Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-02-05

might find our trail. and they woulC
have us corralled. so we quietly waitee
until they had settled down. when We
mounted and sneaked toward the edge
of the village, where there was an ave
nue. Of escape. Their faithful dogs, OF
course, alarmed the camp, so the bes
wheel and fire as quick as VIC could
and Kershaw with his faithful Dugle
blew the charge. Riding quickly
around the village, We made another
little firing at them and sounded the
bugle charge again. A repetition OF
this at another point and bugle
charge threw them into confusion
stampeded their ponies, prevented
their quick mounting, and while they
went in one direction bold Kershaw and
myself were riding In another. Natu-
rally, of course this gave the Indians
something to think of in the night
while we got to the post and informed
Colonel Royal Of the location and, with
Major Brown, Captain Bache, Lieuten-
ant Jack Hayes and a detachment of
cavalry, went on the trail, which was
followed for two days, and the Indians
were severely punished, with but few
casualties on our side.
Getting fresh meat for Fort Sheridan
we were greatly annoyed at times on
our buffalo hunt by being jumped by
the Indians, who in those days were
generally out with the same object.
Many a hot skirmish or many a run
for it was necessary. Buffalo natural
ly were some distance from the fort,
and I thought Of trick by which I
could give my red brothers a surprise.
In run for it few miles from the
fort was a hogback that furnished Il
good defensive position, and l had
often noticed that it had long, deep,
bushy ravine. 1t was in the nature
almost of natural fortification. So l
thought how l could get them to re-
peat their many attacks on me when
ran to this particular point, from
which l could signal for help to the
fort with hasty grass fires and "smoke
that talked" Buffalors were at the
time plentiful, so | secured Kershaw
and about fifteen good marksmen,
with provisions for the trip, and start
ed out before daylight for the hunt.
Hiding the soldiers in this ravine, we
proceeded on our journey and had not
the wagons half filled before my
striker, Bill White, announced Indians
in the distance. land big band, too,"
said Bill. Away we went for the hog
back, and it was lickety split, with
the Indians gaining on us every min
ute. We reached 1t. threw our wagons
into position, packed our buffalo hams
out for breastworks. threw some
straw about and gathered up some
dead grass to make a signal. The In
dians. seeing it, knew that relief
would come and they hadn't a mo-
ment to lose if they wanted our scalps.
On they came, dashing around. My
self and teamsters and five or six Of
US banging away at them, they cir
cled around and drew off, as they
commonly did, and at distance of
about seventy-hve yards from the am
bush AS usual, they punched togeth-
er, listening to the wrangle of the
chief Bang! Bang! Bang! And the
old Winchesters began to talk from
the ravine, while Kershaw with his
bugle blew the charge, the Indians
tumbling here there and everywhere
out Of their saddles, the rest scattering
with the speed Of jack rabbits in all
Assembling on the distant
hills, they realized that the jig was
up, particularly when they saw the
cavalry coming in the distance. Some
how or other during the remainder Of
the season they never seemed to mo-
lest the butcher wagon with the same
appetite. And the fort always had
fresh meat.
A country Of such vast expanse, un-
settled save for a few forts as places
Of refuge and succor so comparatively
few in number as to be, as it were, like
pebbles on the seashore, rendered the
in winter, with the blizzard
not only hazardous and
dangerous. but even If successfully
combated attended by excruciating suf-
fering. This the old army officers and
soldiers Of the early campaigns will
never forget, the physical discomforts
and mental worrying with climatic
far excelling those that de-
feated Napoleon in his winter cam
paign in the region about Moscow.
I relate two or three examples. On
one occasion I was out with some Of
the Fifth cavalry under the command
Of Lieutenant Bache. descendant Of
Benja min Franklin and a member Of a
we'll known Philadelphia family and,
by the way, a magnificent young off,
GER, who in various campaigns showed
a bravery and dash that one would
not associate with his aristocratic bear
Ing and extreme gentility. A blizzard
arose. Fortunately we were near shell
ter in the shape of some bluffs and
scattered wood. When the blizzard
was over it was necessary for us to
strike out on the path of duty. The
was away below zero and
the wind cutting and sharp.
On coming back from the lead to con-
suit with Lieutenant Bache I passed
oy him to caution the sergeants to look
put for their men from the cold and
zee that they did not become drowsy,
ind on my return I found indications
,H,v,A av,N y 1T