Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-09-26

He ordered In the wood train, ",
gave him flfty-four men to spare N
the relieving expedition. Later in
the afternoon Captain Ten Eyck's
men returned with details of the APP
palling disaster, In the wagon were
forty-nine of Fetterman's men, leav-
Ing thirty-four unaccounted for. Ten
Eyck had remained on the defensive
on the brow of the hill, though the
Indians had tried by every means to
make him follow them into the val
ley. He found the bodies OF the SOL
diers where they had fallen, and
there was evidence OF terrible con-
flict on the HILL The soldiers had
taken refuge behind some huge rocks
and the forty-nlne men he had
brought back were found in a space
about six feet square. They had
been shot full OF arrows, scalped and
mutilated. Captain Fetterman and
Captain William Brown, the post
quartermaster, were found side by
side, each with bullet wound IN his
temple. Evidently they had stood
face to face and each had shot the
other dead rather than be taken
alive by the Indians.
Feared Attack on Fort.
The weather was bitter cold and II
was late in December, and there was
no telling when the Indians, encour-
aged by their success, would make a
determined ASSAULT on the fort. But
the next day General Darlington went
in person to the scene of that battle
with a force of eighty men, after
leaving strict Instructions as to sig
nails to be fired from the fort in case
of an attack, The women and chill
dren had been placed in the maga-
zine, and an officer was left in charge
of them pledged not to let the women
be taken alive II the general did not
return and the Indians captured the
fort.
General Darlington found bodies
strung along the road to the western
end of the trail furtherest from the
fort. The two civilians who had ac-
companied Fetterman were found
behind a couple of rocks. BY the side
Of one were found fifty shells, and
nearly as many at the side of the
other, showing that they had made
a desperate fight. Wheatley had no
less than los arrows in him.
Lieutenant Grummond was found
some distance from the others be-
hind pile of rock, with every evil
1ence of a terrible struggle having
aiken place on the scene. The bodies
If the remaining soldiers, which were
stripped of clothing, were taken back
% the fort.
The weather was almost insuffer-
lble, and men and women were
orced to clothe themselves In furs
maze from SKINS Oh woIves. AS suun
IS possible relief was sent to the
ort.
General Darlington was relieved
If command pending investigation,
,ut eventually he was absolved from
,lame, as 1t was proved that he had
'iven Fetterman distinct orders not
o venture into the trap which Red
Cloud had sprung so successfully.
The Government finally decided to
bandon Fort Phil Kearny, and as
Don as the post was vacated the
jiouX swept down upon 1t and burned
to the ground. To-day little or
othing remains on the site of the
Id fort. Only the embankment on
which the walls were placed remains.
he bodies of Fetterman's men re-
NAMED in the burying ground near
he site of the fort until few years
go, when they were taken up and
eburied on Custer battlefield.
General Darlington was deeply In
crested in going over the scene of
is early experiences. It was planned
D have him meet his old foeman,
ted Cloud, probably the greatest
hief the Sioux ever knew, but the
Id warrior was too feeble to be
here.
Just before the abandonment of
ort Phil Kearny Red Cloud received
mple punishment for the Fetterman
laughter. Captain James Powell,
'ho had been detailed to guard the
.mber cutters at the fort, repulsed
led Cloud and his warriors in what
'as known as the Wagon Box
ght," short distance from the fort.
ed Cloud had assembled about g.
90 warriors, and determined to
lake a direct assault on the fort.
s a preliminary move he intended
} annihilate Powell and his wood
yards. No less than 500 Indians
lade an attack on the wood train,
ut Powell promptly corralled the
agons, and behind this fertilization
Q and his thirty-one men defended
Unknown to the Indians the SOL
iers were armed with new rife
the rapid-flre type. There were
IentY Of these guns, and one from
ersman, a crack shot, had eight
,aded weapons at his elbow. He
ept these eight guns busy for three
ours. The first charge was re-
llsed, the Indians falling in great
Four times the Indians
1arged, only to be moved down by
lie "bad medicine guns" Final
Red Cloud made last charge, but
was only for the purpose of get
ng the bodies of those who had
Illen. Red Cloud himself after
ard said he lost 1900 followers in
lat fight. The defeat disheartened
Ie Sioux and caused Red Cloud to
se the prestige he had gained in his
sfeat of Fetterman.-New York
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