The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-08-11
SLAIN BY THE RED MEN
REGULAR SOLDIERS saw INDIANS
MURDER MANY WHITES.
An Intervening River Prevented Suc-
cor-Dfsappearnnce of n Party
OF Thirty Deserters.

Denver lcol) News.
1T was one Of the tragedies OF the plains
whose history will never be known re-
marked Colonel ". II. Powell a few days
since. in speaking Of a thrilling scene
which he witnessed nearly thirty years
ago. The tragedy took place on the bank
of the Platte river, In the region OF jules
burg. this State. Colonel Powell was then
a captain in the regular army and had
been sent with a command OF about one
hundred men to relieve the garrison of the
present site of Fort Morgan. Within view
OF the soldiers a large wagon train was
attacked by Indians and the entire force
in charge of the train was wiped out OF
existence. The white men made a gallant
resistance, but the redskins
them ten to one. After killing the escort the
Indians seized sach property as they liked
and set fire to the wagons. A great smoke
rising toward the sky gave notice for many
miles in all directions Of the awful deed.
1T may seem strange that a company OF
soldiers fully armed and prepared for bat
tie should stand still and see their fellow
countrymen shot down." remarked Colonel
Powell, "but we could do absolutely MOTH
ing. The river was a raging torrent and
the quicksands made II wholly impossible
for US to cross to the opposite side. where
the battle was in progress. The road which
lance tae on the north side. We were on foot
on the south bank Of the stream. From
our position We saw the Indians sweep
ing of the wagons in a circle and the last
desperate struggle. We never learned
from what point the wagons icons came zane ne or
haps fifty wagons in the train"
AS stated, the soldiers were on their way
to Fort Morgan TO relieve the garriSon.
This was early in the spring Of lSo1. Two
or three months previously, a remarKaDie
occurrence had greatly weakened the gar
rison. which consisted on a company NJ
tie known outside Of the War Departmsnt,
but in January, 1867, a body OF more tnan
men had grown weary of the isolation, and
a plan was formed for q wnoiesaie exit
from the post.
templated an attack on Denver, then. a
fourishing frontier village, and the looting
of the place; The plans were Wen Ia.d ana
any particular. Each man was given a
special duty to perform. 1t was so arranged
that none but conspirators were on guaru
at the time of the departure. Orders were
given that if any officer TO leave
the quarters on the evening the plot was 10
be put into effect he was to be shot down
without mercy. The evening was very cold,
and fortunately for the officers not one or
them left his room.
CONFIRMATORY EVIDENCE.
The men were to ride away from the
post. The horses were fully equipped and
the party carried abundant supplies of fosd
and ammunition. The deserters carried the
guard with them, and the surprise of the
troops remaining at the garrison the next
morning may be imagined.
There is no doubt about the truth of
the story concerning the desertion." said
----r 49, n .Ila NTH fhA af1-
GERS about the affair and know 1T to be a
fact. One of the strangest features ABOUT
the affair, however, is the mysterious dis
appearance of the men, Not a single person
in the deserving party was ever ~afterward
heard from. 1t is not known wnetner the
men were massacred by the INDIANS, lost
on the plains, or whether they reacneo ume
try. 1t is known that several weeks after
the men deserted their command a horse
wandered back to the post. Inc morse The wa
die had not been removed from the poor
animals back, and the SADDLE grin mao
cut through the animals skin making a
abandoned their intention Of attacking Den
ver." LOO l..
New York. he had occasion to make in
ouiry concerning one of the deserters, VINO
was an Englishman. A fortune had been left
him in Englsnd. me man Sn Sronned onff
of sight in the winter OF 1857; upon lnior-
nation furnished by Colonel Powell the es-
tate was divided among other heirs. 49,.
The Cheyennes and hiowas were on the
warpath in 1867. Stage stations were at
tackled and burned, telegraph wires were
torn down and thr TOW on INTO tSe w oeSteTiannd do trail
was abandoned. 1t was the duty OF Capt.
Powell to establish the stations, leaving a
guard Of two or three men at eacn' anu 10
was swarm.ng with Indians, and small par.
ties of white men moved only under sreat
mand met a stage. which presented an
amusing sight. On the top sat nve men,
armed with long guns and revolvers, wnle
from the inside peered a woman a sse onres
to place itself under his protection,, as a
coach had been attacked the day. before
and the driver killed IL. AT dsa the ho M1s Of tbe
driver were brought in. The lining had been
| cut out and the woodwork was riddied WIN
bullets. n dhe s, saySges ha the letters ePs" over the
plains, after tearing them open, as IL IN
search of money. .,..
Springs. forty miles north of Denver, a
long tank individual walked into camp. The
strange called for the ofhcer In comhano'
.sThe man introduced himself as a Meth,
o5ist minister from Denver" said Colonei
Powell. Il asked him how ne happened TO
ing that he wanted to borrow a gun. IF
a coach comes through" he said, L want
to go along and kill some OF tnose req
devils that were after me yesterday L
eskad the man to sit down and tell his
story He did so, saying that he was in
the coach whose driver was killed the day
before / looked at him in establishment,
hut he told his story in such a straight
| forward way that l believed 1t. He ex-
| plained that the day before was quite
warm. and after dinner he had pulled OH
his coat and boots. and, being the only
| passenger in the coach, had stretched him
| self across the seats inside ana gone 10
sleep. His story went as follows:
STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS.
"I had not been mapping very long
when I was awakened by the most infer
nal yelling / ever heard in my life. l
| looked out the window, and found that
thirty or forty Indians had attacked the
coach, and were pouring volley after voliey
into it. The driver had turned the horses.
and we were making remarkable speed to-
ward Godfrey's ranch. A shot struck the
driver and he fell off the box dead.
Then / thought my. only cnance OF
safety lay in reaching the boot ana get
ting hold of the lines. I climbed out of the
| door. cravlei into the seat left vacant,
and discovered to my dismay that the lines
| had fallen between the horses, and were
! dangling on the ground
Continuing his narrative, Colonel Pow
| eli related the story as IL came from the
Inns of the minister. The Indians continued
! Their frightful shouts, and the terrified