The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-06-27
STORY OF a PILE OF aocx,

fatal imprudsnce of Young Army On.
Inexperienced In Indian Eighth.
"There Is pile of rocks prohah,
feet in length about nine miles
Fort Laramie, in Wyoming, which rau, @
the last resting place Of detachmm
OF cavalry" said retired armv o,ae
the other day. I'm passing i ma'
times have always experienced
culiar sensation, for the poor fellow,
who lie buried there came to their da..,
through the overzealous ideas -
young West Point officer, inexperien..s
in Indian fighting. You know n NV
only the other day that young ofsoss
in western Colorado came in cona,s.
with some game wardens while ~
gagged in running the Uintah Utes haa.
to their reservation in Utah. Caution
comes with age as much in the armv :.
in civil life.
ut was in 1853 that old Fort Iarau;.
held garrison of two companies-en'
tirely too small for the post in tbos.
lively days, when the Cheyennes and
Arapahoes, Sioux and Pawnees wsr.
rowing around the country at wa,
among themselves and occasionan,
pitching into the whites who ws,.
crossing the plains. 1t was the Yea,
when Brigham Young with his band .,
Mormons was travelling out to Sal,
Lake from Nauvoo, Ill. They CANNED
one night about nine miles from For.
Laramie, near where band of Indian,
had established their village during the
hunting season. The next day thew
marched into the fort and reported tha,
the Indians had killed one of their cows
The commandant at the post promptly
sent young lieutenant out for an IN.
spection, giving him 30 cavalrymen.
at was the lieutenant's first commits.
sion for active duty, and he felt the
great Importance of the mission. He
determined to discover who killed tba.
COW or perish in the attempt. Entering
the Indian village, he rode at the head
of his detachment up to the chiefs
tepee and began his investigation
Turkey Feather, the chief, declared that
no COW had been killed. The lieutenant
insisted that the Mormons were on.
cow short, and demanded that the gully
Indian be brought out. Several sub
chiefs were called up, and they likewise
disclaimed any knowledge of the COW.
THE young lieutenant insisted upon
having a scapegoat delivered over TO
him, and, pulling out his watch, he
dramatically announced to Turkey
Feather that he would give him lust
five minutes in which to deliver up the
guilty Indian, at the expiration O.
which time he would fire upon the vii.
lage. This made Turkey Feather indig.
nant, and he retired to his tent in dis
quences, the young lieutenant, having
given his word, felt himself bound TO
carry it out, and, accordingly, when
the five minutes were up, he gave the
order to fire. The Indians greatly out.
numbered the little detachment. and in
their anger it was the work Of a few
minutes to lay low every man in that
small band, including the young lieu
tenant.
During the night succeeding this
massacre one surviving wounded SOL
der picked himself up and managed 70
make his way to the camp, nine miles
distant, where the story was told. The
commandant at the post at first wasin.
clined to flee from the country with his
limited force, believing that the Indians
would surround the garrison in the
morning to obtain revenge. While the
commandant was planning way OF
escape an Irishman named McGratha P
preached the captain and roundly swore
that he had never run from an Indian
in his life, and he did not propose TO do
it at this time. His display of grit had
such an effect on the captain that he
decided to stay and give the Indians
warm reception should they approach
the post. The entire garrison went on
picket duty that night, the women TAX
ing arms also and going out 10 the
picket line. About noon the next day
the Indians not appearing, the captain
sent trooper toward the scene OF the
massacre TO learn what the Indians were
doing. The trooper cautiously made
his way to the scene, only to discover
that the Indians, frightened ut what
they had done, had packed up and DIS
over the plains. The victims
of this unfortunate massacre were
buried where they fell. and that mound
of rocks, visible to this day. was erected
over their common graves."-N. l. sun,