New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-01-25
a Broken ribe.


artillery to open military road, the
Comanche Indians were at the zenith |
of their power as tribe Their chief
was Eagle Feather and he boosted |
that he could defeat any force sent
against him.
Five days after the soldiers set out
on their march the Comanches to the
number of 500 met them on the Chico
river, and the soldiers took possession
of a plateau and prepared for battle.
Eagle Feather, assisted by a white rene
gade soldier, planned for a grand
charge of his 1aneers that should in
sure victory at once.
AT a given signal his whole body of
warriors charged It began when his
first line had approached within h.if
a mile of the soldiers making ready.
and tie ground was clear OF all OBJ
struction and IS level as a floor. The
Comanches knew nothing OF. tie pres
ence OF the artillery until it opened
fire. After a single round of grape the
guns We're silent and gave place to the
muskets. The charge was checked and
the slaughter something terrible. Eff
ty-three warriors and seventy ponies
were left behind when the force drew
off and returned to the. spot where the
big chief had posted himself to watch
and direct. He was screaming with
| rage and chagrin when his broken
ranks retreated upon him.
When the lines were formed again
every warrior was in them, and the
chief placed himself at their head
Such warriors as had been dismounted
advanced on foot, and some of the
4 wounded were tied on their horses.
Again the. soldiers waited until the
i yelling horde had come to close quar-
tiers, and again artillery and musketry
!. belehed forth a i murderous fire. It
4 was {. lesson no tribe of Indians ever
4 forgot. In five minutes every warrior
who could get away had retreated,
sIleaying the grouno heaped with dead.
4 and lying
Colonel Saunders watched the
4 movements of the red men closely and
/ anxiously, and lie soon discovered a
1 new plan Of attack.
4oOIS
8 lances would be abandoned for rifles.
There was ravine about a mile to the
& east of the soldiers position, and
portion of the Indians would be GER
tain to advance under cover of that,
while others would advance from the
west and south. The fieldpieces were
q planted to cover points where a rush
might be expected, and the lines were
i aligned anew Three kegs of powder
& were taken down the ravine and de-
posted among the rocks as torpedoes,
and verything was ready by noon.
1t was half an hour later when the
Comanches divided into three com
mands and moved to the attack. The
renegade had taught them how to
] march on foot and they came on al
most with the step of infantry. In
five minutes the fight was raging hotly
on all sides. and as the Indians began
TO work up the ravine their fire begaI
to do considerable damage. They con
: centrated it on the artillery, and Saun
.dersS soon had five or six men killed OF
! wounded
There was no rush on the part O.
! the redskins. Their plan was rathe
s to make a long fight Of it. There wa:
constant fighting for over three hours
both sides having more or less shelter
: The white men proved to be the bes
shots, even though armed only witt
muskets, and by and by the Indian
got tired OF theirsWaiting game.
It was finally seen that a large bod
Of them was gathering in the ravine
and it was easy to see that the objec
was a rush. One Of the guns wa
. turned upon them, and when the she
: with which it was charged explode
it exploded two Of the kegs of pow
: der. How many were killed an
wounded none could say, because th
: explosion hurled down the high bank
!, and filled the rayine for hundre
:. feet.
al The calamity in the ravine ended tt
attack on the part of the Indians, an
8 Saunders at once assumed the aggre
: sive. He opened on the herd of ponit
, left Just out Of rifle shot and with tW
discharges of the guns scattered
When the redskins attempted to bune
in any considerable number he opene
a. On them with shell, and such ponies :
:. galloped within muslSet range we
> brought down by the soldiers.
= Eagle Feather had more than enous
: before the sun went down. Once
u rallied his warriors as if for a last de
y perate charge, but they were so the
oughly whipped that they refused
charge. AS darkness fell he began b
retreat over the prairie, and he MAJ
no halt until reaching his village,
= hundred miles away.
:. None of the Indian dead was /
= moved, and only a few of the wound
We're taken away. Two years lat'
- when peace came, Eagle Feather {
- knoWledged his losses, and he had t
= figures down close. OF his ponies
y lost all but a hundred. OF his Warric
he reached home with less than q
So They were the flower Of his fight
~ men left behind, and had his loss tax
ID in only the war ponies it would ha
=, been severe blow. Enough lant