Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-10-02

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ones being left to roll us in our blank
cts. If the ''poor" Indian gathered
in . band of bluecoats. he gathered
their hair, and left the buzzards to do
the rest.
"After burying the troopers we
struck trail up the canyon side and
camped in q clearing where we com
manded view of the surrounding
country, and doctored up our wounds
as best we could. Mine was painful,
but only flesh wound. I think was
sorer over my ruined new coat and
vest than from the wound.
"The same band came circling
around again that afternoon and we
exchanged a few long shots at them.
AS soon as night came we broke camp
and struck out for Fort Grant as fast
as we could make it through the dark
ness and eluded them. An Indian
won't fight much at night, anyhow.
We reached the fort next day. The
closer we came to it the less danger
there was, for troopers from the fort
kept the country around pretty well
cleaned up and quiet.
1--WE stayed at the fort several days
until our wounds healed up before
making the return trip. The colonel
in command at the fort insisted on my
staying there, as there were over 1900
hostile Indians on the warpath and
scattered all over that part of the
country; he told me how foolish it
was to try to get back, but was only
81 and had told the captain I'D be back
with the mail and supplies, so !
couldn't stay.
II didn't know it at the tine, but
found out afterward, that the Indians
had the fight with belonged to sub
chief, and relative of old Geronimo.
We hadn't been out but two days when
we sighted them. They had gathered
up some more braves and came in
sight about automatically for us.
They took a few shots at US
and then went into camp just
over q hill from where we were.
We could hear them holding pow
vows and singing while making
ready to dangle our scalps in their
belts in the morning. I remember l
sat looking into the campfire that
night, wishing I was back home, and
wondering what in thunder to do,
when the old sergeant came over to me
and asked:
Lieutenant, you don't think we kin
lick that hull outfit over there, do
your i.
"'No, sergeant, don't. What do
you think we'd better do?'
"'Well, think we had better build
up big campfire so they kin see it,
then drift and drift like hell over the
hills and out of this
"And we did. We struck an old trail
and followed it all night. About day
light we found ourselves on hilltop
and right in the center of an old de-
serted village. 1t was that nights
trip that gave me my high apprecia-
ton Of the government mule. Every
mule in that packtrain seemed to un-
derstand the alton. and there
wasn't a whimper or bray from any
one of the lot until we ha6 put good
nights travel between us and the In
dams. We didn't have any more
trouble in getting into the fort,
though we crossed number of warm
Indian trails on the way.
AFTERWARDS met the old sub-chief
when he came into the fort to make
peace, and he told me how many
times he had shot at me on that trip,
and couldn't seem to understand why
it was that he never got me.
"The wound got at Las Guasimas,
in Cuba, was another lucky thing, too.
A and B troops were lining up at tho
foot of the hill, and we were getting
it from the trenches up on the hill. l
was walking up and down before my
battalion and had orders to hold them
fast to protect our flank from an en-
filade fire on the right. 1 had just
waved my glove at the boys to hold
fast and dropped my hand to my side
again when Mauser struck me in the
arm. If hadn't dropped my arm the
ball would have cut me right through
the center. It turned me around and
knocked me down. went to the rear
to see how badly was hit and found
that the ball had splintered the bone
pretty bad. 1t was three days before
I had it fixed up. There was a lump
on the inside of my arm, and when
the surgeon examined it, he said
there was a piece of bone sticking out
that he would have to cut out. He
made a cut across the lump, and out
popped that bullet, wrong end fore
most. If it had come straight, as most
of them do, it never would have
stopped.
"The following day I wandered
around back of the firing trying to
help the poor fellows who were worst:
off that 1 was, and l remember seeing
one of the Arizona boys coming down
the road, with tears running down his
cheeks, and thought he was badly
wounded. He saw me and yelled:
Hello, major; where is the firing
liner told him it was away on ahead.
but the fight was over. He seemed to
feel worse than ever, and broke out
with as choice lot of cuss words as
T ever heard q m11le driver oct rid ~