Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-11-07
REHINIsCEsCE OFTHE VAR.
Battle Of ROund Mountain Described
by a Participant.

Datiie OIL hOuuu .1Ountain DeScIlDtu
by Participant.
Thiriy-four year ago, a men,
ber of company X, 1st Choctaw
and Chickasaw regiment, COM
manded by that grand old man, d.
H Cooper, was at an old mission
nes North Fork. in the Creek ma
ton. We moved out and camped
upon Deep Fork; in frw days we
were ordered 10 cook up ten days
raiiuns. which we did, and started
on Cur first great campaign We
travelled on an on. over n vast level,
almost barren and dreary country,
until our food was out and we
halted on the banks Of the Salt
Fork of the Arkansas river. Here
the officers held couucil of war,
and as il was decided that Opolh-
aloho.a was gone glimmering.
so far ahead that .se could never
overtake him, we started back to-
ward our wagon train.
But every day while marching
north we deployed scouts in front
and flank and these were in our
front. So after we had travelled
some two hours toward the south
a courier overlook us and inform
ed Gen. Cooper that the had found
them. Our scouts came upon a
high prairie ridge from which the
whole hostile camp could be seen.
After parleying with the enemy
awhile the fight commenced. Capt.
Stuart, of Titus county, Tex, was
in command of the scouts from the
white regiments, and also twelve
men from companies X and |. Our
boys would fire a shot, gallop
short distance, load, form a line
and then give them another volley.
There were two ravines converg-
ing to a point at the enemies
camp; up these ravines the Indians
swarmed, and at the third round
Capt. Stuart was killed and Jasper
Idle shot through, besides many
| did not know. They kept up
this running fight till the whole
army arrived. This scrimage had
set the little old dead grass on fire,
but as the grass was short and
scant the fire was not dangerous.
The first sight of the realities of
war, the one that chilled my blood,
was the enemy passing between
us and the light, carrying off their
dead and wounded. We formed
at once and poured a volley into
them which drove them of. That
night we slept on our guns in hol-
low squares, and early next morn
ing marched forward over the
battlefield and gathered up our
dead and wounded. We found
their camp deserted and lonely,
a great heard of old, poor, bob
tailed, sore-back ponies, broken
down wagons and ugly howlIng
dogs.
Q, how gloomy everything look
ed on that bright November morn
ing, and how fully realized the
horrors of war" | remember
the two Mclntoshes of the Creeks,
and Moty Conrad OF tine Choctaws,
Mai. Brokearm and Trick Abach-
imicco of the SemInoles, and of all
the wild combination of colors in
dress, and big soldiers on little
ponies. Why, one Of our field
officers carried his sword like a
shot gun across his lap, aud when
we stopped rested it against tree
as a man would a rifle, and one
evening at officers drill, in fencing
and sw ord practice, n passing from
a guard to "home" thrust. he
cut off about three inches of his
own hat crown.
The years are creeping slowly by. dear
friend.
The frost CLEANS where the flowers have
been"
But these old tales of ''bloody
wars" bring back the sad MEM
ories of those four years of hair
breadth escapes"0f your most obe-
dient, who fell in love with a little
Cherokee Wolfe and spent so many
pleasant hours with the noble souls
of Adair's, Bryant's and Stand
Waites' commands.
God bless the noble Cherokee;
Adieu. Au revoir. Ta-ta, By-by.