The sun., 1898-10-16
OLD SOLDIERS STORY
An Indian Fighter of This City Tells
the True Story of Pine
Ridge Battle.
EDITOR OF The SUN:

EDITOR OF lHE Sun:
DEAR SIR:-The true story of the battle
of Pine Ridge has never been told. That
fercest of Indian fights remains like a
dim speck on the history of the Wild
West. 1t was, however, an important
and at the same time bloody fight.
If you will bear with me for short
time | would like to tell the true story of
the battle of Pine Ridge.
The terrific conflict at Pine Ridge took
place under the shadow of the Black
Hills three miles from Fort Phil Kear-
ney, six weeks after the Phi kearney
massacre.
This battle was before the troops were
forwarded to the fort and garrison after
the massacre and attending horrible
scenes. Around Pine Ridge the woods
were full OF Indians. The garrison ran
out OF wood and formed squad which
had to 60 out after it, but strange to say,
with all that has been said, the true story
remains to be told. The truth concern
the battle of Pine Ridge is this: Major
Powell was in command Like the
Phil kearney massacre the War Depart
ment has records.of the massacre and
battles, but no pictures of them. By re-
quest in a letter from Major Powell, l
am making a picture Of the battle of
Pine Ridge. The scenes at Pine Ridge
at that time, over thirty years ago, were
wild and horrible.
At the battle grounds and the wood
train, four comrades and myself, the
major officers and several men, includ-
ing civilians and soldiers, teamstels, and
wood choppers, and bluff relief Ia bluff
relief was three cavalrymen and one cor
poral, all survivors OF Company G,
Second United States calvary did two
hours on duty, and four hours off. We
had signals for the coming OF Indians at
Pine Ridge before the sixteen-mile Ridge
massacre or the Phil Kearney massacre.
At Pine Ridge we had wagon box breast
aorks made with wagon boxes, taken
from the running-gears of the wagons.
The boxes made good breast works when
laid on their sides. They had good
train of wagons, nothing but the running
gears to the wagons. We had the train
nearly solid when signal came from the
bluff that Indians were coming. We all
had barely time to get into the breast
works, and the drivers to hitch the lead
mule to the saddle mule.
In this way they could not get away.
The picket on the bluff said the pines
were full of Indians. His words came
true. The Indians charged our breast
works in line of battle. They came out
of the pines dismounted and naked as
the day they came into the world. At
our first volley they broke and ran anG
formed again three or four times. We
fooled the Indians this time. They
thought the boys had old muzzle loading
guns, but we had the improved
breach loading guns. They though
they could charge before We
had time to load. Indians were
left on the battle field. Here wa
the time to sea lp the Indians for revenge
for our scalped comrades. Corpora
Backer of my company tried hard to &c
leave from the major to scalp th'
, Indians in revenge for his brother Jim
killed in the Phil Kearney massacre
, Major said it would be a disgrace to tn
government to do SO. In this battl
Indians were seen with Colonel Fetter
, mans coat and Captain Browns and on
> comrades, arms and clothes.
!, will give the happenings after tn
battle in another letter, if you woul
. kindly publish it,
> Very truly yours,
! JOHN GUTHRIE.