The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-26
AS YOU LIKE IT.
AN INCIDENT OF THE INDIAN SERVICE.

having committed serious depredations In
the Yellowstone and neighborlng regions,
General Crook, commanding the govern
mcnt troops in that district, resolved to
punish them. First, however he sent
them word that they must cease from
their depredations and return 10 their
reservation. They treated his communi-
cation with contempt, ami, accordingly,
on March !, 1871, Colonel ". i. William
son acting under orders from General
Crook. set out with ten companies OF
cavalry some 600 men, u make a forced
march TO the place where the sioux were
known 20 have established themselves.
His Instructions were 70 deal the INDIANS
the scverest blow possible
with pack horses To carry MS ratlonS
and camp equipments, colonel W iliiamsoh
proceeded to Il point some thirty inile9
from the Indians. and there established
4 temporary camp and headquarters.
Having done this he lett about ntty men
| IN charge Of the camp. ana, supplying
| the rest with such rauOns as they could
| easily carry IN their haversacks, he set
| forth with chem for sWut ride 10 the
| Indians rendezvous, each man Deins
armed with q Cdrblue ana revolver an
! carving a supply Of ammunition. Among
the officers VINO accompanied CoIyneI
| Williamson were his son, Lieut.. Arthur
! Williamson, VINO had a. yet seen p pUI
little rough service, and captain nm
| Parker. VINO had been IN several tHsdsc
| ments with the indians, ana VINO was,
| moreover, shTcWd IN dItuce anu ucflCo
! when occasion required. tOlonei W lllldlh-
son knew that he should ira in him
! valuable assistant in MS undertaking,
| and he realized that his undertaking was
a difficult one. The Indians outnumDereu
| his force prODably two 70 one, ana thFy
were ugly and full OF tght. The supply
OF ratlOns and ammunition they were
| able 10 carry was necessarily small ana
| me weather was fearfully cold. General
| Sheridan. in his report Of this raid, says
| that the cold was 50 intense tudt INC
| mercury CCngealed III the theriuoine.,I.
! The frOOps reached the camp OF the
| Indians the next morning, Just AT udg
| light. and made an attack at once, uash-
| ing into their village and taking them
completely by surprise Inc lnalans'
| reused from slumber, seized their weaP-
/ Ons but could not make stand against
! the FIRE Of the cavalry In their midst anu
! gliding along the ground and dodginB
| from tree 10 tree. they lied in all dHec-
| tons 4 few were killed, but the great
| bulk Of them escaped neelnS mo IN ,
woods whore 10 was useless LOT caEdny
! 10 attempt 10 follow them. toionei
Williamson al once gave orders 10 Set nle
70 the village. ana every thilhf bn25ns
! ana burned. Nothing now remained ina
could be of any Use 20 the Indians except
their ponies. There were about ~ "a
! these c0rrailed at one end OK the Flu,lse'
Some Of the indians had tried 10 get their
| ponies before escaping, but the soldleIs
| were between them and the iold ~ Mnlcn
they were mclosed and they were obliged
| TO fee without them.
y II the cavalry could now XIII these
! ponies the Indians would br 'l1
helpless They would not be able 40 10
! ken back 10 their reservation, and, De
| prived Of their food and blankets, whlch
had been burned. they Wo4Id. s surrey
starve and freeze. Colonel NllilauSsOn
realized this, and be- az once directed ilat
the ponies should be killed. But now
10 XIII them was the problem. II wouil
not DO TO shoot them. Their supply OF
ammunition Was too Sm3ii. II Tue! VI
lip 500 cartridges in killing the ponies
| they might soon find themselves at the
mercy of The Indians. VINO hdd ln..l
weapons, and who, rendered despeiatIe
them. If thcy aad axes they might ac-
complish the work 81 destruction, OUT
they had none. Searching through INC
devastated village, they found three or
four hatchets' and with these an equal
number 81 men began 20 knock the ponies
/ in the head or 60 hack and MAIN theil.
long before they were obliged 70 dlscon-
Hnue IL. AS the Indians. concealed ~ tie
thick woods which surrounded the village
began TO pour in their bullets upon the
?. soldiers with fearful accuracy.
| Colonel Williamson saw that ne must
get his men out OF the woods INTO tne
open plain. where they could return .ns
70 fire and force the Indians 10 Keep theii
| distance. and as they would not stop 70
kin the ponies. and as the indians must
| rot be allowed TO recover them, ne decilel
Ir.fH
The ravalrv and killing and manning
fhorn az host thav could as they proceed
. : ro knox a. their TEMPORARY camp. This
| he ~ ono set about 10 d. but not With
. | out rho greatest difficulty. The ponies
were excited by the firing. and by the Kill
| ling Of some OF their number ana IL was
, ! almost impossible o. keep them herdeA
together aud % force them along. Inc
| Indians. seeing their ponies being driver
, | away. became more desperate ana DC
80. tLa, r.achcd the plain az a point
| t,o,d III r1rqa Of the euemy's bullets
! 90 fro,,, tL. ,voole several OF the men
49,, 80 LiIie1 and others wounded
l "q'ba berdebins which the soldiers haJ
! eriiiTaJ from IN. time when they ief
| tbair .ernnorar,- camp on the preceding
s,",,,',,, ,,r. terrible They had ritdef
l al al ,il,bf tbr11i.,h an atmosphere so colo
I | - ,ir Lrootb concealed as soon az
A. itf, tbeir 1c.friis: their faces and hands
d, -. .,t'fr.1 vim ice: ears We're frozen
ai ~ ,t.rn 9er. wounded. and as yet non,
~ them rad had a m0uihful of food
s ! ,rbev row stopped ON the plain ari bull
{ fires ana proceeded - prepare n IF break
3 ! -, l,-f tbfs they were not allowed {,
. In 100 me moment they dism0unt
G 80 Gsaln their prcparatiOns the IN
T. ~, M ',.'' ,.,,,rad form from the woods 81
ui"iS i..-t mn, coming 10 within
|s 49, hundred wards and hrin,
tT.v ~ me same. time shouting
an treir might in the hope O
...,1ir~ me Monies. The troops re
h"i IKE g. i,rI rap,ountine thel
l.lI't ~. ~ ~ TndIans back int
e. Nji7'f' 10, ~. W 80, a. the,- refu-ne,
81 l' t1,rfnr mace th. Indians r.
To- 1i -. "a o+tsrk Again and agat
ID "'1 .''Yr ~. 1rove hack their d.spefat