The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-09-26
IN PURSUIT OF VICTORI0's BAND.
As EPISODE OF The INDIAN WAR Of 70


{ictorio. or 'Old Vic" ae he was
famiIfr3y called, was one Of the great
est Indian chiefs that ever made Wal
on the whites. He deserves TO be rank
ell with Pontiac, Tecumseh. Billy Bow
/ legs and Sitting Bull. He Is less fam
Gus than they only because lndlaI
wars are not now OF as great import
ance as in their day, but IN all The
qualities that make an Indian great
he was their equal He was disting
uished not only for the savage quail
| ties Of bloodthirstiDess and cunning
bet for d generalship which his advi-
saries did not all possess. Like most
Indians, too. he was driven to the war
path by the whiteman's cupidity anC
pertidy. He went on the warpath re
luctantly, but once at war he sWore il
would be to the death. He kept hi:
promise. even TO the death. for if any
OF his people now survive they are pri
soncrs with Geronimo in lar of Flor
ida.
lie went upon the warpath in 1879
His first exploit was the capture al al.
the cavalry horses belonging TO the
military post at Ojo Cahenti. Tbs
commanding officer, an.icinating the
iousbreak, had doubled the herd guard
and aUoed the men composing 1t with
pistols only, so that they would not
attempt to fight bUt would run the
herd into the post at the first alarm
Nictorio wanted the horses. He kill
cd the entire guard of nine or ter
men and obtained a fine mount fOl
himself and followers. Tor severa
DAYS after the Indians at safe rang,
paraded around the post on their cap
tured steeds. VlctOTio rode the com
maDdiug officers hOrse and played
| the part Of battalion commander to
perfection, while the real command
ing officer would tear his hair and
swear IN impOtent rage.
Information of the outbreak was
soon sent to all the other posts, anc
we We're sent out, as the orders said
TO pursue, punish, Kill or capture
NictoIo and his band. We had tC
march about $50 miles, with wagon
! trausportion, before we could reach
| the rendezvous for the command
| u hen all the troops We're assembled.
pack mules were ISSUED to each com
pany, for it was yet Of course impract
| lille to take wagons over an Indian
trail. Our company, Of forty two mer
and one officer was allowed but siz
mules equipped with the old fashion
Ell saw buck pack saddles. Baggage
and thirty days rations for forty three
men are tremendous load for six
pack mules, but transportation has al
WAYS been short IN our Indian wars
I We had not far to go before we
| found the trail. Victorio was in ear
nest and killed constantly. At the
| placers, or gold diggings, we found
dead bodies: also at HillbOro and mum
erous ranches. Everywhere the dead
had been horribly multilated It is
believed by the Indians that if man
loses any of his limbs or other mem
! bere while on this earth he viii eXper
| ieuce the same want in the happy
hunting grounds. and be deprived oi
some Of the pleasure he had enjoyed
while alive and whole. Hence they
muItilate tlnir victims beyond dc.
scription that their vengence may eX
tend beyond the grave. Anyone who
has seen the victims OF their atrocity
cannot but echo the sentiment that the
only good Indians are the dead ones
Day after day we followed upon
Their trail Day after day We toiled
up and down the steepest mountains
pulling our reluctant horses behind
rs. and. do all we could. could notoy
crtakc them nor make them come to q
stand. Their activity IS unparalleled
The mountain IS their home and on
The mountain tops. eight or ten tho1-
sand feet above the sea level, where
every step makes a whites heart beat
like "trip hammer and his lungs near
! " burst with the effort 10 breathe, tie
Indian runs with ease. He can marcel
on foot in the toughest country, forty
miles day and dance war dance
half the night and yet be fresh In the
morning.
At last we overlook them, or rathcl
they overlook us. The trail SHOWED
| they were near hy. The main body
| Of troops went into camp and the In
| dian scouts were sent out to locate
the hostiies This gave Fictorio {
chance TO show his generalship. From
! his outlook be saw the scouts leave
He slipped away from them, made az
all night march and found us ON
sentineis were posted on the hills
ground. and when the sayory odCrs o
| breakfast filled the air they turneC
their backs upon the outer world anC
their eyes upon the smoking camp
kettles. We were all at breakfast
when the bostiles skipped up, killeC
the sentinels and fired volley into
/ tie camp. \ group of officers wa.
| eating breakfast from a piece OF can
yas7 laid upon the ground, and at the
first yolley the waiter, who was pour
ing out coffee. fell dead among the
breakfast cups and plates. For few
minutes there was a good deal Of con
fusion Some of the negro soldier;
threw themselves down on their back;
and fired straight into the air. Very
soon q charge was made up the hill
/ duG a1 uBDul the same I1nle the IN
/ dian scouts, having heard the firing
appeared on Victories flank, and ht
| thought it prudent to retire. Sever
al soldiers were killed and by some
aeciLartt all who were killed had worr
white helmets ami had, in addition
/ been shot through the head Char
coal was in great demand that day
and before night there was not white
helmet IN camp.
E; ia a few days we ia our turn haC
an oppurtunitv to Jump" Nictorio
i Our scouts. who were habitually il
advance. at about dark discovered tn,
hostiles in camp. We made a nigh
march, in oEder to surprise them a
davbreak. 1t was hard work to climi
those hills in the darkness. and it VA
bitter cold as we lay on our arms wait
ing fer it to become light enough t,
shoot. The scouts. who had on abou
one-fourth as much clothing as we
! -1.v-a..iz.rr