The National tribune., 1898-03-10
IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY.
A Brief Campaign That Was Full of
Fighting.

Fighting.
Editor National Tribune: Our company
(H, 18th Ohio Cav built Fort Mitchell and
while stationed there we received tele-
graphic notice that a small outpost called
Mud Springs had been attacked by the
savageS, and asked for help.
This was about O'Clock p. m. "Boots
and saddles" was sounded by the buglerS,
and every man who could be spared was
| soon in the saddle and on the way to
Mud Springs The post was situated at the
foot OF small bluffs ON one side and small
| valley on the other.
We arrived about o'clock a. M; the
company halted and the bugler was or
sieged would know that help was at hand.
There were only seven soldiers and four
citizens to guard and protect the post.
When we got to the boys the doors were
thrown open and an old soldier named
Idlet cried for Joy. The boys knew that it
around the building in the night, and if a
head appeared it would be sure death.
At daylight Is of us q among the num-
ber) were sent to the bluff in the rear of the
post to prevent, if possible, the Indians
from getting too close. We had fired sew
eral rounds at the Indians as they had
gaIIoped from one bluff to another, when
about five hundred rose up behind the
creek bank and fired at us.
As the fire was too heavy to Withstand,
Cnc 10 TctiTe was gwen, anu JUST dS
we turned to go two brothers, one standing
on each side of me, were shot. | was the
last one TO get into the building. One OF
the men, who had been shot through the
shoulder, soon came to and ran as fast as
his legs could carry him, and | opened the
door. He stepped ill., fell, was picked up,
placed in bunk and given medical at
tention.
The other brother had been shot in the
hip, the bali lodging in his groin We
could see the Indians jumping up, waving
their scalping knives and yelling like
demons.
There was a Sunken place in the ground
where he lay, and he had presence of
mind enough to roll himself over into that
and draw his revolver, which he intended
to use on the first Indian who showed him
self after that
As bullets and arrows were coming
against the building like hail, William
Hall, who had seen service in the front and
after being discharged had enlisted again
in my company, asked if there was any
one who would volunteer to go with him
and bring in the wounded man. No one
would go: he took off his revolver-belt and
hung it on a peg, as unconcerned as though
he was going to his supper. Officers tried to
persuade him not to go, as it was almost
sure death, but he opened the door, walked
quickly out to the man, and placing
him on his shoulder brought him safely
into the house without getting even a
scratch / think the hand of Providence
was surely manifested there.
The brother wounded in the shoulder got
we'll but the other comrade we laid under
a mound on the plains.
We fought the Indians there two days,
when they left, and we followed them to
the Platte River, near Brush Creek, where
we fought them two days more. They
then retreated over the mountains.
In the meantime we had been reinforced
L. MI
When we reached the river which was
frozen over, and got into position, the red
skins had started to TecroSS the river
There were several hundred on the ice
The cannon was double shOtted and let
loose on them. A swath was cut through
them, but it did not check them, and few
solid shot were fired which had the desired
result for awhile.
Soon afterwards about three hundred
then got into a hollow few hundred yards
from our corrall and were wounding our
boys so fast that 20 volunteers were called
for and soon responded, and put under
command of Lieut.. Geo. w. Marsh. He
told them that no one was to retreat until
ordered to do SO.
Among the number was comrade by
the name of HartShorn, whose horse
would run away every chance he got. He
was asked not to ride the horse, but he
would do it. A charge was made, and for
n while you could not tell soldier from
Indian True to his nature, Hartshorn's
horse ran away. The Indians opened up a
way and let him through. He commenced
TO hit his horse by the side OF the head
thinking thus to turn him towards camp
The Indians closed in on him and that was
the last seen of the poor fellow until next
day, when few Indians (the main body
having by this time gone over the mount
ains) were seen standing on a bluff, about
quarter Of a mile away, apparently in
forpSfad in some object
A gunner was ordered to doubleshot the
cannon, and see if he could dispiace them.
He fired, and in a moment there was not
an Indian in sight. The gun was reloaded,
and about twenty OF us went up to where
the Indians had been seen.