Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-26
FETTERNAN MASSACRE DAY
Omaha Veteran Of Indian Wars il
West Recalls Bloody Event.
S. S. PETERS TELLS OF FIGHT
Forty-third An~ntver-ary OF . Horrible
RevenEe Taken ON Uuited states
Troops by Indians nde
Red Cloud.

out feel that we. the few survivors u the
events Of forty-three and forty-two years
ago, should be permitted to contribute the
story Of our participation in great events
OF those lays rather than TO submit TO the
inaccuracies Of modern historians and
romanticists. such as Dr. q. T.. Brady.
whose narratives are derived from the re-
ports Of Interested parties. relative to the
events Of the Sioux Indian wars Of 1855.
In which Red Cloud. the recently deceased
Sioux Indian chief, was so potent a factor,
said :. :. Peters. an active participant in
all those events.
IL have hitherto refraiued from
ing upon these affairs because 1 knew that
the Brady. COutant, Buutline and like mar
ratives were accepted as historical facts,
because there vas no one who had the
audacity to cuntrovert them. have. how
ever. been surprised 10 find that my esti-
mate Of Red Cloud is coucurred in by these
versatile historians. This estimate gave
OF him twenty-five years ago.
What 1 wish now 10 elaborate upon is
the climax Of Red Clouds great career. l.
is an opportune moment to do so, in that
December q. 1893. was the forty-third ami
versary OF thar tragic event. II appeals to
ne with the keenest sorrow and an gulsh,
because on that day [ happened 70 be one
OF the firgt men that saw the mutilated
bodies OF my brothers, comrades and friends
lying In a bloody group on the massacre
ground that ended all for Colonel w. J.
FgttermaH and his eighty two comrades. the
bNod still oozing from their CHASTITY
wounds. their bodies sill warm from the
life blood that cuursed through their veins
bu- an hour before.
There is so much to say and to tell Of
tnis affair. that I can but begin with the
event itself. 1 was still suffering from a
severe wound received at the hand Of Red
cloud and his party six months before to
almost a day July 20, 1860, at Crazy Wom-
ans fork Of Powder river, the first Of the
set engagements between Red Cloud and
thl whites. and which affair the alleged
historians OF that epoch dismiss with but
a line: but in those lays wounds did not
count.
story of the Massacre.
But, to the story Of the massacre Of Fet-
terman's command, on that fateful morn
ing OF December q, 1865.
From the moment OF the establishment
OF the post Of Fort Phil Kearney, in July,
1865, at the forks Of the Big and Little
Piney creeks. in Wyoming, garrisoned by
five companies OF the Eighteenth infantry
and one Of the Second cavalry, this com
mand OF less than 200 men was constantly
beset by Red Cloud and his bands Of Brule
and OgalaIla sioux. numbering more than
5000 h~ostlles.
Fuel and building material we're OBJ
tanned under constant fire from the In
dians from the foothills of the Big Horn
mountains. Wood train camps were estab-
lished on the mountain road a few miles
from the incompleted fort, which had to
be stockaded for protection from the In
dams.
The attacks on the wood trains were
VI such frequent occurrence that but little
attention was paid TO them except to bury
the dead and care FOR the wounded. This
was the constant story during the summer
and fall Up to this time about sixty men
Of the command had sacrificed their lives
In the building OF the fort. Ammunition
had blen reduced to less than twenty
rounds per man and no reinforcements had
arrived at the fort.
About half a mile east Of the fort. at
the top OF a high hill, we had established
a picket post that overlooked the country
to the west and south. This hill arose
abruptly from the Little Piney.
On the morning OF December q the
picket at Signal hill reported that the
wood train was attacked as usual by In
uldudt the tram GuEEaleu ana the escort
fighting. This was about II o'clock and
the train was moving toward the timber.
Almost Immediately a few Indians APP
peared on one or two OF the surrounding
heights, a party OF fifteen or twenty OF
them being near the Big Piney. west Of
the fort, where the Bozeman trail crossed
in its ascent OF the Lodge Trail ridge.
Four score Men 90 Relief.
asN alNmHF - -4AN -
citizens, under OF Brevet Lieu
tenant Colonel w. J. Fetterman. at once
volunteered to go to the relief Of the wood
train.
Colonel Fetterman moved out rapidly to.
the right u The wood road. for the purpose
az cutting Oft the retreat OF the Indians
chen attacking the wood train. As he ad-
vanced across the Big Piney to the west.
a rsw Indians appeared in his front and on
his nauks, ana continued Fitting about
him. beyond rifle range. and then disap-
ueared beyond Lodge Trail Ridge. When
Fettarmau was on Lodge Trail Ridge. the
picket algualed The fort that the Indians
had rotreatsd from the wood train. and
The train had br.N "a corral and moved on
toward the timber.
'The wood train made the round trip.
and was not again disturbed that day.
Al about fifteen minutes before L
O'Clock Colonel Fetterman's omman had
"eached the crest or Lodge Trail Ridge.
Without regard 10 orders, Cor reasons that
Che silence OF Colonel Fsttsrmau now pre-
vents us from giving. ne with the COM
mand. iu a few nom nts Disappeared. hav-
ing cleared thsH ridge. stu moving west.
Trims shortly thereafter commenced. and
increased IN r-p.ditv an, In about fifteen
minutes and az scout T. o'clock m, il was
a continuous and rapid fire OF muskptry.
plainly audible AZ the fort. As soon as
the Trims became rapid Colonel n. q. Car
rinsLon ordered Captains r. f.. Ten Eyck.
with rorty-three men, being an the men
available Tor duty iu the fort. and TWO
wagons with ammunition. 20 ioiu Colonel
Fettermuu immediately. He moved rur
and advanced rapidly toward the p,irt
from which The sound OF firing proceeded
west % the fort, distant about three miles
THE sound OF firing continued To he
heard during this advance, diminishing In
rap,dity and number Of shots am we
reached a high summit adjacent 10 Lodge
Tran Ridge, overlooking the battlefield. al
about a quarter before l.
Captain Ten Eyck sent a courier back
as soon as he reached ua summit com,