The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-03
Sixteen Sioux Indians Killed in
Successive Engagements With
the Possemen.
Young Bucks Are Hot to Take the
War Path and Are
Dancing.
Bodies of Sheriff Miller and His
Deputy Brought In to New
castle, Wyo.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Newcastle, Wyo., Nov. "a detach-
ment of possemen which arrived here
last night with the bodies OF Sheriff
w. H. Miller and Deputy sherift
Charles Falkenburg, brings the first
detailed report of the bloody battle
fought between the posse under Sher-
iff Miller and twenty-five Sioux In
dams under the leadership of Eagle
Fea&he an educated Indian and grad
uate from the Carlisle Indian school,
and an unusually intelligent man.
The two officers were killed in an
engagement on Lightning creek, north
of Lusk, Saturday evening. Black
Kettle Sioux chief, and five other
warriors were killed and buried by the
posse. In a second clash with the
redskins ten of them were killed and
the posse.
More Firing.
Couriers late last night brought a
report to Newcastle, of the sound Of
heavy firing in the vicinity Of Horse
Shoe creek, fifty miles from the scene
OF Saturdays battle, and it is believed
a fight is on between the Indians and
ranchers. Couriers also report a
large number of redskins missing be-
tween the Cheyenne river and Rose
bud agency, and further trouble is ex-
pected.
1t is said the red men are greatly in
censAd over the act of the Weston
county authorities in taking their
squaws and children from them, and
that these proceedings practically
brought on the trouble.
The young bucks are in favor of
taking the war path, and their cries at
dancing can be heard miles away.
A posse left Newcastle last night for
Edgemont, S. D., to head off a party
of Sioux Indians on the way down the
Cheyenne river with wagons of game.
The feeling against the Indians is in
tense, and if the ranchers come in con-
tact with the redskins blood will flow.
NIillers Battle in the Night.
Just as the night was falling after
a chase of ten days, Sheriff Miller and
his twelve deputies, six of them
ranchmen picked up on the way,
overlook the Indians near the beav-
ers' dam on Lightning creek. The
warriors had stopped for the night in
tract Of bad lands and evidently
were expecting trouble.
Inspired by the lead of Eagle Feath-
er and Black Kettle, a notorious Sioux
warrior, they opened fire and in the
gathering darkness pitched battle en-
sued. The Indians fired rapidly but
+ wildly, the white men deliberately and
with steady aim. The battle developed
into skirmish, the combatants firing
from tufts of grass, from gu1lies and
from the slightest depression in the
ground.
& For an hour the shots followed
closely, spurts of flame coming thru
the darkness like lightning, while the
demoniac whoops of the Indians and
the chanting death song of the
wounded added weirdness to the
scene.
Killed at First Fire.
At the first fire Black Kettle, stand.
Ing conspicuously in the open, fell and
expired without a groan.
The GOODNESS of the white men wo1
the day. AS warrior after warrior
fell confusion seized the Indians an(
they fired more wildly towards tn,
of the white men and, forgetting thei
cunning, exposed themselves to tn
deadly aim of the ranchmen.
FallSenburg and Miller Shot.
A bullet took Falkenburg squared.
I'm the neck, tearing a gaping woun'
that almost divided his head from hi
body. He died almost instantly.
Sheriff Miller was shot in the thigh
and his life went out in gushing squirt
of blood that could not be checked. Il
less than half an hour he expired, witt
a message to his wife and children
half spoken on his lips.
Eagle Feather was struck by tw
bullets simultaneously and went dow
with his legs pierced. His fall dis
heartened his followers and the sur
v1vors fed into the darkness.
All night Eagle Feather la
wounded among his dead brothers
and when the whites found him in tn
morning he still shouted defiance.