The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-02-11
A MOUND OF ROCKS.
" MARKS TIE LAST RESTING PLACE
OF A SQUAD OF ckvAlRYMEN.
Fatal tnproscoce - Young Army on
Ger Inexperienced In Indian figating.
A search Per Missing Gov csss the
lives az fAsrsy-ess SOLDIER

!
Ger Inexperienced In Indian Fighting.
A search Per Missing Gov Csss the
lives az rAsrsy-ese seiaisr~.
There is pile II rocks probably so
( feet IN lenciA ahont nine miles from
I Fort i-assmso IN Wyoming. which
marks she sssi rsting place Of a detach-
nnont II cavalry, said a retired army
officer the other day. In passing il
many times have always experienced
a peculiar sensation. for the poor fellows
who lie buried there came TO their death
through the oversealous ideas Of a
Young West Point officer. inexperienced
in Indian fighting. You know it was
only the other day that young officer
in western Colorado came in conflict
with some game wardens while engaged
in running the uintah Utes back to their
reservation 10 Utah. Caution comes
with age as much In the army as in civil
life
alt was in 1853 that old Fort Lara
mie held garrison of two companies
entirely 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 pitching
into the whites who were crossing the
plains. II was the year when Brigham
Young with his band of Mormons was
travelling out To Salt Lake from Nauvoo,
Ills. They camped one night about nine
miles from Fort Laramie, near where
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 Mt the
post promptly sent young lieutenant
ont for an inspection, 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 de-
termined 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, tho 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 subcbiefs were
called up, and they likewise disclaimed
any knowledge Of the COW.
1.-THE young lieutenant insisted upon
having scapegoat delivered over to
him, and pulling ont his watch he dra-
matically announced to Turkey Feather
that be would give him Just five min |
utes in which to deliver up the guilty
Indian. at the expiration of which time |
he would fire upon the village. This |
made Turkey Feather indignant, and he |
retired TO bis tent in disgust. Without |
thinking Of the consequences the young |
lieutenant. having given his word. felt |
bound 10 carry it out, and ac- |
cordingly when the five minutes were |
up he gave the order 10 fire. The In |
dians greatly outnumbered the little de- |
tachment, and in their anger il was the |
work of few minutes TO lay low every |
man in that small band. including the
young lieutenant.
During the night succeeding this |
massacre one surviving wounded soldier |
picked himself up and managed to make |
his way to the camp. nine miles dis |
tant, where the story was told. The /
commandment at the post at first was in |
clinod to flee from the country with his /
limited force, believing that the Indians
would surround the garrison in the
to obtain revenge. While the
was planning a way Of es-
APE an Irish private named McGrath
approached the captain and roundly
'wore that he had never run from an
Indian in his life. and he did not pro-
pose TO do il at this time. His display
II grit had such an effect on the captain
hat he decided to stay and give the In.
iians warm reception should they ap-
roach the post. The entire garrison
vent on picket duty that night. the
women taking arms also and going out
20 the picket line. About noon the next
lay, the Indians not appearing. the cap
ain sent trooper toward the scene Of
he massacre TO learn what the Indians
we're doing. The trooper cautiously
made his way TO the scene. only to dis
cover that the Indians, frightened at
what they had done, had packed up and
disappeared over the plains. The VIC
inns Of this unfortunate massacre were
,uried where they fell, and that mound
II rocks, visible 10 this day, was erected
yer their common grave. Denver
Jor. New York Sun