Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-08
#1isfellaneo,&s 8eading.
HOW INDIANS FOUGHT IN 1867.
Before They Learned the Danger OF
Breech Leaders.


be in these days of peace when there
flashes across his memory the frontier
days of long ago, the reccllections OF
the time when, as a gallant warrior,
painted and decorated for war, he rode
at the head of his braves, in an assault
on a wagon train Of military supplies
destined for the Phil Kearney post.
Those were the days of bloodshed In
the west. and Red Cloud the bloodiest
chief among all the tribes.
Red Cloud in his time was one Of the
most successful, daring, savage chiefs
of the great Sioux nation. During the
hostilties waged so brutally on the
plains against the encroachment of the
whites his name was the dreaded one
on every emigrant's tongue. l knew
him personally quite we'll. I have had
many talks with him about old times.
Possibly our relations were more
friendly. inasmuch as had skirmish
with him and his war party on my
march into the Big Horn country In
the fall Of 1867. on Crazy Woman's
Fork. Wyoming.
Red Cloud was the big CHIEF COM
manding the hostile Sioux forces that
attacked Brevet Major Jim" Powelps
command. Several times I asked the
old fellow to give me an account Of his
side of that battle. I never succeeded
in making him talk freely about 1t.
The reason may have been that he was
defeated in this one Of the most des-
perate of our Indian engagements.
Red Clouds prominence among the
Sioux was owing to his bitter declara-
tion Of war to the death against the
whites. All the disaffected Of the tribe
joined his band.
Although l could not get Red Cloud
to talk about his attack on Major Pow
ell, had been we'll posted on that fight
by several members Of the Twenty
seventh infantry, who were In the en-
gagement. The old chief verified many
of the details of the Indian side of the
story, such as had been told me about
the approximate number Of Sioux en-
gagged, their losses in killed and wound
ed and the terrifying effect on the at
tacking Indians Of the much talk
gun. the then new to them breech-
loading rife.
Major Powell and his soldiers were
guarding a wood contractors party of
citizens, who supplied the Fort Phil
Kearney garrison with wood. Powell,
knowing that he would be attacked at
any time, had fortified his camp by
building "hasty entertainments"
His foresight stood him in his hour
of great peril, for on the morning of
August 2, 1867, 900 warriors, splendid
ly mounted, the best and bravest or
the Sioux nation. appeared in hostile
array before the camp Of this little
band of white men-two officers, twen-
ty-six privates and four citizens.
These determined men knew this was
a fight to the death. There would be
nothing between them and torture at
the stake If driven from the hastily
constructed fort.
That these warriors advanced openly
on this little band of white men, con-
trary to the Indian well-known secret
tactics, showed the utter contempt In
which Powelrs force was held. On
they came, shrieking their war cry,
firing volley Of bullets. The reply
was q deadly and continuous stream
Of shot from the little band. The war
riors could not face the deadly hre.
They were driven back in confusion
and amazement. The secret OF the
white mans success was that put
short time before the Fort Phil Kear-
ney soldiers had been armed with a
new breech- loading rife, fact at that
time unknown to the Indians. They
were calculating on the old-time muz-
zle- loading guns in the hands Of the
troops.
Red Cloud and his principal chiefs
held a hurried consultation. They de-
termined to launch their whole force
on foot. against the little fort on
the hill. Major Powell's lieutenant
Jenness, gallantly and, as he thought,
necessarily exposing himself during the
first attack had been killed; one or two
men had been killed or wounded and
the attack had developed certain weak
points Of his defences which were very
promptly strengthened with whatever
was at hand. The firing was so rapid
that the gun barrels became overheat-
ed: spare guns were placed In each
wagon bed. Some Of the men were
poor shots and fired wildly. They were
ordered not to fire, but to load and pass
guns to the selected marksmen.
Now from the hills swarmed semi
circle of warriors at least 1000 strong.
When within about 500 yards the order
to charge was given. The whole line
dashed on to the corral, to be, when
they had almost touched it, hurled
back in confusion and dismay. Again
and again did the gallant line rally and
charge. to be again driven back: and
It was only after three continuous
hours of almost superhuman efforts
against this unseen, intangible foe that
the line became utterly demoralized,
and fled in CONSERVATION to the hills.
Red Cloud and some Of the older Of
his principal chiefs had watched the
whole action. For a long time they
thought the wonderfully continuous fire
was due to the fact that there were
more men in the corral than it would
appear to hold but on the final i'm
pulse of the long succession Of desper-
ate charges they concluded that the
white man had some medicine guns
which would fire all the time" without
tho .id of human hands and that their