Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-09-19


watched them until hidden behind q
distant ridge watched them riding in
TO the valley Of the shadow, and then
We turned away and hoped that the
danger might pass them by.
Days dragged along. BY and by we
knew that death had come 70 them
and that somewhere out on the lonely
plains the buzZards were lowering over
their mutilared bodies. No one hoped
I'd the trary-there was uc ground
tor hope If they had reached the tort
word would have come TO Us. That
they had not pulled through simply
meant that they had been wiped out
We could not even hope that any had
been taken prisoners To surrender
meant horrible death by torture. They
would prefer that death should come to
them as soldiers and fighters.
And so we rode away over the tree
less. sun baked plains, over the ser
penis baskiug in the sun, over the scor>
pi0us hiding in the cracks and crew
ices, over @ land SO sterile and lonely
that the curse of God seemed 10 rest
unOn 10. There was no footprints to be
followed. no path or trail over the
ridges No one need look down and
scan the earth. Those at the head Of
the column looked ahead of the sky
line and above il. They did not look
for sight of men and horses but for
sight of buZzards circling low over the
scene OF the tregedy.
There they are. We have found
themr
a mile away to our left We're the buzz
cards. Some of them had heard or
cited our column and taken wing and
We're circliug about and utJering their
dismal cries AS we lifted ourselves
ID our stirrups we could see the bodies
OF dead horses. and groan issues from
Jle lips OF every trooper Straight on
we rOde-straight ahead until we en-
clrcled the SPOT which we had pictured
in our minds for the past three days.
One-threc- fve-seven. They are
all here the lieutenant and his six
men, Not one is missing. no one
was taken prisODor-no one sought cs>
cape by deserving the command. The
spot ON which the bodies lie is no larg-
er than the parlOr OF an ordinary house.
That tells O. story 90 bring tears. and
yet &c the same time TO make us feel
proud. That vas the way 10 die. il die
/ they muSt-side by side and support
ing each other Outside the circle of
dead men are three dead horses. Half
a mile away to the north is another, be-
yOnd that are two more We ride TO
north and make out the story as plain
as If printed ir @ book.
The little band was pursuing its
way when the war party numbering q
hundred or more suddenly leaped into
view from behind q swell to the east
and only half a mile away. Right
here is where the horses Of the troop
F ers changed from an easy gallOp into
burst of speed. That was the com
uaud of the officer 20 give-fight the
only resource. though q hopeless one
4re is where the war party swung in
behind the little band and opened fire.
For half o mile the troopers held their
0vu Then O horse was hit and went
down. It's rider was not left TO fall
into the hands of the yelling. eXultant
DUrsuers A half meant death 10 ALL
bur q halt was made until he could be
taken up behind @ C0mrade. Forty
rods away a second horse went down,
and a second dismOunted trooper was
taken up So again and again, until
ar length the lieutenant ordered a halt.
The Indians would soon ride over him
IL he kept on. aud the horses bearing
double burdens were stumbling ana
falling.
ALI but we smile through our tears
at the coolness of the officer at the
uromptitude of The tr0Opers-at the
knowledge that no biunder was made
amid the excitement OF the moment
I'd was the thing TO do. and they did 1t
-jismount and make q fight TO be talk
ed of in barracks and around camp
fires for score OF years 20 cOme-to
make @ record Of which every officer or
the old Seventh should be proud as
lOug as the organization existed. 10
was o human wheel plying there on the
sun baked earth, covering every point
as the red hends Circled about them
Had there been thirty men they would
have retreated slowly, fighting rs they
fell back Had there been twenty mon
they would have dug rifle pits with
their knives and held ont until oVer~
come with hunger and thirst. Seven
10 one hundred. The odds were too
great Their fire was too feeble 10
hold the Indians i'm check. There was
fsbtjng for thirty forty perhaps six
~ minutes. The scores Of empty carts
ridge shells proved thar Then the ln-
dams came with @ glsh and rode over
the little band reduced to three or
four by that time, perhaps, and that
WAS the end IL had been @ gallant
fshr They tel YOU that the red man
rcerccts bravery in foe. In this
case maddened 10y the loss sustained.
ba emit and slashed and heaped fendish
jnafrnities upon the dead. God grant
mat mo spark of life remained in q sin
ele breast.
AS the buzzards circled above our
heads and the wolves sat up on Their
beunches at q safe distance and whin-
ed and growled. we pulled the arrows
from the bodies Of the gallant dead
gathered up the limbs which had been
severed. and buried all together on the
s,or where they fell-each one. except