Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-05-14
A MOUND OF ROCKS.
IT MARKS THE LAST RESTING PLACE
OF A SQUAD OF CAvALRYMeN.


Fatal Imprndence OF "a Young Army Om-
Ger Inexperienced IN Indian Fighting
A Search FOR sii,,ine cow Cost IN.
,,. 49,, r,,-,,. s.,,.,,ors
There Is a pi OF rc"l5 probably &c
feet IN length H1out D.pe mlles ir1m
! Fort laramie ~ "yomI =, which
marks the last ). .;"" place O. a d". ach
nent of cavalry, ,a retired army
J officer the cthcr cav. In passing !.
many t,"c, ! have ai vaYs IS He3"e'
a pecn!ia son.a "" ih' f"iioV
vino lle buried ,h"l" came 1o'hcr d"W
! throot1 'h' oV' .o3s Mas ui
yCuL1 "cs, - h' o1hcef' inexperienced
in lhuih h;3rHF 4ca W. ~ .t Ma
only the other day hat q Y-.np Officer
| IN western CO. r.d" c'"e - coa"l"'
with some Ganov ceus VIZ ~ CnIa2'a
IN running the | r % u l. th"l
! reservation ~ ti7h Ca. 30 comes
with ago as much IN IA" amy as III civil
Efo.
II Was in $50 that old Fort Lara
ME held garrison Of TWO Companies
entirely too small for the post II those
lively days, VJ"n rhe ChcYennes and
Arapahocs, Sioux and PaWnees were
rowing around the country ~ war among
themselves and o.'asion1!!y pitching
into the whites who were crossing the
plains. Ii was tie year when Brigham
Young with Ing u2nd OF Mormons wac
travelling ca TO salt Lake from Nauvoo'
LIS. They cnpad one night about nlne
miles from Fort Laramie, near where
! "a
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 commandment AT the
post promptly sent young lieutenant
ont for an inspection, giving him 3o
cavalrymen.
1t was the lieutenant first commits
sion for active duty ana he lett the
great importance OF the mission. lie de-
termined to discover who killed that
COW or perish IN the attempt Entering
the Indian village, he rode at the head
OF has detachment up 10 the chleI tepee
and began his investigation. turkey
Feather the chlef, declared that no COW
had been killed. The lieutenant INSISTED
that the Mormons were one COW snort
and demanded that the guilty lndlan be
brought out. Several subchlefs We're
called up, and they likewise dlsclalmed
any knowledge or the COW.
The young lieutenant insisted upon
having scapegoat delivered over TO
him and pulling out has watch he dra-
maticaliy announced to Turkey Feather
that be would give hlm just lVe NM
utes in which TO deliver mp the guilty
Indian, at the expiration of which time
he would fire upon the village. his
made TurkcI Feather indignant, ana he
retired to his tent III disgust. without
thinking OF he consequences the young
lieutenant, having given his word, feIt
himself bound TO carry II out ana ac-
cordngly when the i've minutes were
up he gave the order 10 fire The IN
dams greatly outnumbered the little de-
tachment, and in their anger 1t 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 70 make
his way TO the camp, nlne miles dis
+ tant where the story was told. The
commandant at the post at first was in.
clined to flee from the country with his
limited force, believing that the Indians
roorriro 20 oh,ain rovoroo While Me
- -, .1.,.,,,',,, , ,...,. 20 ~.
@"lil ""' P-''i'''-''' 49,
cape an li4sH Pl4'"'o H"H'0" M0O'-" -"
approached the captain ana ronhuIy
swore that he had never run from an
Indian in his life, and he did not pro-
nose TO Go FL Mt this time. His display
81 o,..t had .uch..p effect ON the cartain
.,.,,,' - ,...,,,, .,o,.,.,;o,,. should tbov an