, 1900-02-17
.ONE NOTED COMBAT
BUFFALO BILLS" HAND-TO-HAND
ENCOUNTER WITH CHIEF
YELLOW HAND"
Death of Buffalo Chips in the Fight
at Slim Buttes, and Also That of
Trooper Donne'ly-How General
Fitzhugh's Life Was Saved by
Trooper Hayes.

Gently dSSuIltu COIlHldhu VI DOuS-
las, is an army officer who has seen
years of hard service say ]. Allen
Wheat in the Salt Lake Tribune. He
has grown gray following the flag, and
when he is in the humor. there is no
one who can recite more adventures
that quicken the pulse and thrill the
blood than he. For 20 years he saw
the hardest kind of service upon the
frontier in the incessant warfare that
was then being waged against the In
dians. 1t was from General Charles
King, the army novelist. who for a time
served with Maj. Forbush upon the
frontier, that | learned of the many
exciting incidents in which the latter
took an important part. A few weeks
aga the major arrived at Fort Douglas
to assume command of the post. |
confess hat it was with some little
fear and uncertainty that ! made up
my mind to beard the lion in his den,
and learn, if possible. more particulars
| of the stirring incidents in which he
participated. and Of which Gen. King
had given me but a brief outline when
he was at Camp Merritt. preparatory
10 embarking for the Philippines.
Five minutes after the sergeant-ma-
jor had hshered me into the majors
presence | was perfectly at my ease.
Those who know Major Forbush will
vouch for his genial nature and
hospitable spirit. Though small
in stature. he is as straight
as an arrow and every inch a
soldier. His eyes are clear and pene.:
comfortable to see the welcoming smile
that plays beneath his large gray mus
tache. He listened very attentively as
| told him the object of my call, and
souled laugh | needed no further as
suranCe that | should be successful in
obtaining such a story as | desired.
When | told him hat | had understood
that he was formerly a member of the
Fifth cavalry and that he had served
in the memorable campaign under Gen,
Crook, which is more Familiarity known
as the Big Horn and Yellowstone ex-
petition of 1876. he quietly put aside
his pen and fixing his gaze upon me,
said:
why, my boy, that was "a years
ago, and while the incidents in the
main are still clear in my mind. =
fear that time serves an old soldier
none too we'll. We are all apt to be-
come dreamers, and as | look back
over those times that tried men to the
last pinch of their endurance, l am
afraid that l am inclined to let my
fancy have too free a rein"
the major if he would recall for me
the main incidents of that famous
campaign as so delightfully."- described
by Gen. King, and of which the latter
in more than n talk upon the subject
had briefly outlined. To this request
he assented but insisted that he wanted
it understood that he was only corro-
borating that which has already been
written by Gen. King.
"As l remember all of the hardships
and sufferings of that famous cam
paign, there are two incidents that
still stand out with a peculiar force
and clearness," said the major, land
which | shall never forget"
My eager expectancy must have
shown itself, for without giving me
a chance to question him, the major
invited me owe to his coy quarters.
Once installed beneath his roof, we
lighted our pipes, and the major said:
THE w incidents which today are
most vivid in my mind are the mortal
hand-to-hand combat between Buffalo
Bill and the Cheyenne chief. Yellow
Hand, and the heroic death of Trooper
Donnelly of C troop of the Fifth cav
airy. Then, too, there was the death
of Buffalo Chips, who was one of our
famous scouts, who was killed by one
of American Horses braves. OF these
incidents | was an eyewitness, and
last, but not least, l may tell you Of
how Col. Hayes, now commanding the
Fourth cavalry in the Philippines,
saved the life of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee
when he was about to be scalped by
an Indian.
1T was in the famous campaign
against the Sioux. AT the time that my
regiment was ordered into the field |
was at home in the east upon a leave
Lieut-Col. L. A., Carr telling me that
the Fifth cavalry had been ordered
from Fort Hayes to the valley of the
South Cheyenne, near the base OF the
Black Hills, to cut off the Indian REIN
forcements and supplies. The first OBJ
ject was to find the crossing of the
trail from the Red Cloud and Spotted
Trail reservations, by which it was
known that many Indians were going
to the support of Sitting Bull and
Crazy Horse. You may be sure that
| fastened to rejoin, and was de-
lighted to find that Buffalo Bill had al
ready Joined his old comrades. He
had given up a lucrative starring tour
when he read hat the Fifth had been
ordered to the support of Gen. Crook.
and paying of his troupe, had hurried
across the continent to join the regi-
ment. He was warmly welcomed and