The National tribune., 1910-03-17

round trip. When they were told what
We ran into they concluded they did
not want any of that in theirs, SO de-
cided to go with us upstream. We be-
ing the lighter equipped took the lead.
The Missouri command had hardly
broken camp when they were attacked
by Indians again, but they were beaten
off without much trouble. They never
attacked us until one disagreeable
morning, when our advance guard
(about 25 men) was about two miles
ahead of US. The Indians, about eco
Gr them, came out of a ravine and
swooped down upon them. The officer
in command gave orders TO dismount,
which our boys did as quickly as possi-
BILE. AS soon as the Indians saw the
men dismounting they scattered, be-
cause Indians don't like to fight white
men diSmounted. Before the Indians
scattered and while our boys were dis
mounting, one of the Indians drove
spear clear thru one of our boys named
Billy Long. The Indians tried to get
to the body to scalp ii, but our boys
got into ravine close by, and kept up
such hot fire that they beat the In
dians Off until we came up.
Our Colonel ordered the first bat
TALON to guard the horses, mules, etc,
and the other two battalions TO dis
mount and fight on foot, every other
first battalion. The Indians by this
time had assembled in second bottom
from the river. We estimated them at
about $500 and all mounted, as far as
We could see.
4 Battle With the Indians.
Our company being one of the COM
panies to fight on foot. was placed on
the extreme left of the line, which
brought us up in the river bluffs. The
Missouri command was back about IL
or 10 miles. but was hurrying up as
fast as possible. We used nothing but
a skirInish line to fight them. They
first tried to break thru our center
down in the river bottoms. but failed.
They had no particular formation. A
bunch of them would gather, and then
one of them would strike out in cir
Gle. with the rest following. One side
of the circle was towards our line, and
they would gradually approach until
they were within 200 feet of us; then
they would fire their arrows or shot
guns (some having guns) under their
pony's neck. The Indian, Of course
would be on the other side of the pony,
SO our boys could hardly see any OF his
body. Our boys soon made them tired
of this Some one shouted, Shoot their
poniesi" and when we began to do II
II had the desired effect. When we
shot a pony we found the Indian was
tied to him, so when the pony would &C
down the Indian would have to cut
himself loose. Our boys would get z
chance at the Indian as he started Il
run Quite a number were hit before
they could get away. The reason the,
fastened themselves to their ponies wal
because their ponies were trained Il
carry them back to their lines when moi
guided, In case the rider was hurt.
/ saw some OF the best bareback rid
ing there that I ever eEnecf IN 500
When the Indians would start their cir
Gle some of them would stand straight
up on their ponies backs until the,
came around in front of our line, anC
as soon as they saw a puff of smok,
from us they were down and out o
sight in an instant. The pony's man
would he plated in loops. so the Indiai
could throw his arm into one of them
and with his heel on the rump of tn
pony would hang there completely ou
of sight, except a small portion of hi
foot on the pony's back. When ou
boys would drop one of them a coupl
of Indians would ride up, one on eacl
side of him, and while at a full gallo
they would pick him up between then
swing him in front OF one or the othe
and dash away to the rear. They di'
these stunts so easily ii seemed impos
sibie for them to miss. For this reasol
We could not tell how many were killed
From our position we had splendi
chance to see what was going on dow
in the river bottoms. The Indians w
had to face up in the bluffs carried OF
a guerrilla mode of warfare. and thu
PLAYED into our hands. They soon foun
that out. and left for other fields. w
had very little to do after noon. Th
two howtzers We're moved up in fron
of our position and directed at the In
dians down in the bottoms They 500
moved out of range. The Indians ha