The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-09-05

tains Of the White Father took root in
the breasts of the red warriors, especial
ly the young bucks. General Forsyth,
in Harper's Magazine for June, describes
a battle between so scouts and 800 Chey-
ennes and Sioux in 1868. The second in
command as we'll as the leader, General
Forsyth himself, was an old soldier and
nearly all of the men had seen army
service. A year before Forsyth's fight a
band Of ~ regular veterans, under Cap
tain James Powell, who at the time SUI
Tered from wound received in Sher-
mans battles, made all equally glorious
stand against 9, 900 Cheyennes and Arap-
ahoeS
In the summer of 1867 Captain Pow
all, with Company G, Twenty seventh
infantry, was guarding the wood train
belonging to Fort Phil Kearny, Dakota,
and disposed Of his men in the timber
where the choppers were at work. Ordl-
narily the hostility of the savages wore
itself out in harassing attacks on the
choppers Or on the wagons passing be-
tween the fort and the pinery. The sum-
mer previous, however, Colonel Fetter-
mans fine detachment Of reserves,
marching from the fort to rescue tho
wood train, had been attacked and
slaughtered to man. In anticipation of
an attempt to repeat that terrible deed,
Powell prepared for the worst. He con-
structed cover for his camp by removing
the wagon beds from their gearing and
arranging them right side upward on
the ground in the shape Of circular
parapet. The wagon bodies were loop
holed so that the men could fire with
out exposing themselves. Powell and
his second in command, Lieutenant
John G. Jenniss, remained in the corral
with 25 soldiers and five frontiersmen,
who acted as guides, Interpreters, etc.
Early in the morning, Aug. 2, small par
ties of Indians attempted to stampede
the animals in their grazing grounds,
but they were repulsed by the herders,
and Powell led his men out from the
corral so as to cover the retreat of the
party to their hiding places among the
rocks, where the choppers and guards
had already taken shelter. The Indians
had massed themselves in the ravines
during the night, and although they ap-
peared in force to take part in the Skin
mish were driven off, with heavy loss.
Powell's company lost killed, and the
survivors, 20, including the leaders and
guides, retired to the corral to await the
assault Instantly after their failure tc
surprise the camp the Indians formed a
body of several hundred mounted war
riors in front of the corral Powell dis
tributed his men around the low parapet
and supplied them with blankets and
other thick material to cover themselves
as they lay PROSTATE in the wagon bot
toms. They were armed with repeating
rifles, fearful weapon, then quite new
on the plains.
On rode the Indians, their ponie!
running like wild animals in herd
The merciless breechloaders were to-
drawing heavy fire the red warriors
drew back. There was momentary con
fusion among the main body of Indians
when the survivors of the attack return
ed, but in all incredibly short space O
time body Of mounted men to tn,
number Of 1900 stood apart from tn
disordered gathering, ready for gram
charge.
The soldiers understood what was be
fore them and placed ready their SUI
plus weapons, also intrenching tools i
i. case they should be driven from thei
inclosure Sending up frantic warwhooI
to torment and terrify their foes, th
then rushed forward to common ce1
ter. Waiting until the foremost warrior
were within easy range Powell's vete
ans opened fire which staggered tt
savages and finally brought them to
dead STOP In the briefest possible tin
for getting under Roadway the Indian
advanced again, but the slaughter fro
that handful appalled, them. They gait
cred up their dead and made for the di
tant timber. After the repulse Of the
grand charge the mounted warrio
abandoned their ponies and with a 1
enforcement that swelled the number
2,0OO advanced in a semicircular lin
When within few hundred PAGES, tn
started on a run for the corral and
spite Of the hot fusillade of bullets tn
met them got within ten yards Of t
parapet. At that distance many dropp
dead, chief among them. For the fl
time the Indian fire took effect Oh t
men in the corral. During the run
the naked warriors Lieutenant Jenn
and one of the privates raised tn
heads above the parapet and were 81
dead Wild war songs sounded over
plains as a signal that the spirits Of
Indians had not been crushed by tn
many failures though every breechloat
in that pent up citadel had claimed
dusky victim again and again. The N
move was to scatter the bullets Of
soldiers by a simultaneous advance
numerous parties Of warriors from
directions. This time the breechload
finished tho business at long range 6
sent the savages back to cover in c.