St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-20
ATTACKED BY REHEGADES.
INDIANS AID WHITE OUTLAWS Ar.
TACK A CAMP
IN TIE SHosHoNE FOUNTAINS.

and Two Women BraVeIy De-
fend Themselves, and Drive
Back Their Enemies - Miss
Thomas WayIaid By One of the
Gang.
The party which started out from Fit
fetteruan in June, 1872, for a three
months stay IN the ShOshone mountains
consisted OF thirteen persons. says the
Chicago Times. There were a repre-
sentative of the Smithsonian Institute,
photographer, representative of the
Cincinnati Museum of Natural History,
New York artist. surveyor and civil
engineer in the employ OF the Union
Pacific railroad a sergeant and three
men from Lhe fort and four ladies'
One OF these was the wife of the pro-
lessor from Washington, another the
wife of the photographer, and the third
was Miss Helen Thomas. a sister of the
civil engineer. She was then about
twenty years Of age, and had come on
from Philadelphia TO make the trip. 1t
was semi-0fheiaI expedition. and the
object was the collection Of minerals
ection of Photographic views, 10 survey
certain passes and take field notes. and
TO have a summer outing. l believe the
government Gid nothing except to
furnish half dozen pack mules and
the four soldiers. My orders from the
commander at the fort we're:
You will follow the party wherever
1t goes. having charge or the camp. You
VIII exchange your muSketS for VIM
chester rifles, take plenty Of ammuni-
ton and furnish Sucn fresh meat as you
cam ana Snch protection as may be
needed. Prof. Hill. of Washington. will
have general charge of the party, ana
you are 10 obey all orders given by him
or his successors. While the Indians are
at peace you will meet with renegadeS.
In case of trouble With them you will
exercise your own Judgment as 10 what
is best 10 be done.'
a CAPABLE PARTY.
The party was at the fort ten days be-
fore setting of, and l had pretty good
chance TO size up the idea Of the women
going along, but ii was some consolation
TO find that all we're in the best of
health, and all. so far [ could judge,very
! practical and SenSible-minded. Up to
the moment | saw Miss Thomas | was
afraid sue would prove au incubus. see
ing only the romance and none of the
hardShIps Of such a jaunt. and | was
therefore greatly pleased when l came
to be introduced 10 her 70 find her
! very steady sort of girl, with pretty
| fair idea OF what was before her.
| The three married women were all
! fair shots with rife and pistol. aud be-
| fore we left the fort Miss Thomas could
! handle tirearm equal to any Of them.
! All or US went prepared for campaign
! ing-the men III rough, strong suits and
! the women in sort OF half-dresS which
! gave them freedom of action, ana IN no
wise detracted from their appearance.
/ We got we'll I'D into the mountain by
/ the last OF June, and 1t was July Is be-
/ fore any adventure worth recording be-
! fell US. We were then camped on a
| grassy plateau about halfway up the
! mountain side.
| For two days previously l had been
! satisfied that there were providers
around but could not ascertain their
number or whether they were white or
Iddians. Nothing had been said to the
| civilians, but the four of US had been
! Watching and had made certain prep2-
| ratIOnS IL camp looking to its defense in
| case OF attack. After breakfast on this
| morning 1 told Prof. Hill of my suspi-
| cions and suggested that none should 90
| far from camp. He dropped hint to
| were scattered about as usual. some of
| the men being mile or more away.
Two OF the ladies' were IN camp. q
| third with the photographer and artist,
! and Miss Thomas had climbed up the
| mountain SIDE and was seated on a jut-
| ting rock about a rIhe-shot above US.
About II o'clock l saw her setting there
| surveying the country below through
her glasses. Fifteen minutes later as
Z ~ M aTi7H
was engaged. saw that she was on her
feet and geSticulating in an excited
manner. 1t wasn't thirty seconds be-
| fore l thought l fully understood what
she ment to convey, which was this:
INDIANS SIGHTED.
There are Indians in the under
growth between me and camp. They
are approaching the camp and mean
mischief. Be prepared for them. There
are seven or eight OF them. l can see
some of our party of to the right and
will notify them"
To the right of our camp were four
great powders standing quite close
together. On the afternoon of the pre-
vious day, while the civilians were all
away, we had filled up the spaces be-
tween these powders and thus made a
| strong fort Of il. An opening had beer
made on the south side. and there was
room in the interior to hold thirty peo-
pie.
1t wasn't three minutes after l got
word from Miss Thomas before l had
the TWO women in there. They brought
their rifles along, and that made six Of
US to defend the place. l have always
blessed them for their GOODNESS on that
occasion. Both were asleep when l gave
them warning. but there was no hating
to ask Questions-no such display of
weakness as might be looked for IN the
face of danger. We had not been in the
fort over ten minutes when the enemy
appeared. There were three fulI-bloOd
Indians. four haif-bTeeds and two white
men. and as they crept out of the shelter
the thicket and halted to survey the
camy realized that they were a gang
OF mountain outlaws.
One OF the white men was deserter
from the fort. having left US two years
before, and the other had doubtless de-
serted from some other command. One
or the half-breeds we recognized as a
desperate villain we had had in the
guard house at the fort only a few
months before. The gang would not
hesitate to murder to secure the pIunder
| IN the camp, and simply driving them
away would not insure US against fur
| Their trouble. Indeed, l at once made
up my mind that If some Of them were
not laid out our party might as we'll re-
turn TO the fort.
The women had a good look at the
runans, and agreed with me. but were
TO be excused from firing unless our re-
treat was attacked. When the fellows
saw that the camp was deserted they
appeared highly elated, and presently
the whole gang moved down TO begin
| pIunderIng. We waited until they
| actually began operations. and then the
| four OF US opened fire. While it was a
| complete surprise to the gang. there
j were no towards among them.
They az once dashed for our little fort.
and il was only when they saw how
strong 1t was that they SHE'D of. One
ran into one OF the tents and fired five
or six shots at Us before he was killed.
and another dropped down among the
mules and exchanged shots with US for