Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1899-04-10

We did not know what had become
of Custer, and were expecting he would
cone to our relief. Shortly after we
got up on the hill we heard three vol
leys in his direction. signal for aid.
but we were powerless to respond. and
could not go to him, although he was
but little over a mile away.
son the morning of the third dav we
saw a body of men in soldiers uni
forms in tao distance. We mistook
theEa for fsi'z* aming to US. Such
cheer AZ went up from the i'm
prisoned sojI 80 on that hill you never
heard 81 your life, We soon learned
that the uniforms were worn by IN
dams, and were those undoubtedly Of
Clusters men.
This was our first knowledge of the
fate which had overtaken Tim and his
command. Our hearts again sank and
hope almost deserted us. Soon, how
ever, the Indians were seen to be leaY-
ing. and few hours later General
Terry came up with relief and re-en-
forcements. As Sitting Bull split up
his followers into small bands. we
could not follow them successfully.
MY next fight was under General
Miles, then Colonel. This was in the
fall of 1877, when we fought the Ne2
Perees under Chief Joseph in the Bear
Paw Mountains I speak of this be-
cause it has been said often Of lato
that General Miles is only dress pa
rade and parlor soldier, The people
who say this never made greater
mistake. General Miles is as brave
and fearless a commander as ever lived.
I don't believe he knows what fear Is,
Certainly if the people who make that
charge against him could have seen
him in that fight as l saw him their
opinions would undergo a radical
change.
at was September 20, 1877. that the
fight began. For five days we mad
been marching at night, going into
camp about o'clock each morning.
We had camped but six or seven miles
from the Nez Peroes. although / am
satisfied General Miles did not know
it.
After we had gone about four miles
on the march we came in sight of the
Nez Perces' camp. They must have
known that We were coming, because
they wore fully prepared fer us. We
could not see them, but as we saw the
camp we formed in line OF battle.
AS I said, we could not see the in.
dams and did not, until we rode right
into them, within 80 feet of them.
They doomed up to view in an instant.
Just think of it! There were fully
500 naked. painted sayages. and, all
told, our three companies did not num-
Der over 120 men.
IT will never forget the scene. Ser
geant Wilde ran out a few feet in
front of his horse, Corporal Delaney
was next to him and I was next to De-
laney. We were in the extreme front
I'm a moment Wilde was shot
through the breast, Delaney wounded
in the head and I shot in the right
knee and side
For time was in a desperate sit
uation, between the two fires.
thought my time had come, but our
boys soon reached US One fellow
named Stapleton, who was an ex-En-
glish soldier and brave one, too,
dragged me back beyond little hill.
Here I had good view of the fight.
General Miles came up to my com.
pany and pointing to a spot where sew
eral shots were coming from said:
+" Boys, don't believe there are over
a dozen Of them over there Charge
them once
we were so close that the Indians
heard the order, and answered back
ieer.ngly, Charge EN-. It was a dis
astroHs charge, and Of the IA men who
eaped forward five dropped in an in
slant, and the remainder were COM
PEELED to fall back in a hurry.
General Miles. telling the boys to
remain where they were. said nc would
go back and send US re-enforcements.
1t was at this point that | saw MIN
exhibit bravery and daring which have
been seldom witnessed.
"He could have gone around the hills
with perfect safety, but it would have
required a little more time Disdain.
ing The secure route. he put his horse
into canter ard rode across the open,
the only real exposed place on the
field
There were fully, as I said, 500 Nez.
Perces within a short distance, and
they opened fire on him at once. There
must have been 2.000 shots fred at
him as he rode across.
1T seemed certain death, actually
counting it, bat he dashed along utter
~ regardless OF the rain of lead around