The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-30
FwfaI Experience
UUItbtta mars
Fight Witb Indians.

twelve Indian arrow Twounds as follows
On right arm ........................... ]
On left arm .............................
On left forearm ............................
On right leg ...................-.-......
lOn left thigh ...........................
These wounds have left large scars and
at times are troublesome although they
were made many years ago and In one
of the most dreadful campaigns that ever
took place.
DIR. De Ross does not, as q rule tell the
story Of the campaign and It, was only at
ter solicitation that he agreed to tell It
to the Eagle.
During the Civil war he was wounded
twice and was in many battles, but the
dominent war experience of mis- life was
to come after the Civil war He was in
an engagement under Colonel Neil upon
Quantrelrs raiders; at Dug Ford and
Marshall; at Jefferson City: California;
at BoonviIle; at Independence; at Big
Blue; at Little Blue; Mine Greek, at Fort
Scott; at Fayetteville. But while from
the beginning to the end Of the Price
raid he was in active service GO days, his
terrible experience from September I'M
I'll September IS. 1865, is the event in his
life which stands out in his memory most
vlvidIy today. He volunteered April 2
1861 in Captain A. Taggards company,
Johnson county regular home guards. He
served until July / as hospital steward,
July /, 1853 he volunteered in Company
z 9Th P. E. VI. NJ. The campaign as out
lined above followed this and in 1865 DR.,
De Ross found himself in the Powder riv-
er expedition, the purpose of which ex-
petition was to survey a route through
the Black Hills to the junction OF the
Yellow Stone and Powder rivers, to open
that country for settlement and mining
purposes.
Twelve hundred and ffty-seven men
rank and file, mounted, set out from
Omaha for Powder river July !, 1865.
They had Travelled a long time when one
evening across the glimmering country
they saw what looked like hay rick,
De Ross and the others who were not ac-
quainted with mountain distances thought
when told that this hay rick was noun
tain, Bear Butte, they would reach it in
n couple OF days, but they progressed
many days and 1t was still far away.
They finally came upon 1t, by a gradual
ascent and camped near the crest. Some
of the officers and men In the late after
noon, crawled TO the top of the Butte and
found a plateau resembling n meadow
which was used as an Indian buTying
ground. Indian bodies were lying on
high platforms. on the ground and were
wrapped and set up in sitting postures.
ha r,1o of ba In
dian burial places in the world. Around
some OF the high burial biers were ar
ranged buffalo skulls all set at q uniform
angle. and making a wierd ornament.
Some OF the officers were smoking. BY
accident or design. fire got out In the long
grass, and as the party wendell their way
down the Butte, a vast column Of smoke
arose from the plateau of the dead and
curled heavenward and some one in the
crowd remarked that might mean trouble.
The next morning the column of ghost
like smoke stin curled from the Butte
as the soldiers set out and that night |
when they camped they could still see
IN the distance the smoke curling from the
place of the dead, and the DAY after that
they could yet see it-a vast funeral pyre
OF many a chief and noble red man.
There was to be costly payment for this !
FIRE. In the expedition were Jim Bridgers
q famous Indian fighter and the redoubt-
able Kit Carson. They travelled on. Bear |
Butte disappeared. Water became scarce !
and then gave out. The suffering OF The !
column was terrible. Tongues began 10 |
swell. and one after another seven men /
lIcyPed with their tongues lOI';is big ana !
bluI from their LIcuths sil i:sd by the |
dusty track the passing colUnd TaGde. !
Tine and tine ssSin the met. saw the /
decletful mirage ahead. saw the Elusive |
pond Of sparkling water which they new
er reached, the joint fiction OF their de- !
sire and the atmosphere. Three days had /
passed and they had found no water. /
Twelve hundred men with their tongues /
protruding struggled through the night /
trying to steal sleep from their fever. !
And on the morning of the fourth Jay
they found water-POwder river. Water
had never tasted better and never will to
any OF those men who are now
surviving. There was no thought of dam
ger. The men put their horses at a dis
Iance and went down into the river, They
were short on ratiOns and each man had (
been put on a cracker a day. General
Conner was to meet them and supply
them rations and escort. The first day
OF September about 3 p. m. the men were
in the stream washing their clothes. Some
men had of their trousers washing them;
some were stark naked. DR.. DE Ross was
dressed. He saw Jim Bridger rise TO his
feet and his hand over mis- eyes scan the
hOrison and say: 'Injuns i think" The
bugle sounded. The men half dressed,
some naked, came scrambllng out OF the
river and rushed TO the horses. These the
Indians had already stampeded and some
were lost forever. The Indians presented
an awe-inspiring sight. There were twelve
thousand Of them (estimateO Sioux,
Arapahoes and Cheyennes. They were all
stripped and nearly every Indian was tied
TO his horse. They began circling closer
and closer and pouring in deiuge of
arrows. The fight began at 3 O'Clock in
the afternoon and the Indians fought in
revenge for their desecrated burial place.
Or. De Ross with the rest had fallen into
line and was meeting the Indian attack
which at times was hand to hand, with
some tomahawk work. DR.. De Ross was
struck in the arm by a poisoned arrow.
AS soon as he realized what the, matter
was he wrenched the steel arrow head
from his arm and at once applied a pen
ell Of nitrate OF silver, a caustic. to the
wound which prevented bleeding and
the poison. The fight which
was fierce lasted until shutdown. The In
dams retiring. Dr.. De Ross had picked
four arrows from his limbs But the bor-
rfble part OF that affair was sian 10 come.