The sun., 1899-05-14

s"hV VI NoitS oWOu Hb Jn6 blRn0l IOT DhtJle.
Custer said that this air more nearly suggest
| ed the trampling and roar OF q cavalry charge
than any other he knew OF. The band was
stationed near the river crossing. The hour
was 80 still that n man could almost hear hi,
| watch tick.
with q crash the music burst upon The ears
OF the expectant man. who answered with a
Yell As tho tumult OF tramplinR horses and
cheering troopers went laundering by. the
musicans lost control Of their own horses and
were carried away into tho 1Rht. the hills
echoing again and again TO the strains "
Garry Owen Custer. surrounded by his
| scouts. led the charge. The Indians we're
taken completely by surprise and rushed
panic stricken from their lodges. to be shot
down. almost before sleep had left their eye
lids Many scrambled down on the ice OF the
Washita and ran under cover OF the wooded
bank along the river toward the other villages.
Numbers fell before the crossflre OF Cooks
sharpshooters. Most OF them encountered
the detachments under Elliott and THOMPSON
and It was here that the greatest slaughter
| took place. Sauaws with their children
climbed tho steep embankmeut south OF the
village and gained the prairie. where Myers's
command lay In wait for them The Osage
scouts. before they could be intercepted. shot
down the women and mutilated their bodies,
cutting of their arms. legs and breasts with
knives. An Usage brought In Black Kettles
scalp and asserted that ho had the glory OF
having killed linn. The old warrior was killed
| near troop commanded by Capt. Hamilton.
who was also killed at the beginning OF the
fight. being shot from his horse. I was rid
Ing to the SOUTH whom came in vie " OF fully
half Mvers's men. chasing the panic stricken
women and children. Immediately reported
( IL to Custer. asking whether he wanted them
killed.
No. he replied. Tell Myers to call of his
men and. take the runaways to big lodge and
nut q guard over Them
L got together about sixty women and chill
| dren. The hunting and slaughter Of fuRitives
| continued during the greater part OF the morn
ing. The Indians fought desperately. but
| were wholly at a disadvantage. 1 estimate
| the Cheyenne loss at seventy.fvs warriors and
| fully as many women and children killed The
| number Of wounded was never known. but
| there are still Indians In western Oklahoma
| who bear scars received on that cold Novem-
| ber day. The dusk Of the morning gave cover
| for escape. or the bloodshed would have been
greater. Custer.with whom 1 rode stlrrup to
stirrup. killed only one Indian. a warrior who
was about to fire at him from only few feet.
| Custer killed him with pistol.
| After returning to the village with the wo-
| men and children. l heard heavy firing down
! the.river In the direction Of Cooks sharp
shooters. l rode rapidly in that direction and
| found a small party OF warriors. with their
| women and children. at bay under the en-
| bankment. During a freshet the bank had
been undermined, causing 1t to cave in. The
mass OF dirt made an excellent barricade. the
| Indians getting between II and the bank. They
| were protected from above BY the overhanging
turf. which had not been carried down with
| the dirt. The Indians were firing at the sharp
| shooters on the other eide OF the river. The
| latter were unable to dslodge them. but
! poured hail OF bullets at them. The shots
OF the Indians gradually grew fewer until they
ceased altogether. The warriors were dead
| 1t was then that l saw a terrible example OF a
| Cheyenne mothers DESPAIR. A squaw arose
from behind the barricade. holding baby at
| arms length. In her other hand was long
| knife. The sharpshooters mistook the child
for white captive. and yelled. XIII that squaw.
| She's numbering white child Before gun
] could be fred the mother. with one stroke OF
| the knife disembowelled the child. drove the
| knife to the hilt In her own breast and was
dead. A trooper poxed his carbine over the
| embankment and shot her through the head.
| but 1t was needless cruelty.
Many OF the Indians were armed only with
| bows and arrows. having grabbed up the first
weapons within reach when they began their
flight Most OF their shields and lances were
| lett IN sn0 lOuRes L cdmo upon WTlnkleu.
| gray haired old sQuaw. who stood at bay like
an enraged tieress She had an old cavalry
sabre raised deflantly for battle. She was
| with difficulty persuaded to lay down ths sa-
bre after having been assured that her life
| would be spared. In a ravine which traversed
the :plateau:south OF the village. Myers's men
discovered a man in hiding with baby. He
was O Mexican who had been captured by the
| Cheyennes when child. He could speak a
little English. When I rode ur The TROOPERS
were discussing the question OF killing their
captive. The Mexican suspected his fate and
stood stoically awaiting the end. Finally one
OF the soldiers said to him:
Move of. down the ravine.'
The Mexican hesitated and then asked be-
seechingly: You will.take the baby. won't you:'
Tho TROOPER took the child In his arms and
the NJ exican darted away. He had run scarce
ly thirty fee when he fell pierced through
the back with bullets. The little one grew to
womanhood and married a white man in
southwestern Oklahoma. where che lived un-
til he- death few years ago
1T was from this spot that Major Elliott
started on the foray which resulted in the
massacre Of himself and those who followed
him. Shortly after the shooting OF the Mexi-
| can. Elliott. looking down the river through
his fieldglas!. saw number Of Indians. m ost-
ly boys. who were skulktng in the timber and
moving rapidly toward the hostile villages.
Elliott was separated from his command and
when he said. There's lot Of escaping In
dians; como on boys. let's take 'em in the
men who Joined him did 30 OF their own ac-
cord. The party rode away. but did not fol-
low. Men and horses soon disappeared in the
timber.
THE news OF tho battle had been carried
down the river and the warriors couid be seen
gathering on the hills to the north Of Black
Kettles village. I never saw a more magnif-
cent lot OF Indians. The hills appeared to be
alive with them. They were gorgeous in war
bonnets and paint. Some were armed with
guns and some with bows and arrows and
gaudy shields. Their bracelets and armlets
glistened in the sunshine and:their ponies were
adorned for battle with vermilion and feathers
They captured tho overcoats OF the sharp
shooters. which had been left in the rear when
the soldiers advanced to the fight. This
nlaasad the Indiana hugely and thew dared the