosion
The first days fight was ended by
the taking of the chiefs body. The
night fell, still and dark, and passed
without alarm. The dead were buried
in shallow graves dug in the sand, and
the wounded were made as comforta-
bile as possible. About midnight two
of the men crawlcd slowly away from
the bar into the blacIxneSs beyond
They We're to try to get beyond the
Indian lines before daybrcali, hide
themselves till dark again and then
push on toward Fort Wallace. This
was desperate chance, and their alb
sencc weakened the defending force.
but the only hope was 10 get aid from
the post, one hundred and thirty miles
away.
Soon after they left the camp Lieut..
Beecher died. For hours lie had begged
the men to shoot him and end his suf-
feriuE. lie was q nephew OF the late
Henry Ward Hcccher. and WIS brave
man and good officer.
The Indians had Po-tcd their forces
so as 10 leave the road down the river
open, hoping that the scouts would try
u escape Iv that way Eurdcncd with
their wounded and without horses,
they would have fallen an easy prey 10
the weil-moautc8 aaga-es-
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 4 large baud Of mounted
Indians coming down to take mp the
trail of the supposed fugitives. Every
man laid low in his little rife pit. and
when the savaaes rode within a hun
dr,d feet of the bar eagh man picked
out his brave and fred. Many Indians
fell, and 4 band Of ponies, seemingly
r;dcrlcss. scurricd back TO the bills.
After this the Indians grew more eau
tious and kept up a siege 1T long range.
No men were killed after the first
day, but the wounded suffered much
for food and care. One man dug a shall
low well in the sand and got plenty of
water, warm and full of allzali, but =
blessing for all that
They cut off the hind quarters Of the
horses and boiled some OF the flesh in
a small jar. The animals had laid for
two days Just as when killed and the
meat was horribly tainted Only by
sprinkling it with plenty OF gunpowdcr
could it be used AT all
When night came again two men
tried to get through the Indian lines,
but were driven back. On the third
day a 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
lie had received q heavy rifle ball in
the head and had laid unconscious
since the first day.
After the fifth day no Indians were
seen. but the scouts could not venture
to move. for over half their number
were disabled. All We're suffering
from lack Of food and prickly pears
were gathered to help ont the 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
fighting starvation and death inside
the camp.
guard raised the cry of Indians
The men 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 a. storm
cloud. Each man grasped his rifle
tighter and braccd himself TO meet the
last charge
The rising sun threw its glow across
the valley. and a wild cheer arose from
the little sandbar rs its light fell, not
on Indian warPaiut and spear, but on
the rifles of soldiers. Throats fun of
dust. gunpowder and prIcllly pear
needles were forgotten. How they
chccrcd those blue coats, Even the
wounded raised themselves TO look At
the line that meant life and home. i
was the relief from Fort Wallace. The
brave fellows who had crawicd 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, littcrs 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 10y the remains
on the field, though the ma jority OF
the dead were carried away. Many
bodies resting on scaffolds 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. The scouts had lost their
chief and many more, while their
colonel and half the survivors were
wounded. They reached Fort Wallace
in safety, and the Indians did not soon
forget the lesson of the Arickaree
fight, where fifty white men held back
ten times their number of savages. -
San Francisco Chronicle.