The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-23
NOW A SQUAWMAN
HENRY fEkRN, COLORED, LATELY OF
THE NINTH CAVALRY.
The Five Sotches on His Rife Stock-A
Close Game In Which His Pair Won.
The Fight With Indians at DEVILS Bowl
Now q Member of the Kiowa Tribe.

| Close Game In Which His Pair Won.
| Now . Member Of the Kiowa Tribe.
Henry Fearn, colored man living near
| here on the ranch Of White Wolf, the
| Kiowa chief, is known wherever there in
| an Indian band in the far west and is well
| coined wherever there is a company of the
| Ninth CT Seventh regiment of cavalry.
| He is 36 years old and feet tall, with
| huge hards and feet and stoop in his
| broad shoulders that betokens enormous
reserve strength. On the stock of his
| rifle arc fse notches. Each one records
the death Of human being other than an
| Indian No one, not even Fearn himself,
| knows how many Indians he has killed.
Fourteen years ago Fearn enlisted in
| the Ninth cavalry, regiment made up
wholly of colored men. He was assigned
to the troop commanded by Captain
Moore. The Ninth cavalry was then In
| the southwest. Times were hot, and tho
| Indians gave the regiment plenty to do.
| learn speedily got reputation as reck-
| less, fearless soldier. He was the best shot
among the Inen. One day, at the close OF
q lively campaign, word reached the Ninth
cavalry that the paymaster was on his
way to join them and was waiting so
miles away for an escort. A noncommls-
stoned officer and three privates were de
| tailed to go to the paymaster and guard
him on his ride to the regiment. Fearn
was one of the four men selected. A scr
peant who had long disliked Fearn was
placed in charge of the detachment. The
other p-ivates were close friends Of the
sergeant AS the four men rode out of the
post Fearn dropped to the rear.
Ride up" commanded the sergeant
"This will be hard ride for us all and
last one for you perhaps" he muttered Ia
an un6ertone.
LAST how?" asked Fearn.
"Wait and see, was the reply.
So the men rode along. Fearn hung
back or rode out on the side, where he
could watch the three men. His carbtne
Law across his saddle bow. The butts Of his
big cav airy pistols rubbed his hands as he
| held the reins. Fearn understood that
| relaxation Of vigilance meant death
When the watering creek was reached, the
men dismounted in silence.
ride on, Fearn. We will catch you,
said one Of the men.
Fearn said nothing and finally the men
rode on together. As they neared the sta
ton where the paymaster awaited them
one Of the men turned suddenly on Fearn
and raised his pistol. He was too slow
Fearn's two hands went up, each graspinp
q pistol and when he ceased firing three
| riderless horses followed him into the sta
ton, where he met tbs paymaster alono.
st was close game, " Fearn says as he
tells Of it now, ''but my pair beat three
odd hands,
When tho Pine Ridge trouble broke out
four years ago, four troops OF the Seventh
cavalry went up into the territory to bring
the Indians into submission. The Ninth
cavalry also went out. Fearn's troop,
with another under Colonel Guy V. Henry.
then major, met the Indians near big
basin known as DEVILS Bowl.
lit was the hottest fight was ever in, y
! said Fearn. 1--WE were sitting about on
the rocks drinking our coffee, when sud
denly from behind rocks and trees aud
bushes burst a storm of bullets We
Jumped to the charge, bat there was moth
ing to charge on except rocks. A pun OF
| smoke would float out from behind rock
or tree, and that was all we could see.
/ They fought us back foot by foot down
the hill until they got US OH an open much
like l. chute. No sooner had we rallied
along this THAI there was q terrific ex-
pIosion upon the hill, and shower OF
stones and sticks and tent pins pounded
down on u.s. The Indians had captured
an old cannon and had loaded it with any
thing they could lay their hands on. We
,, Jumped for cover. Suddenly everything
grew quiet We waited, but all was still.
In about ten minutes the old gun doomed
again A tent pin struck me on the shout
der. and glancing of killed the man be
hind me-
Major Henry divided US into two
squads. One squad held the ground, fight
ing like mad was In the other squad
We crept single file up the hill about 10e
yards Then we turned sharp to the left
and opened out in skirmish line. Then
we faced about and marched toward oui
own men. But the Indians were between
u.s. We had them front and rear.
Il was right beside Major Henry. He
was cool as cucumber. We crep5 along
or about 100 feet without seeing a red
man. Suddenly Major Henry stopped and
nodded his head forward. We halted and
looked ahead. There was big bowlder,
and lying fat behind it in hollow in the
earth were over 40 Sioux. They knew
nothing of our presence. Quickly we
brought up our pistols, every man with
one in each hand. Major Henry nodded
again, and line of fire lit the woods.
The Sioux yelled and sprang forward, buI
they ran right into our other squad. Their
it was that they fought
Have you ever met an Indian face II
face when he was war crazy? No? Thea
you cannot realize what fight we had. IS
was man to man. There was no chancs
for the Sioux to jump behind trees. We
closed right in. Our other squad, too,
pushed toward us. Negro and IndiaD
grappled and struggled, each for his life.
Don't tell me that the colored man won't
fight. Just you get him started, and he
will go right through with you TO the end
/ saw negroes lying hacked and torn shoot
last shot and fall hack dead. We held
our ground and drove the red men OF. "
Fearn bears five scars TO remind him of
the battle of the Wounded Knee.
AT the expiration of his enlistment he
returned to Fort Sill, where he had once
| lived His fame had preceded him, eSpe-
cially among the Indians. He declined &c
| live in the post and went instead To the