The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-12-06

COl. Williamson saw tndU he nuSC
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 po-
MES being driven way, became more
desperate and bold, and harassed the
troops fearfully. Be fore they reached
the plain at point beyond the range
of the enemy's bullets fired 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 it 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
/ - fha,,, ho1 haI l., FIJI
of food. They now stopped on the
plain and built fires 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-
peding the ponies. The troops re-
turned the fire, 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
dians 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
time that their food could be cooked
and eaten. When night came it was
| far worse. The savages, scattering
themselves in the darkness, fairly sur
rounded them and kept up continual
| fire. They were unable to obtain any
i sleep; the cold was still intense and
many Of them were wounded. 1t was
! fearful situation OF course the
cavalry could have mounted and gal
| Hoped away, but they could not do this
and take the ponies with them, and if
| they left them behind the Indians
would capture and mount them and
give chase, and, as they outnumbered
| the soldiers two to one battle would
| be unequal
This state of things continued
| through the next day and night. the
! Indians becoming even holder than the
| day before. The third day Col Will
| Hanson resolved to move on at all
! hazards. He realized that there were
two things that must be done-he must
take his men back to camp and he
must not let the Indians recover their
ponies AS they moved on across the
plain, keeping the ponies together and
driving them along, the Indians fol-
lowed, alternately rushing forward
and firing into them and as swiftly re-
| turning and scattering in all directions,
The progress Of the cavalry under
these circumstances was necessarily
slow. During the last two days they
had advanced only eight or nine miles.
Some twenty miles still lay before
them.
The situation Of the troops was now
aggravated by the giving out of their
| ratiOns. To be sure they could eat
horsehesh, and they had plenty of it.
There was now an additional motive
for killing the ponies; they required
their flesh for food, and horsehesh will
probably sustain life as well as veni-
son. There is a sentiment in mems
minds, however, which makes the nee
essity Of resorting to such diet any
thing but agreeable Soldiers become
accustomed 10 nara alternatives, ana
these five hundred csvalrymen, when
the pangs of hunger became excessive,
brought themselves to partake of tho
Objectionable sustenance without
much difficulty, all but one. Young
Lieut.. Williamson, whom l have men
toned as having accompanied his IA
Their, Col. Williamson, upon his raid,
was unaccustomed to rough service.
He had seen only the easy side of
| soldiers life. He was, perhaps,
something of what they call, in
far west parlance, tenderfoot. At
| least he had tender stomach. He
could not eat pony meat, When the
troops stopped to prepare their food,
and, cutting strips of flesh from the
ponies they had slaughtered, broiled
them over the fires and ate them with
more or less relish, ne could not join
them. He could not even look on and
witness the proceeding. The sight of
the dreadful provender-even the
thought of twas horribly offensive
to his sensibilities. His sympathizing
companions did everything they could
to overcome his sentimental scruples.
They cut trim and slightly outlets and
broiled them until they were crisp ana