The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-11-23

"tAF "R'AfA"Nt NtAN bAAA1 Hf san EAt+4 40
the rolllcking notes Of Garry owen"
and the battle was on. The Indians
were taken completely by surprise but,
with devotion worthy Of any people,
the warriors hastily graspea their
weapons and sought refuge behind logs,
tree trunks and creek banks. from
which vantage points they opened
most CALLING fire on the attacking
troops. Most or the Young men OF the
village We're absent on hunting expe-
ditior bua mere boys. and even women,
Joined in the fight A few Indians ap-
parently sought safety in flight. 1t
was while in pursuit OF these that Maj.
Joel II. Elliot, gallant officer who
had been commissioned in the regular
army after winning his spurs as an Off
Ger in an Indian volunteer regiment
during the civil war, together with
sergeant-Major Walter Kenredy and
thirteen enlisted men, We're led into an
amubscade, surrounded and killed by
the Indians. The little stream which
flows past the spot where they met
their tragic fate is sill called Ser
geant-Maior's creek.
The fight in the immediate vicinity
of the Indian village was not ended
for several hours after the troops Were
virtually in possession of the village
itself In the first charge Capt. Louis
MeLane Hamilton. who was in com
mand Of a squadron, was struck by a
rifle ball and fell dead from his sad
die. Only the day before, when 1t had
fallen to his lot to command the es-
cort which was to remain with the
wagon train, he had begged General
Custer ito let him 90 to the front with
the regiment with such earnestness
that he had been permitted to change
places with another officer who had
been particularly incapacitated by
snow blindness. Captain Hamilton was
a most accomplished officer who had
entered the volunteer service during
the civil war when he was barely
eighteen years old. Before he was
nineteen he was in command of a
company under fire. The close of ths
war found him a first lieutenant in
the regular army. When the Seventh
cavalry was organized, in 1866, he was
commissioned captain and he was still
the youngest officer Of his rank in THE
regular army at the time of his death.
lie came Of distinguished ancestry. His
paternal grandfather was Alexander
Hamilton. His maternal grandfather
was Louis McLane Of Delaware, who
was a congressman, United States sen
ator, minister to Great Britain and,
finally, secretary OF the treasury and
secretary Of state in the cabinet OF
President Andrew Jackson. It may be
Of interest to add that Captain Hamil-
toms brother DR.. Allen McLane
Hamilton, the noted New York City
physician, recently presented the uni.
form coat and cap which the captain
wore at the time Of his death, to the
Oklahoma Historical society.
Fought to the Death
The Indians fought with desperation
and with courage that would have done
honor 70 any race, and 1t may truth
fully be said that the battle was not
ended as long as one Of the warriors
was left living. The bodies Of thirty
FIVE warriors were found in one ravine
In all, 1O3 Indians were killed includ-
ing in the number Black Kettle, who
was principal chief of the southern
Cheyenne tribe, and Little Rock, who
was second chief. Black Kettle has
been quite generally credited with hav
ing led the raid in the valleys Of the
Saline and Solomon rivers three
months before, yet there is a singular
lack OF positive evidence to that ef.
feet Indeed, there are some evidences
to the contrary He is described as a
man Of large native ability and natur-
ally Of peaceable and friendly dispo-
sitlon. Just four years before the bat
tie Of the Washita, Black Kettle had
barely escaped with his life at the no
tortious Chiylngton massacre, OH Sand
creek. in Eastern Colorado, after pro
testing that his people We're peaceable.
AT the time of his death he was wear
ing large silver medal which had
been presented to one Of his ancestors
during the administration Of President
Washington. If his fate was pathetic
Ii was typical Of that Of his race.
Other Bands Appear
About the time the last Of the hos
tiles Of the Cheyenne village were KILL
ed or captured. General Custer noticed
a few mounted Indians on little
knoll aboua mile down the valley
At first they we're supposed to be
warriors who had escaped from the
village early in the morning. But, as
] al. \ 4.