The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-06-02

and now to relate SOME of the incidents
of the fight. The troops made night
march from Fort Lyon 10 mile, distant
and arrived nj sand Creek Il little before
SUNRISE. the Indians discovered then
when two miles AWAY. and Immediately
mounted almost all Of their women and
children on their best horses. and SEM
them AWAY To Il SUE distance. ~ thf
troops drew NY. -ab-ehief mined
White AntelopeTame eul Ia meet HEN
firm. his revolver Il. he advanced; the>f
were the first shots fired aud he Nil thu
first one In fall mention here that in
his trpec were found the daguerreotype-
of the lIungatc family, thus liking the
guilt of that alrocity on him aud hi
band. The Indians fought desperately
the whole forenoon of 4 short winter
day; they had their regular rifle pits,
being taught by Il couple of halt-breed
whose father, White man had them
educated in st. Louis: but charge OF
Cavalry soon drove them from the pits.
and about one O'Clock they retreated
leaving their dead but carrying of the
wounded.
Now | come 10 The woman question.
There i good authority for the rule
'.thry that take the sword shall perish
by the sword Belli9erent- must expect
10 stand their chanees. One woman i'll
one of thr rifle pits wis seen to shoot
and kill Il soldier. 1t VIZ found that Tier
rifle was an elegant aud splendid one.
Women were concealed i'll the tall glass
in the partially dry bed OF the creek,
some oil them With guns and some with
bow and arrows with which they would
shoot when they rot chance. \ sol
der looked into or Of the tepees and an
arrow from a Weman'- bow pierced
through both CHEEKS. \ Lieut.. SAW ii
heap of something in the tall grass coy
cred with 4 blanket, aud discharged his
revolver into it, the blanket WAS thrown
of and there WIS Il woman and two
children: .he seized her long hunting
knife and cut the chldrcn's Threats and
then her own. 1t would seem that most
of the few women who remained when
others We're sent away early in the morn
ing did so for the purpose of fighting, but
5 ONE who were not armed We're killed and
some children who were in the rifle pits
with the men who were fighting. My
son says there were probably one hun
tlrcd men in that regiment whose near
relatives. perhaps their own wives or
daughters had suffered the grossest in
dignitics from these (what they may be
excused for CALLING red devils; and it
gratiticd their vengeful feelings to carry
out Col. Chivington's ORDERS, to take no
prisoners.
The day after the fight every one did
very much as he pleased; there WAS very
little discipline. Many of the soldiers
!, no IpIian' =
horror of being scalped. il was what
gave terror to death. To render the
victory more effective the dead men We're
all scapcd. One of the soldiers, "A loose
fellow who had belonged to dramatic
company in Denver took off the scalp of
Il woman and exhibited il rs Il trophy.
but his comrades soon made him very
much ashamed of it. On their return to
Denver one soldier had womans scalp
fastened ON the bow Of his saddle. Tcs-
timony was brought before the Com
miitec To prove that il WaS the soldiers
own doing the fact WIS. the saddle was
from the saNagcS in that con-
dition. and the scalp WIS that of IL white
woman.
How many were killed: Witnesses
before the Committee ranged all the
way from 70 to GOO, which shows how
the testimony was. My son
went over thu ground carefully and h"
counted 60; but there We're evident signs
that Indians had crept in silly during
the night and carried off some. How
many were women he could not tell as
males and females both Wore blankets
and all looked alike. Black Kettle, the
principal chief who professed to be
friendly and had a L. $. flag on his tepce,
put in IL claim on the Government
Indian agents for compensation
for the loss of his people; he placed the
number at one hundred and thirty-tWo.
The unproyolpd-'I'h constant cry of
those who opposed the campaign was,
alt was an uaprovoked attack on II
friendly tribe" How rmprovoke,l ii WAS
we see by the desperation with which both
men aud women fought. and by the find
ing of the lilcncSses Of the lI,mgatr fam
lily already spoken of but an examination
of the contents of their tcpees reveals
more of thceXtcnt and character of their
\ large amount ot cloth
ing, womcn's and children's dresses,
shoes etc, articles that squaws never
wear, was only II prelude to what VA,
more horrible, many, very many scalps
of white women, some which surgeons
said had not been off more than from
six to ten days. some older and nearly
dry. all showing that these barbarties
had been continued for months. Then
there WAS II large amount of dry goods,
whole bolts of broadcloth, shectings,
dress goods and smaller articles, Il large
lot of carpenters and other mechanic s
tools, axes, and every thing wanted in
mechanical trades, all plundered from
wagons coming across the plains from the
east, teamstcrs and others being all MIR
dcled. Such were the evidences OF
fricndiness. Three years later Black
Kettle was killed in Kansas in open arms
against the Government by troops under
the command of Gen. Custer. In this
battle history says "the women fought
more desperately and courageously than
the men. They shot to kill, making nc
effort to shield or save themselves
TO show the uncertainty of the testi-
mony before the Investigating Commit
tee. one of the principal witnesses testi-
fed that Black Kettle had no L. 5. FLAG
over his tepee. Before leaving, the sol
diers set fire to all the tepees. Ny sou
happened along by that of this chief while
it was burning, and with difficulty and
some danger succeeded in saving the
flag. Seven or eight years after saw il
displayed in Canon City over the speak.
cr's stand one fourth of July.
should have mentioned that So many
trains were plundcred coming across tho
plains, that flour was worth $500 /;
hundred in Denver, and salt sold for /
dollar Il pound.
| derive the facts stated in this nara
ton partly from participants and partl,
from Halls History of Colorado, stand