Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-08-30

, formed captain Randall, OF tn,
volunteers, who had headed tn,
committee to Howard, that assist
ance was wanted. Randall step
ped to i. p. Browns hotel ant
rang the dinner bell. This wa.
the signal for the volunteer com
pany to assemble. Within ter
minutes after the bell first changed
body of II men were in their
saddles and on their way to Cot.
tonwood. This was on the 9th.
They pushed their animals un-
F til the poor brutes were almost
tagged out. When within three
miles of Cottonwood they encoun-
tered the Indians. The redskins
spread out over the prairie, and
the volunteers saw they must fight,
the condition of their horses rem
dering retreat impossible.
you see that knoll the other
side of those Indians ?" asked Can
tain Randall.
The men nodded their assent.
"Well, spread out and make for
it. Then dismOunt and give it to
'em. Whenever l shout you
shout"
The men spread out and advanc-
ed, each man holding his revolver
in readiness. Suddenly Randall
rose in his stirrups, waving his
six-shooter, and shouted, in thun-
dering tones, "Charge !"
Yelling like wild men and shoot
ing as fast as they could pull the
gger, the volunteers made
straight for the line of Indians.
The reds opened up hot fire and
the bullets flew thick and fast. AS
the men broke through the line
one of the Indians shot CAPTAIN
Randall in the stomach, killing
him instantly, although his horse
carried him on past the knoll,
where the body fell to the ground.
The Indian line wavered as the
volunteers swept through it shoot
ing right and left. But the reds,
their thirst for gore increased by
the sight of fallen braves, kept up
rattling fire. Several of the
white men were wounded, but the
horses suffered worst, IL of the II
animals being shot dead before the
little knoll was reached.
AS soon as the men rallied on
the knoll, they laid down and com.
menced to pour stream of lead
into the yelling savages. Ben Ey-
ans and ID. II. Houser were killed
at almost the opening of the bat
tie, but the remainder fought
bravely on against those tremend-
GUS odds. Momentarily an Indian
would give wild yell and tumble
over dead. The reds attempted
several times to charge over the
knoll, but the deadly fire of the
determined men caused them to
WAIVER and retreat. So often were
they repulsed and with such loss
that the Indians became discour-
aged, and, falling back, fired at
longer range. Notwithstanding
they were well armed, having Sc
cured a number of guns at White
Bird after the battle with Uncle
Sans forces short time before,
the reds could do but little execu-
ton at long range. Still they kept
up a continuous firing.
In the meantime the greatest
excitement prevailed at Cotton
wood. Perry had a company of
soldiers throwing up breastworks.
They could near the firing and
fairly ached to go to the assistance
OF the white men, but Perry kept
them throwing up dirt.
Finally Captain Winters, second
in command, approached Perry
and asked permission to go to the
rescue. Perry stubbornlv refused,
his mind apparently filled with
plans for his own preservation.
The men at the breastworks be-
came restless, and finally Sergeant
Simpson, of Winters command.
throwing down his shovel, cried
out:
Come on, boys; throw down
your tools and get your guns.
Well help those fellows"
The soldiers readily obeyed and
Perry, greatly alarmed at the turn
affairs had taken, rushed around
endeavoring to threaten the men
into obedience of his commands.
But it was of no avail. He had a
mutiny on his hands, and finally.
to pacify the men, he ordered Lieu
tenant Shelton to take a squad
and go to the assistance of the
fighting volunteers.
The men on the knoll, several of
them badly wounded, did such ex-
ecution that the Indians had with
drawn some distance, and, when
the soldiers arrived, the firing had
ceased, the reds being over 1000
yards away and on the retreat.
1t was a fight of 135 Indians
against II white men, but the lat
ter came out victorious, with
three killed and half a dozen