The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-19
Tells OF BATTLE
Only Six Men at ''DObe Walls"
Fight Still Alive.
Andrew Johnson, One of Them,
Lives in Dodge City.
BAT" NOT LEADER
But MastersOn Was Present and
Killed Some Indians.
Redskins, Sheltered by Wagon,
Scalp Victims.

Hutchinson, Kan, Aug. 19.-Of the
party of twenty-one buffalo hunters
from Dodge City who fought a pitched
battle at "Dobe Walls" in the Pan
handle of Texas, with a band of 500
Indians, on June 81, 1874, there are
but six survivors.
one of them is Andrew johnson,
who still resides at Dodge City. The
other survivors of this historic fight of
the plains are Bill Dixon, who is in
Texas; Bat MastersOn of New York
city; Fred Leonard of Denver; Jim
Langton of Salt Lake City, and Jim
Hanrahan of Montana.
Mr.. johnson writes Interestingly in
the Dodge City Globe of this historic
Indian battle, and in his account of
the fight says:
In 1874 the supply of buffalo in
the vicinity of Dodge had become so
depleted that the hunters sought more
prolific fields. The Panhandle of Texas
was in the heart of the buffalo country,
but it was a long way to Dodge and
market and because of the long haul,
the hunting was not so profitable
Charles Rath, R. NJ. Wright, James
Dodge City, concluded to establish
stores near the Dobe WALL one hun
dred and eighty miles south of Dodge,
stores near the 'Dobe Wall one hun
tiers with supplies and buying their
buffalo hides.
The morning of June 27. 1874. I
got up to picket out the horses, but
found it was too early and went back
to bed Bill Dixon, a half-breed In
dian, the only buffalo hunter in the
camp, intended to go out that morning
with eight or ten SINNERS, among
whom was Bat Masterson, and Dixon
and his men were sleeping in Hanra-
hans saloon. Towards morning the
ridge pole in the roof Of the saloon
building broke, and everybody went up
on the roof to throw off sod in order
to tighten the weight on the roof.
Then the Indians Came.
''While so engaged they heard the
Indians two miles away and gave the
alarm. The blacksmith, Kimbal, was
awakened by those on the roof of the
saloon. He came to the door of our
store and kicked on it, calling to US
that the Indians were coming. The
door was double, made of two-inch
plank, and a crossbar inside. I open
ed the door and admitted Kimball and
Sam Smith, who had been sleeping out
in the open. The Indians were in
gun shot by the time 1 got the door
closed.
1.-The first persons saw after closing
the door were Jim Langston and the
bookkeeper in their underclothes guns
in hand and cartridge belts strapped
around them. Then the battle COM
mencer. Bat Masterson was not the
leader. It was case of every fellow
look out for himself and get as many
Indians as possible. There could be
no organized resistance, because the
whites were scattered and were in
three different buildings. The heaviest
part of the fighting lasted about thirty
minutes. but the Indians stayed around
for about three days, caring for their
wounded and occasionally making
charge on our buildings.
Were Five Hundred Indians.
According to an Indian chief there
were about 300 Indians, the best war
riors of the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Co
manehe and KfoWa tribes, engaged.
The defenders consisted of twenty-one
men equipped with thirteen guns. 9th
er than Bill Dixon, the buffalo hunter,
the men consisted of the merchants,
their bookkeepers and employees, and
blacksmith, cooks. teamsters and buff
falo SINNERS.
1--WE lost three men in the fight
Bill Tyler and the Shyler brothers.
Tyler was shot in the door of Myers &
Ieonard's store while attempting to
get a shot at the Indians. The Shyler
brothers and a Mexican teamster were
sleeping in wagon on the prairie near
the buildings They were awakened
by the approach of the Indians and the
Mexican succeeded in reaching the
stoc5ade. but the Shylers were killed
before they could leave the wagon.
Scalped Their Victims.
1.-THE Indians cut through the wagon
box on the side opposite from the
buildings and scalped the men. They
then ransacked the wagons and car
rted away such provisions as they
could including sugar, coffee, soap,
bacon and baking powder. Some of
the indians were killed by the whites
and were found dead still clutching
the stolen goods. While the baking
powder was good, it had not sufficient
strength to raise those dead Indians"