The National tribune., 1899-06-22


challenge three times, and il no answer was
returned they were to fire.
During the night squaw entered carry
ing papooSe on her back. The challenge
was given, but the squaw gave no answer,
and started to run through the line, when
the guard fired and hit the papoose.
This reused the Indians and for while
it looked rather dark for the garrison.
Finally an interpreter went TO the chief with
a message explaining the misfortune.
This called for exertion on the part of the
chief to quiet the mob until better under
standing could be had. Finally all be-
came quiet.
The Indians sent to Maj. Van Vost for
the soldier that killed the papoose. This
request was about to be complied with
when the other soldiers, finding that one
OF their number was to be turned over to the
Indians, manned the cannon, sending
word that no man was to be handed over
Tor obeying orders.
The Indians then threatened to burn the
fort. Our artillery was manned and run
INTO position, and trained on the Indian
camp IN way to make very short work of
1t: This action brought them to time, after
which a parley was granted. A council
was held, and treaty signed; the Govern
ment paying the Indians for the killing of
the papooSe.
In the month of December, 1866, on the
morning OF the 9th. there was but little
snow on the ground. A sign of a large
body of hostile Indians was signaled from
our picket post on the hill above the fort.
The interpreter was sent for to read the
signs. We found out that the Indians
were lying back of the hill, and that they
meant to attack the fort. This took place
at Fort Phil Kearny. At this fort we had
only about 200 men. An attack on the
best fort in the west, with success, meant
the massacre of all the whites in Dakota.
Lieut.-Col. Fetterman was a West Point
man and brave one. He was very hui
name man to his men; always looking out
for them, seeing to their needs, and saving
all unnecessary suffering.
The Indians got bold after while and
made rush on our picket post. Col.
Darlington had his wife and two children
| in the fort, so he detailed Lieut.-Col. Fetter-
man to go after these Indians. He started
out with body of picked men. They took
the artillery with them. The Indians kept
ahead. just out of gunshot. eut.-Col.
Fetterman, Capt. Brown and Lieut.. Drum
mond, a son-in-law of Col. Granger. of near
GAINESVILLE. o., were the officers engaged
in the fight which lasted three hours.
The Indians led them to ambush, just
over the hill, and within hearing of any
gun that was fired. Each man had 100
rounds of ammunition. Each minerwas a
| crack shot, and where the bodies were found
| 100 empty shells were found. By the posi-
| ton of the bodies, it seems that the cavalry
had tried to cut their way out with sabers.
About 1,800 Indians were engaged in
| this fight. We had but handful Of men
| left in the fort, but we took 100 men to the
| relief of the men who had gone with Col.
Fetterman. All we could see was the In
dians carrying off their dead. 1t was some
| time after the battle that our men were
| found. Their bodies were the most mutt
| lated / ever saw. 1t was too vulgar sight
to describe, for it could not and would not
be believed. only by those who saw it.
On the morning of Dec. 25 we were headed
| by Capt. Whitehead and had to shovel
snow to the depth of four feet, on level
and from six to 10 feet in the drifts, to get
| the day before. To bury them, we had to
| blast frozen ground in digging the trench
| was sent back to Fort G. F. Smith
Mont, where my time expired on Sept. g.