Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-05-05
WHITE AGAINST RED
BY N. QUAD.

BY N. QUAD.
Up to the year 1859 tho Comanche In
dams boosted that they had never been
defeated In battle with white men.
They were arrogant and bloo1thirsty,
and were at war with oil the world
They would not make peace with other
tribes, but wagcd constant and vindictive
warfare on white and red alike. They
were rich, strong in numbers, and the
best horsemen i'm the world, and they
made war because they loved the adven-
ture of it.
In May of the year named a Texan
known as Capt. Gordon, who was On old
Indian fighter, learned that there was
gold in the Big Wichita Mountains of
western Texas. This chain of mountains
forms the eastern boundary of the Great
Staked Plains, but the Comanches ranged
as far west as the Rio Pecos River. Capt.
Gordon called for volunteers 10 explore
the gold fields, and the expedition was
fitted out at Santa Fe. He knew what
was before him, and he did not cut loose
until he had secured 139 men. They
were oil border men, and each furnished
his own horse und arms. Every one had
rife, and most of them revolver rs
well, and Gordon got the loan of two
field pieces WIND trained crew to work
them. There were about forty pack
mules, loaded with provisions and ammu-
milton, and it was believed that the COM
pany was strong enough to take care of
itself under any circumstances. 1t was
so long in getting really that the Indians
heard of its object, and Eagle Feather,
then the head chief of the Comanches,
sent this 10 Capt. Gordon:
l want scalps, horses, rifles, and powder.
Come as fast as you cant
No one was frightened over the mes
sage, and in due time the expedition set
out. Capt. Gordon was confident that he
would be attacked before crossing the
Canadian River, and he was not surprised
a. finding the Indians oil about him as
the command emerged into the Chico
Valley {, the;west OF old Fort Bascom.
Eagle Feather had gathered together 4S2
warriors. the flower of his tribe. They
were ordinary warriors, but each could
boast of having killed IN enemy. They
were mounted on the finest war ponies,
and every one had lance and a rife.
uuu eOIlC uuu UONS huu uITONb III uuul-
ton. A moro notable war party was
never raised, and it started out to meet
the invaders, boasting thatit would bring
back the scalp of every white man in the
expedition.
Gordon was familiar with tho Chico
and knew where the attack would be
made. The Indians would wait until he
was ready to enter the spass leading
through the Oh. co Mountains to the river
and beyond. 1t was position they
could hold against 10000 men, and he
realized that he must draw them away
from it. The command marched TO
within three miles of the pass and then
turned to the north, as if 20 seek for an
other. For distance of twelve miles
the two commands held parallel course,
and were not over two miles apart. The
Indians Rugged the base of the range so
as to prevent the white men from enter
ing any of the passes, while Gordon
watched for battle ground in tho VOL
ley. He found it twelve miles above the
PISS just at shutdown on June day.
Tao spot selected was natural sink on
the crest of O mound or q series of
mounds, taking in an area of about two
acres.
There was wall of earth around this
sink, as If q small lake had once occu-
pied the spot. To the north was q still
lower and deeper basin, large enough to
shelter all the horses, and so strategic
that few men could defend il. There
was big spring on the plateau with
grass enough to last the horses for three
or four days, and Capt. Gordon's idea
was 10 force the Indians to attack him
in his position. A renegade white man
named Gerry, who had served in the reg
ular cavalry and deserted to the red
skins, had drilled them in cavalry tactics
and he was with them at this time. Out
in the open 4S0 Comanches, each armed
with q twelve-foot lance-a weapon they
knew how to use with murderous effect
would have proved too strong for the
gold hunters. Behind the defences the
case would be different.
There was only one place where the
sink could be approached by horsemen,
and that was on the south side. There
was u clear road 200 feet wide, and the
cannon were posted to cross fire over
this. They had been kept covered on
the march, and the Indians had no suspi-
cion of their presence. just at dusk
Eagle Feather sent in word for the white
men TO 60 TO sleep without fear, as he
should not attack until next day. This
was no ruse on his part, for he made his
camp two miles away, and that Of the
gold hunters was undisturbed by even
shot. During tho night Gordon's men
threw up further offences and cleared
the sink of'every incumbrance, Twenty
men were told off to guard the animals,
and when the sun rose again every one
was ready for what was to happen.
Eagle Feather was in no hurry. II
was o'clock before he marshalled his
warriors on the prairie, mile TO the
south of the plateau. He then sent in
word that he hoped the white men would
fight. He did not demand O surrender,
and he wanted it plainly understood
that he would grant no quarter. His
firm purpose was 10 wipe out every man
in the expedition, and thus deter all
thought of future invasion of his terri
tory. From the way he disposed of his
forces he must have been confident of
speedy success. The mounted warriors
were marshalled in lines having a front