Milford chronicle., 1909-03-05

as usual. Next day the Indians were
followed, and s&lrmishing was kept up
incessantly. Lieutenant Schenofsky on
that occasion came near being am
bushed and had a few men killed
+ This continuous skirmishlng was kept
up for three days, with myself almost
/ continuously in the saddle. and while
we were In front the general sounded
the officers call for consultation. !
viii permit General Carr to tell the
story of an affair in which he punished
the Indians severely. while the story
relates also to my connection with the
matter:
81 had heard some firing in front
where The advance guard had gone out
Of sight My orders were for the ad
vance guard 10 regulate on the main
column and always keep ip sight of it,
but as Major Bahcock and Lieutenant
W. T. Hall. now General Hail. We're SO
ambitious aud anxious for 4 fight /
thought would give them a chance,
and SO ! let them alone After hasty
consultation regarding lack of supplies
I sent a buglcr to recall the advance
guard. He came back sayii,e he could
NOT reach them. as they We're sur
rounded by Indians The Indians had
got into four ravines which headed
near the trail two on each side The
half dozen had led the advance on
with insulting gestures and defiant
words )sOme could speak and swear in
English. and when they came between
the ravines the whole poured out
around them. Babcock dismOunted his
men and formed them in a circle and
stood the Indians off. / sent Lieuten- |
ant Brady with the next company to /
open communications. and the Indians. /
suppOslng the whole command was /
coming, went on as before.
Reaching the scene, we could see [
the Indians scattering In retreat A .
figure with apparently a red cap rose (
slowly on the hill For an instant It
puzzled me, as it wore a buckskin and I
had long hair. But on seeing the
horse l recognized that # was Cody's
Powder Face and saw that It was
Buffalo Bit without his broad brim
med sombrero. On closer inspection
l saw that his head was swathed IN
bloody handkerchief, which served not
only as a temporary bandage but as
his hat having been shot of.
the bullet plowing his scalp badly for
about five inches. II had ridged along
the bone and was bleeding profusely,
a very close call. but a lucky escape
However. it would not do to turn back
after such impudence, so T
took to the gallop and ran them for
twelve miles to and across the Repub-
lean and up the bluffs on the south
side. where they acted In their usual
lggravating style by scattering in
very direction after dropping a good
leal of plunder We could see them
IN the distant hill. but could not catch
hem under the circumstances or with
,ut means of some counter strategic
so we went back and camp
ID north of the Republican The adj
-ance guard had been relieved and
he Indians severely punished, with
oss on our side Of but four or FIVE
.iled and a few wounded this with
}abcock's horse wounded and Cody's
arrow escape as the resulting casual
les. The object Of the campaign was
early accomplished, but our greatest
eed was supplies which the hot trail
ad sidetracked in the excitement Of
he necessary pursuit Of the defiant
oe. As the country was infested with J
indians and It was fifty miles to the
earest supply point, Fort Kearny. on {
onsultation with Cody he decided that t
would be best to undertake the job
imself. a point characteristic of him.
S he never shirked duty or faltered 7
emergencies. gave him the best 1 /