The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-28
Hutchinson Man, One of Surviv-
Ors of Indian Battle.
Detachment of Eighteenth Kan
sas Volunteers Engaged.
THENLADOF NINETEEN
Hugh johnson Tells Story of a
Sanguinary Attack.
Fought Two Days and Saved
Themselves by Formation.

Hutchinson, Kan, Dec. 28.-Hugh n.
Johnson, of 419 B west, who is engaged
in the grocery business near his home.
is one of the few survivors of what
probably was the most sanguinary In
dian battle ever fought on the plains of
Kansas.
Less than $50 volunteers, a detach-
ment of the Eighteenth Kansas volun-
teer cavalry, fought for two days
against a band of at least 1000 Cheyenne
Sioux warriors, on August II and Y,
1867, on Prairie Dog creek, in Norton
county.
IF we had done as General Custer
did not a man in our detachment would
have been left to tell the tale" said
Mr. johnson. I'VE saved ourselves
We fought the two days fight in two
detachments neither having over 20
men and of our little party % We're
killed. We counted $50 dead Indians at
the close of the battle
Mr.. johnson. then a lad of 10, living
in Franklin county, responded to the
call for volunteers to drive the Indians
off who were harassing the settlers OF
central Kansas, then the frontier.
Johnson was made corporal of Com
pany c. under Capt. George B. Jenness.
After following the Indians from
Fort Larned to near Fort Hayes,
thence north toward the Platte it was
determined to break into separate de-
tachments, and attempt a concerted
movement.
But the Indians were too clever.
They proceeded to attack the detach-
ments of troopers in detail, and came
very near wiping this particular de-
tachment out.
ION the 21st of August as we had
about given up hope of overtaking the
fleeing Indians we were jogging along,
resting our tired horses. l stopped
n11r7f od IN n hla of
of my horse. We were near Prairie
Dog creek at the time. Suddenly up a
swale of the creek 1 saw the prairie
alive with Indians coming toward us
as hard as they could run their horses.
Il dashed for our party, who saw
the Indians as soon as 1 did. The prai-
RE swarmed with them and they kept
a yelling that was enough to scare any
man. 1t seemed to me there were
10000 of them. 1t developed that
there were really close to 1000 under
command of the fierce Santanta and
half bred son of the founder of Bents
Fort, Colorado, and an educated man.
Major Arms, a regular army Of
ficer, was in command of our detaeh-
ment. There We're not more than IT'S
men in our party at the time, the 9TH
IT'S being with the wagon train which
was due down the creek that night.
We were outnumbered % to 1 and
our situation was desperate. We
formed a skirmish line to meet the
oncoming Indians every one screaming
like a demon. Every fourth man re-
manned at the rear holding four horses
each. while the other three of each
squad knelt to fire.
Hold your fire until they get on
to us shouted our commander. and
we did. We gave fearful charge in
to their ranks and they divided and
passed by us on either side. Then
forming a hollow square we prepared
for battle. Charge after charge the
Indian devils made and from noon I'M
til dark we kept up the fight but man
aged to hold them from overwhelming
u.s.