Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-02-19
RON TRUE TALES OF THE PLAINS

test in hot water, a continuous stew o.
made the plains as active as a picni,
party or 4 hornets nest is not cxagger
alton. He kept Fort Phil Kearny prac
tically invested for u year, and will
predatory bands, sent here and there
over the plains, he carried devastation
and destruction to the most uneXpect
ed quarters possessing as he did ar
organization that, conditions permit
ting, made his force as effective as
light horse cavalry. However, the in
ventive genius and commercial spirit
OF the white man in shop and factory
was actively engaged in producing fire
arms so improved that, like the needle
gun in the Prussians' hands in the Eu-
ropean wars Of 1866 to 1872, they ere
ated in his simple mind an astonish-
ment that he could not believe or
dream of until he suffered from a fear
full demonstration of the fact. Myself
and others. Of course, kept up our per-
sonal pulp by adopting every i'm
prOvemcnt from the old muzZle loader
to the hrcechloading Springfield and
the repeatcrs-Henry, Remington and
w
necessary protective advantage This
Improvement in arms was destined
little over a year after the Fetterman
massacre to give Red Cloud and "Mr.
Injun" the surprise Of their lives and
something to think OF as bad medi-
cine"
Savage as we have called him, the
Indian in his primitive state was most
loyal in his belief and appeal under
all circumstances and conditions to the
Supreme Being, always appealing for
guidance, assistance and success to the
Great Spirit Whether it was in fol-
lowing the chase for subsistence, sue
cess in war, for rapine murder, plum
der or horse stealing, for abundance
in crops and grasses or in conquests
in love, he was strik1ngly imbued with
the necessity Of the Great Rulers
friendly assistance, or Good Medi-
cine" Failure in all these pursuits he
attributed to the preponderating in
fluence of the Evil Spirit or Bad
So, after several cam
paigns of continued success, the reader
can imagine the surprise, not to say
and depression, that re-
suited from his audacious attempt to
at last annihilate the garrison at Fort
Phil kearny. He assembled nearly
5000 warriors for this purpose, all
we'll equipped with carbines and muz-
zle loaders, but was unaware that the
tort had been supplied with the new
Allen modification Of the Springfield
rifle. Besides the rifles.
,arbines. etc, the Indians were
mighty we'll equipped for close-in
lighting with the bow and arrow.
With the latter In time of war and in |
close fight with the whites an ex-
bert archer could keep up stream of |
hese death dealing missiles with a
apidity equaling the best Winchester
II today and limited only to the num-
,er of arrows, hundred or more, that
lis quivers held. In the scheme Of
'attle that Red Cloud had designed on
his occasion be had intended to over
vhelm, even at great loss, the ability
+ muzzle loading enemy to with
tand his attack, backed with the ar
ow experts, whose work would be far
uperior to that Of the revolver This
ad been done in minor engagements
uccesSfully. but had never been tried
n as complete scale as "Red" in
ended 1t on this occasion, though the
lea just simply happened little too
lte. Suddenly investing the fort, he
ound the wood train, as he thought,
exactly the same condition MS It had
cen under Fetterman, but experience
ad taught the troops, who, armed
and under the capable
ad Of Captain James w. Powell and
lieutenant Jenness, had been long pre-.
airing for defense IN case Of surprise.
In hauling the timber and wood for
Inter use the wagon beds were not
sed, the wood and timber being car
ed upon the running gears. and the
agon beds were used to form an OBJ.
ng corral, with openings at each end.
that In emergency they could be
osed by wagons, which had the beds
J them. The wagon beds were used ,
store all tho camp equipage. cloth {
6, commissaries. etc. while re-en- r
reed with sandbags and anything {
at would stop bullet. and if re- {
ember correctly, they were lined !
18th boiler iron, with rife Ioopholes. s
8 preliminary to the attack on the {
rt, Red Cloud thought to repeat the s
etterman result and sent about 500 ,
cked men to surround the little cor ,
!, to which Powell and the woodmen {
Id retreated, numbering thirty-two in I
!. Wagon sheets were thrown over ,
e tops Of the wagon beds to screen t
e defenders from observation and 9
We them perhaps from the Il! effects /
the arrow fire at close quarters. 1
here was plenty Of ammunition and q
enty of rifles. Every man had at &
ast three and some no fewer than 4
yht. Some men who were not con- +
Tered deadly shots were told off to e
ep cleaning up for the Others There g
IS quartet of old frontiersmen, led +
one renowned as dead shot, Joe q
eriville, and others whose names at q
e present time sincerely regret that
cannot remember. who averaged
sht or ten weapons apiece. Powell
mself took one end Of the corral and
mess the other, and everything Was
epared to give the naughty Sioux