Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-07-03
sroaY OF A elLg os Roexg.


Inexperienced IN Indian fighting.
'There is a pile Of rocks probably so
feet in length about nine miles from
Fort Laramie, in Wyoming, which marks
the last resting place Of a detachment
OF cavalry" said retired army officer
the other day. "In passing it many
times 1 have always experienced pc
culiar sensation, for the poor fellows
who lie buried there came to their death
through the overzealous ideas of a
young West Point officer, inexperienced
in Indian lighting You know it was
only the other day that a young officer
in western Colorado came in conflict
with some game wardens while en-
gagged in running the Uintah Utes back
to their reservation in Utah. Caution
comes with age as much in the army as
in civil life.
1t was in 1858 that old Fort Laramie
held a garrison of two companies-en-
tirely too small for the post in those
lively days, when the Cheyennes and
Arapahoes Sioux and Pawnees were
rowing around the country at war
among themselves and occasionally
s pitching into the whites who We're
crossips-~the plains 1t was the year
when Brigham Young with his band of
Mormons was travelling out to Salt
Lake from Nauvoo, III. They camped
one night about nine miles from Fort
Laramie, near where a band of Indians
had established their village during the
hunting season. The next day they
marched into the fort and reported that
the Indians had killed one of their cows.
The commandant at the post promptly
sent young lieutenant ont for an in
spection, giving him 30 cavalrymen.
1T 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 that |
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 one
COW short, and demanded that the guilty
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 just
five minutes in which to deliver up the
guilty Indian, at the expiration of
which time he would fire upon the viii
lage. This made Turkey Feather indig-
nant, and he retired to his tent in dis
gust. Without thinking of the conse-
quences, the young lieutenant, having
given his word, felt himself bound to
carry it out, and, accordingly, when
the five minutes We're 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
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 to
make his way to the camp, nine miles
distant, where the story was told The
at the post at first was in
eisned to flee from the country with his
limited force, believing that the Indians :
would surround the garrison in the ]
10 obtain revenge. While the
was planning a way of q
escape an Irishman named McGrath APP {
preached the captain and roundly swore I
that he had never run from an Indian b
In his life, and he did not propose to do i
It at this time. His display of grit had {
such an effect on the captain that he O
decided to stay and give the Indians {
warm reception should they approach n
he post. The entire garrison went on b
picket duty that night. the women talk a
ng arms also and going out to the a
picket line About noon the next day, fl
he Indians not appearing, the captain W
ient trooper toward the scene of the A
to learn what the Indians were e
Icing. The trooper cautiously made 81
lis way to the scene, only to discover h
hat the Indians, frightened Mt what Il
hey had done, had packed up and dis h,
over the plains. The victims OF
4 this unfortunate massacre were tc
'uried where they fell, and that mound al
4 rocks, visible to this day, was erected
yer their common graves. IN. y. Sun.