Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-08-18
FROsTBURG, Md, SATURDAY, AUGUST Is, 1900.

feared. Over 200 Indians had swarm
ed down out of the hills at daybrcak
the morning before. avid, though they
had lost a score of 'n'n. the dugout
had been carried by assault and its
defenders butcherCd. We waited here
half an hour to give the poor cOrpSes
burial and then pushed on toward
White Horse. 1t was not until we got
within two miles of the station that
our fears We're relieved. Then we
heard the reports of rifles and knew
that the place was still holding out.
The station was situated about mid
way of long. bare hill. 70 the west
of it was Il coulcc. or dry ravinc. with
banks 20 feet high. We had with us Il
couple of scouts who knew every rod
of the overland trail. and when within
a mile of the station these men were
sent forward to spy out the situation.
They returned after awhile to report
that Spotted Horse and about 100 Of
his dog soldiers as the Chrycnncs
We're called. were laying siege to the
station and had evidently occupied the
ground for two or three days. The
ground around the dugout was so open
that the Indians dared not rush" the
place, nor was there any show to use
Il keg of powder without reckless cX-
poSure. With their allies holding the
trail to the east, the Chcycnncs had en-
tered upon a siege in hopes to Starvc
the employees out. Their war ponies
and most of the band We're lying up in
the dry ravine for the night. This ra-
vine had no opening to the south and
was therefore Il cul dc sac.
The first signs of dawn were in the
sky when we saddlcd up. mounted. and
the whole of us pushed forward, led
by the scouts, for the mouth of the ra-
vine. We had the Spencer carbines,
each with Il full magazine, and as we
got the order to charge each man be
gan shooting. When IA carbine was
empty, it was thrown away and Il re-
volver used in its place. When the re-
volver was empty. it was east aside for
the Saber. Extended from bank to
bank, we swept up the ravine, and we
had nothing 10 do but kill. Taken by
surprise. the Cheycnncs thought only
of getting away. We had scarcely got
to work when the eight men who had
been cOoped up in the dugout sailed
out to take hand in, and it was made
the saddest sunrise the Cheyenne tribe
had ever seen. Not II pony could eS-
cape out of that trap. Numbers of the
warriors scrambled up the banks and
got safely away, but nearly every one
left his weapons behind. The fight did
not last above so minutes, and our loss
was only three men wounded.
Down in that ravine we harvested IS
dead Indians, and on the banks above
the stage men counted up % more. We
got upward of Il hundred rifles. about
90 pistols, 13O ponies and wagon load
of miscellaneous stuff. Every Indian
lying there was n dead one. Custer
had said, "ShoOt to KILL" and there
were no wounded or prisoners. Among
the killed We're Spotted Horse. Big
Moon and White Bird. and that fight
broke the backbone of the Cheyenne
nation. Their part in the war was to
capture all the stations west of Burn
ing Hill, but they had only taken Paw
nee Flat. They never rode to war
again. Within Il week they were SUI
ing for peace, and they were the first
to be gathered on Il reservation.