The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-11-13
The
FIGHT AT ELEPEIA ANT
ROCK
By BUFFALO BILL

now nearly fOrSotten--aI. Elsp.!du T.
| Rock at the South end Of Beaver
Valley in the winter of 1863. Maj
or-General Eugene A. Carr was In
l.command, one OF the bravest. wisest
Indian fighters who ever lived. l
! M, proud tha: ne once spoke of me
as his friend and that he trusted, me.
IA big war party of "dog soldiers
(fanatical'renegades collected from q
dozed different tribes) were out and
were making themselves danger to
| the Whole strict Their atrocities
were at last so great that Carr had
orders to go after them and never to
let up in his pursuit till they were
crushed.
For months we followed them, and
caught up with them at last near E,e-
phant Rock Coming upon their
fresh trail there. Carr went into
camp. sending an advance force of
skirmishers under Lieut.. Ward to
locate the enemy. acted as guide
to the skirmishers.. Ward sent me
on lire parallel to his own, and un-
expec.edly came up with so large a
| force of Indians that he was almost
cut off belore Carr with reinforce
ments coulc get to his relief. = A
quick battle sent the Indians scatter
| ing.
Next day the chase kept up. the
sarages making gallant running
fight of it. This sort Of thing con-
| t:nued three days. All that time, al
most. was N the saddle. Then came
| the climax.
7 The lest of the adventure am go
ing to quote from Gen. Carr's own
official account Of the affair. He
wrote:
The Indians had got into four
ravnes which headed near the trail,
Two on each side. Babcock dismounted
his men and formed them in circle
and stood the Indians off. l sent
Lieut. Bradley with the next company
TO open communications, and the In
:.ans. suppos:ng the whole command
was coming, went on ts before.
| Reaching the scene we could see the
| indians scattering in retreat.
"A figure with. apparently red
! cap, rose slowly on the hill. For an
instant it puzzled me, as it wore the
buckskln and had long hair, but on
seeing the horse recognized that 1t
was Codys Powder Face. and saw
that the rider was Buffalo Bill"
without his broad br.mmed sombre-
70. On closer examination l saw his
head Vas swathed in bloody hand
kerc1ief. His hat had been shot of,
the bullet ploughing his scalp bad
ly for about five inches. 1t had
ridged long the bone and was bleed
ing protusely-a very close call. Dut
lucky one.
II took the gallop and ran the In
dians for twelve miles and across the
Republican River and up tho bluffs
on the south side. where they scat
tered in every direction after drop
ping a good deal Of plunder. We
could see them on the distant hill.
but could not catch them under the
circumstances, OF without means Of
some counter strategic cunning. so
we went back and camped nortl Of
the Republican. The advance guard
had been relieved. the Indians severe
ly punished. with loss on our side OF
but four or five killed and few
wounded; this. with Babcock's horse
wounded and Cody's narrow escape
as the resulting casualties.
THE object Of the campaign was
nearly accomplished. but our great
est need was supplies which the hot
trail had sidetracked in the excite
! ment Of a Necessary pursuit of the
1efiant foe. AS the country was in
tested with Indians and it was fifty
| miles to the n. Arrest supply po.nt.
Fort kearny, on consu tation with
Cody. he decided 1t would be best to
undertake the job himself of going
for supplies.
gave him the best horse in the
outfit and when twilight arrived he
started after patching up his head
little. to bring relief and meet US at
point northwest about a days
march.
These were about the most def
mite directions an scout got N the
trackless wastes in those days, and
the faithful fulflment of tbe..l show
ed the peculiar sixth sense or acumen
possessed by scouts like Cody.
Cody. returning. reached us safe
ly. making a successful ride Of fifty
miles during the night, arriving at
Fort kearuy at daylight. He had
| chased and fought Indians all day,
oetn wounded and superintende' the
loading OF supplies.
And when through his rare from
Tier instinct he reached us, he had
been almost constantly in the saddle
for forty hours. Pretty strenuous
work.