Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-05

| fifteen Of the twenty men 70 assist In re-
polling the charge. The two field pieces
were loaded with canister, and every
thing was ready on the plateau. At a
given signal the body Of warriors
charged. Tho first line was half mile
away, and the ground was clear of all
obstruction. The gold hunters were or
dered 10 reserve their fire until the field
pieces were discharged. This did not
happen until the first line Of warriors
was within fifty feet of the breastworks.
The charge was checked in an instant,
and the slaughter was something horri-
BILE. As was determined by actual count,
.ffty-three warriors and seventy ponies
were left behind when the force drew of
and returned TO the spot whore Eagle
Feather had posted himself to watch and
direct The field pieces fired only two
rounds apiece, and some of the rifiemen
only got In one shot.
Within half an hour after being. driven
back Eagle Feather sent In word that
he was glad the white men exhibited SO
much bravery, az the honor of defeating
them would be greater. While his war
riors bad been unsuccessful In the first
charge, the second would be certain to
win the victory, and he warned them to
make ready for it. This they speedily
did. When the lines were formed again
every warrior was in them, while the big
chief took the lead. Tho same tactics
were pursued as before. Such warriors
as had been dismounted advanced on
foot. Again the gold hunters waited un-
til the enemy had come to close quarters,
and again the field pieces belched forth
their murderous fire'as q signal. 1t was
a lesson the Comanche tribe never for
got. In FIVE minutes every warrior who
could get away had retreated, leaving
the ground heaped with dead and diving.
A count of the bodies brought the total
up to Ill. Those who were wounded
were killed as fast as discovered. Eagle
Feather although in the thick of the
fray, was not even scratched, and as he
rallied his forces again out of rifle shot
he knew that be must change his tactics
or withdraw. lie had still 800 men left,
ind he had no thought of abandoning
the field
Gordon watched the movements of the
foe closely aud anxiously, and he soon
discovered the plan of the coming attack.
1t would be made on foot, and the lances
would be abandoned for the rifles. There
was ravine leading up from the prairie
to the lower basin. The Indians would
'be certain to come up that; others would
advance from the south, and others still
would advance through the brush on the
west side. The field pieces were planted
10 cover the points where a rush was
expected and the men posted anew.
Three kegs of powder were taken down
into the ravine and deposited among the
rocks as torpedoes, and everything was
ready by noon. 1t was half an hour
later when the Indians divided into three
commands and moved 10 attack. Gerry
had taught them how TO march on foot,
and they moved off almost as orderly as
regular infantry. The object OF those
advancing from the south was to secure
the bodies of the dead ponies for shelter,
and thus creep in close to the brcstworks
for rush.
Gordon had provided against this by
sending men out over the field, and their
fire kept the Indians off in this direc-
ton. The fight opened holly on the 9th
er sides, however, and as the Indians
were sheltered in their advance they soon
began TO work damage. Their fire was
concentrated on the field pieces, and
within an hour Gordon had four men
killed and three disabled. From half
past twelve TO half-past four the firing
was constant and almost entirely con-
fined to the rifles. The white men were
the best shots and were also more secure
ly sheltered. and therefore had the best
of it. But few Indians had appeared in
the ravine up to the last hour named.
Then they began to gather for rush.
One of the guns wss turned upon them,
and, when the shell with which it was
charged exploded it likewise exploded
two of the kegs of powder. How many
were killed and wounded no one could
say, because the terrific explosion hurled
down the high banks and filled the ra-
vine for hundred feet. A dozen or
more bodies were found, and parts of
others were blown into the upper basin.
The calamity in the ravine ended the
attack on the part of the Indians, and
Gordon at once assumed the aggressive.
The ponies of the Indians had been left
on the prairie, and just out of riheshot,
guarded by few warriors. He opened
on the herd with she'll, ami in three or
four rounds had scattered il. Whenever
the redskins attempted TO bunch in any
considerable number he shelled them,
and such horses as gal oped within rife
range were shot down by the rifiemen.
Euglc Feather had moro than enough be-
fore the sun went down. Once he rallied
his warriors as If for last desperate
charge, but they were so thoroughly
whipped that they refused to advance.
As darkness fell he began his retreat to
the pass, and he made no halt of con-
sequence until reaching his village, a
hundred miles away.
None of his dead was removed, but all
the wounded were taken away. Three
years later he gave his figures on the
fight. Ont Of his force of 460 men he
reached home with only 199 who had
escaped scot free. He lost in killed 141,
and had 140 wounded more or less
severely. OF his 4S0 ponies he lost at
least half. Gordon's party picked up
enough lances and rifles to load a wagon.
They also got large amount of ammu-
milton and other plumber. Among the
Indian dead were two famous medicine
men and -four sub chiefs, and Gerry was
also among tho slain. lie had not been
killed by the white men, but Eagle
Eeafhar slew him with his own hand ma