Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-07-21

The western dad man" was in a
reminiscent mood and he remarked
that he knew of no parallel to the
heroism of Amos Chapman.
"To fight Indians was bad enough"
he continued, "but to be corralled by
them in a buffalo walow and held
there by them, and water up to your
|neck-that is an inferno with the lid
loft
II knew Chapman quite we'll. He
had been on the frontier long time.
He was from the East He had hunted
buffalo, traded with Indians. fought
with them in 1868, and finally married
Cheyenne. He was not more than so
years old, tough, sure shot, good in
terpreter, fearless rider, and as brave
as a man could be.
"It was in September, 1874, that Gen.
Miles command was camped on the
Red River, in the Texas Panhandle,
where it had followed the retreating
Indians, or rather the main body Of
them, Prairie Dog Dave and l were
selected as the two scouts to carry
dispatches from Gen. Miles to Major
Compton, whose command was located
on McClelland Creek. about seventy
five miles to the north. Some of the
dispatches were really intended for
Camp Supply, In the Indian Territory,
still further north, but our instructions
were simlp to deliver them to Major
Compton. Dave and I hoped to be
sent on to Camp Supply with them,
for we needed some new and warmer
clothes, as it was beginning to be cold
nights.
1--WE were not clad in buckskin and
beads as scouts are usually pictured.
Our clothing simply consisted of a pair
of cheap overalls, calico shirts, soft hat
and a pair of boots. We had lived IN
them all summer and thought it about
time to change them. We reached
Compton's camp without incident and
cursed our luck when we received re-
turn dispatches to Miles, while ours
were turned over to Billy Dixon and
Amos Chapman to take to Camp Sup
ply. Later when we learned what they
"It was known that there was mar
auding band of the red devils some
where in the vicinity, but, like the
Irishman's flea, it was difficult mat
ter to put finger on them. They
might be in one spot one day and fifty
miles or more away the next. 1t was
considered best to send a sergeant and
~ Wi
security, and, as was customary, they
took an unbeaten trail to their destin-
alton.
"Now, it happened that this rowing
band of reds, numbering fully 300 war
riors, had been laying five days siege
to Jack Callahan's twenty-five six
mule Government supply train sn the
sand hills of the Wachita river. The
train was bringing supplies from Camp
Supply down to Gen. Miles. It was
surprised at this bad place for fight,
and was forced to go into corral This
is done by putting two wagons to-
gether in A shape, stringing the rest
down the sides, and closing them up
at the other end V way. The mules
and horses are kept comparatively safe
in the Enclosure made by the wagons,
while the teamsters and soldiers get
what protection they can from behind
the wheels or by digging rifle pits be-
meath the wagons. They can shoot
with little danger of being hit. Such
corral can stand off an army Of Indians
until the water gives out. The Indians
attacked the train for five days, killing
one Lieutenant, two soldiers, and some
Of the animals. Their loss was heavy.
Soldiers of Company K. Sixth Cavalry,
Capt. Kingsbury, from Camp Supply,
had appeared upon the scene driven off
the Cheyennes, and relieved the be-
sieged.
Chapman and Dixon, with their
little escort, had crossed the Wachita,
some three or four miles below where
the pack train had been held up, but,
of course knew nothing Of its presence
or that Of the Indians. On rolling
prairie country such as they were in 1t
Is difficult matter to see any great
distance on account of the knobs and
hollows They were coming out OF a
small draw or canon, when suddenly
they espied the savages, who were al
most directly upon them. There was
but one thing to do, and that was to
get out upon the open prairie. where
there would be chance to fight. Tenn
porary protection would be afforded by
getting behind things in the canon. but
1t would only be matter OF a short
time when they would be surrounded
and shot at from all directions. As ex-
psrieEced men. thay knew this A