The National tribune., 1901-06-06
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: wAsHfprbN c. THURSDAY JUNE g. 1901

, Indians on the run. The Colonel again
ordered us to charge. The casualties were
not very great while the Indians were
| in the timber, but when we got them out
in the open we killed % and wounded
/ many more.
! Big Wolf. a Delaware Indian guide, es-
| tlmated their number in the timber at
| 500
! We did not get to look over the battle
! field that night, as we were ordered to
move back to camp, u miles away. The
Colonel ordered a detail of soldiers to in
crease the guard with surveyors. We
stayed in camp for about four weeks,
| hunting and fishing. while waiting for the
surveyors to move out.
About a half-mile from camp was an
Usage battle-ground. | had always heard
when an Indian died it was the custom to
bury his personal effects with him. NY
| curiosity got the better of me, and | went
one day to investigate. | found that they
put the body on top the ground and built
a pen around it, using cod and earth to
stop the cracks between poles. | picked
out one of the biggest pens 1 could find
ard tore the top off, and then taking one
of the poles of which the pen was built
and placing it under the body for a pry
turned it over. | found two plugs of to-
bacco and buckskin purse with $50 in
gold in it. Well. to say | was agreeably
SUI piiNtu N'ulu uOI express IT L ul0 some
pretty hard prying and tearing down of
pens there for a while, but after all my
trouble did not find any more gold, and
as L did not feel like taking chaw of
tobacco l left the plugs lying where |
found them. Tobacco did not taste very
good to me for sometime. | did not feel
as though it would be right to take his
tobacco, tomahawks and war club. but
| could not see what need he had of gold,
as he could not spend it
1t was not very long until | wished
had not kept the gold or torn down any
pens, as Col. Johnston, when he heard
what had been done, tried to find out who
did it. He had information that these
Indians died of smallpox, but | did not
know this before, and you bet | kept what
| had done to myself, as the boys would
have put me away off to myself until all
danger Of taking the smallpox was past
However, none of US had smallpox.
Everything went along very well for
few days until one night when James
Price, whom we thought would be easily
scared. was on guard between the horses
Ennis, and l concluded to play a joke on
him. His post being alongside the
tOrn-down graves, we took our ban-
kets and slipped into the graveyard as
clcse as we could get to him, and putting
our blankets on poles began waving them
back and forth, making cultural sounds
all the while. Price started for camp,
calling for the Corporal of the Guard at
every jump. He got about 200 yards to-
wards camp before he met the Corporal
and his men. He told the Corporal he
thought there were Indians up there by
the graveyard. The Corporal said he did
not doubt that, but did not think they
would hurt him, as they were all dead He
claimed that the Indians that scared him
were very much alive: but he was relieved
from duty and placed in the guard house,
where he was held three days and then
placed him ON extra guard duty at the
same place. - THOMPSON I. FRIsBY,
Staunton, Ind.