The National tribune., 1901-05-09
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE wAsHrS9N D. c. THURSDAY MAY . 1901


a stand against such odds. suggested
that one of us try teaout his way tn ougf
| the lines and 90 to the fort for assistance
As Paddy Boyle had the best horse in the
| buneh-a fine dapplei gray he was-he
| volunteered to make the attempt He
| took n sup from his cainteen and handed
| it to me, saying we would probably need
it more then he would, as he didn't pro
pose to be taken alive, and that il he goi
| through he could get a drink at the Other
end of the line. We watched him as he
| dashed down to the creek and waited to
see him come up on the other side. AS the
Indians all concentrated their fire on him.
and he didn't show up after going down
the hill, we supposed he had been killed.
Shortly after Boyle left us the Indians
charged, but we succeeded in knock ng q
couple off their ponies and drove the
others back. They soon rallied and
charged ms again, yelling and whooping
until we thought there must be thousand
of them, but when we poured a couple of
yolleys into their ranks they were & ad
to get back under cover.
Up to this time we had been behind
the wagon, but when some OF the red
devils got behind us and commenced pep
pering us from both sides, we had to look
out for better quarters. Within a few
feet of us was buffalo waIlow, so we
pushed the wagon into that and crawled
well sheltered the Indians made it 80
warm for us that we didn't feel as il we
needed q fire.
1--WE fired every time we saw anything
to aim at, but our ammunition W
ting low and we saw we could not hold
out much longer. Corp1 Goodman had
been shot seven times, Jack O'Donnell had
been hit three times, and fellow by the
name of Nolan was struck twice with
arrows. That only left Hartman and my
self to be depended upon, so L would load
a revolver and pass it to Goodman, who
was obliged to fire with his left hand the
right having been shattered by bullet.
Just when we saw the Indians pre-
pairing for another rush, fully expecting
that they would get us, | noticed body
of horsemen coming out of ravine. We
supposed it was only ruse Of the In
dianS, for we didn't think about getting
help after Paddy Boyle disappeared.
told the boys | thought the end was near,
and advised them to save the last shot for
themselves. Goodman wanted to shoot
himself then and there. and no doubt
would have done so if | hadn't snatched
the revolver out of his hand.
When | was about ready to give the
command to fire, | recognized Paddy
Boyle in the lead, swinging his carbine
over his head and yelling like Comanche.
He had managed to cut his way through
after killing four Indians, and when he
was near the fort he met company of
cavalry out on q scout. He reported to
the officer in charge and he came to our
relief just in time to save us from beng
annihIated, for l don't think we could
have stood another charge.
Zone of the old chiefs-Satanta-t
us after peace haG been declared that he
lost % warriors killed in that fight, be-
sides n number wounded. We counted
over 300 bullet-holes in the wagon we
were under, the mules were riddled with
bullets, my horse was killed soon after
Boyle left us, and two pet prairie dogs
which the boys had in the wagon in box,
were killed.
Gen. Alfred Snlly, VINO was then in
command of the troops in the field, issued
general order complimenting us on the
stand we had made under the wagon, say
ing it was the most desperate encounter
with Indians on the plains, for the number
engaged, and Lord Handy, of Scotland,
composed a song about our stand against
such a large number of redskins.
81 was in Russia at the time of the war
between that country and Turkey, acting
as Engineer at Baku and at Balicana, on
the south shore. | was in Moscow in
rs, when Gen. Grant arrived there on his
trip around the world. l went up to see
him, an,i told him about being in the
picture taken at Bethesda Church. He
said, That's good, but--what are you do
ing over here, so far away from homer
| didn't like it in Russia, and soon came
home. | didn't like it back East, so
came West and located, in st. Paul, where
have resided for the last 20 years"