The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-27
A HISTORIC FIGHT.
Nlississ1ncwa River the Scene OF an
Early Hattie.

Nlississ1nCwa river inc Scc"S VI 80
EARLY Hattie.
1T ,s known TO but compatativeJy rev peo.
ule ti.ait the Msssissinew1l i'iver. WHICH ruus
through Indiana. was once the scene oi q
fierce battle between the whites ana She
Indian sayaees. The stream runs through
wild country for "a great deal OF ITS coul se
and along Its banks in many places nestio
INV, cottages OF the artists. Some OF tine
best landscape paintings THAT have been
shown in all exhibitions OF the various large
o,ies were executed from scenes along one
banks cf the stream. Poets have raved
over the placid lltthe body of water, and
,nary are the stories; that have been written
about its PAST.
E'cllowlng tho course of the river from
Marion, about seven miles up the stream,
and gbopping near the old tumble down
Corners mill. the wanderer wal fni him
self ON the Mississinewa battlefield. 1t is
!. que. enough place now. Only the calls
OF me w!ld birds or ule occasional crack
OF the hunters rifle breaks the almost
monotonous stiffness Of the place. 1t can
scarcely be conceived THAT on the l'th
OF De;i.mb1r, in the year 1872, a bicoiy
batMe Was here fought. The tight TOOK
pace betwesn Lieutenant John r. Camp,
beli's Nineteenth regiment OF cavalry and
tbs Mialn!s.
A distant relative to General William
Henry Harrison now has in his possession
tho offc al report Of that BATTLE as sent to
tho general by Lieutenant Campbell Be-
low 4. lis given verbatim:
Early In tho morring of the 18th
reached, undiscovered an Indian town on
the Mississinewa, inhabited by a number of
Delawares and Miadnis The troops rushed
into the town. killed eight warriors, took
forty-two prisoners. eight of whom are
warriors and the residue women and chill
di!en. ! ordered the town to be burned
Immediately, with the exception OF house
OF two in which ] confined the prisoners
While we were in council, however, ana
about half an hour before dawn on the
18th, which was the next day after the
fight we were most 6ercsly attacked by
large body of Indians. their onslaught being
accompanied by most hideous yell Every
man OF our brave troops rushed to his post
with al, dispatch The enemy boldly ad-
vanced to within q few yards of the line,
causing the guards which We had placed
at the different redoubts to retreat into
camp and disperse among their several
compalses. The redoubt which Captain
Pierce comm anded was first attacked. He
received two balls through the body anl
was tomahawked. The enemy took pos
session Of Captain Pierce's redoubt. aud
poured a tremendous fire upon the angle.
to the right and left OF which were posted
the troops OF GerarI and Hopkins. But the
fire was as warmly returned ard not an
inch of ground was yielded. The enemy
then moved In force against the left OF
the sqLadron and right OF the infantry
where Captains Markle and Elliot's COM
panies were posted. Here again they were
warmly received
'At this TIME daylight began to dawn /
now ordsred Captain Trotter. whose troops
had been commended by Colonel Simrall
to mount for the purpose to make a charge.
The captain cried for his men to follow
him, and they dashed off at full gallep.
Major Mcdowell. with a small party.
rushed into the very midst of the enemy;
Captain Markle, with about Fifteen of bis
troops, and Lieutenant Warning. also made
daring charge Captain Marble avenged
the death of his relative, Lieutenant Waltz.
upon an Indian with his own sword BY
this time the cavalry returned and in
formed me that the enemy had fled pre-
cipitately"
The battle lasted about one hour and re-
suited m loss to the Whites of about
eight killed and forty-two wounded. Fiji
teen Indians were found dead upon tse
battle-ground, and it Is thought as MANY
| more had been c3rred away dead or nor
tally wounded. The Indian forees num-
pered 800 and the forces of the whites con-
sisted of 500 veterans. A strange colnci-
Csnce is noticeable In the account OF this
battle. On the 1TtFh the Indians lost eight
Killed and had forty-two taken prisoners.
and on the 18th the loss and captures
among the whites wore exactly the sauna
figures. -Aluntie Times.