The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-12-21

II the cavalry could now kill these
ponies the indians would be left help
less. They would not be able to get
back to their reservation, and de-
prived OF their food and blankets,
which had been burned, they would
surely starve and freeze. Col. Will
Hanson realized this, and he at once
directed that the ponies should be
killed. But how to kill them was a
problem. 1t would not do to shoot
them. Their supply OF ammunition
was too small II they used up eight
hundred cartridges in killing tine
ponies they might soon find them
selves at the mercy Of the Indians,
who had their weapons, and who. rem
dered desperate by their losses, were
certain to attack them. II they had
axes they might accomplish the work
of destruction, but they had none.
Searching through the devastated viii
lage they found three or four hatchets
and with these an equal number Of
men began to. knock the ponies in the
head or to hack and MAIN them. This
was slow process, and it was not
long before they were obliged to dis
continue it, as the Indians concealed
in the thick woods which surrounded
the village, began to pour In their bull
lets upon the soldiers with fearful ac-
curacy.
Col. Williamson saw that he must
| get his men out of the woods into the
open plain, where they could return
the fire and force the indians to keep
their distance, and as they would not
stop to kill the ponies. and as the In
dams must not be allowed to recover
them, he decided to take them along,
driving them ahead of the cavalry and
killing and manning them as best
they could as they proceeded back to
their temporary camp. This he at
once set about to do, but not without
the greatest difficulty. The ponies
were excited by the firing, and by the
killing of some of their number, and
1t was almost impossible to keep them
herded together and to force them
along. The Indians, seeing their pc.
MES being driven away, became more
desperate and bold, and harassed the
troops fearfully. Before they reached
the plain at point beyond the range
Of the enemy's bullets fred from the
woods several of the men were killed
and others were wounded.
The hardships which the soldiers
had endured from the time when they
left their temporary camp on the pre-
ceding afternoon were terrible. They
had ridden all night through an at
mosphere SO cold that their breath
concealed as soon as 1t left their
nostrils; their faces and hands were
covered with ice; ears were frozen
and hands and feet were benumbed;
many of them were wounded, and as
vet none Of them had had mouthful
Of food. They now stopped on the
plain and built Ares and proceeded to
prepare their breakfast. But this
they were not allowed to do in peace.
The moment they dismounted and be.
gan their preparations the Indians
poured forth from the woods directly
toward them, coming to within three
or four hundred yards and firing into
them, at the same time shouting with
all their might, in the hope OF stam-
pedinr the ponies. The troops re-
turned the Are. and, remounting their
horses, they drove the Indians back
into the woods, but as soon as they re-
turned to their stopping place the In
dams renewed their bold attack.
Again and again the cavalry drove
back their desperate foes. and again
and again they returned.
This harassing warfare was kept
up during the whole of the day. 1t
was only by snatches and by few at
a time that their food could be cooked
and eaten. When night came it was
far worse. The savages, scattering