Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-20

I going to cross the river and try to
run for it and they started around to
head us off. That's where we fooled
them, and that gave us the time we
wanted. On the open prarie we would
have been slaughtered in a few min
utes.
when we got to the island we
tied our horses to the brush so they
formed a circle facing outward with us
inside it. Then half our men knelt In
a circle behind the horses and fired
under their bellies to keep the savages
off while the other half dug trenches
in the sand. All around the edge OF
the little island, in a circle, we dug
series of pits in the sand wide enough
for two men to lay in and the sand
was piled up in a breastworks In
front.
| when the Injuns saw how we had
entrenched ourselves they set up
such a howl as I never heard before,
and I had heard many a war whoop,
especially the year before when 1 made
rush on horseback for camp with
500 Injuns close after me whooping
and all shooting after me at once. 1
figured that each one Of the 500 shot
at me five times, which made 2'5Oo
shots. The bullets buzzed over me
like bees as lay along the neck OF
nv horse and spurred him on, and
when got safe into camp the first
thing I said was Boys, a fellow can't
die till his time comes which is true
a word as ever I spoke.
| But to get back to my story:
right at the beginning Of the fight
| General Forsyth got bullet In the
thigh, and a little later another bullet
shattered the bone Of his left leg be-
tween the knee and ankle.
"The Injuns were we'll armed with
repeating rifles and they lay off in
the grass, and behind every bush and
kept up a steady fire. If one OF US
showed a leg or an arm a bullet was
sure to whiz pretty close to it. About
8 o'clock General Forsyth peeped up
over his breastwork of sand and bull
let grazed his skull and knocked him
senseless for a minute. DR.. Mooers,
our surgeon, was in the pit with For
syth and he was killed by bullet In
the exact centre Of his forehead.
About this time we saw the 1njuns
| all moving down stream toward
gorge that hid them from sight. and
we made up our minds that they were
going to form there and make uni
ted charge upon US. The word went
around our circle to get ready Tor
them. Each Spencer rifle was charg-
ed with six shots in the magazine and
| one in the barrel. The guns Of the
| dead and mortally wounded were also
loaded and laid close at hand. and
each of us got his revolver ready, and
the word was passed not to attempt
to return the fire until General For
syth gave the word Of command.
| Just think of that now, will you.
There was Forsyth with his left leg
shattered, a bullet in his right thigh,
his head almost splitting with the
headache the Injun bullet gave him,
the dead body of Doctor Mooers in the
pit beside him, the sun pouring down
as hot as ever saw it, and yet could
see him lying with his folded arms on
the little mound Of sand in front Of
him, while he looked around at us In
our shallow pits and gave the COM
mand:
| " Don't fire a shot until I give the
word He was a brave man.
"I was lying down at the lower end
of the island, hence I was closest to
the point of attack. We did not have
to wait long. At slow trot the mount
ed warriors came into view in a solid
mass at the foot Of the valley and
there they halted while their chief
rode up and down their line making
a speech to them. 1 recognized him
| at once. It was Roman Nose, then
the greatest Injun warrior on the
plains. I knew him we'll. I had met
him the year before in a conference
in Medicine Lodge at which Colonel
Tom Murphy, a special Injun agent
tried to close a treaty with the Chey-
ennes. At that conference Roman
Nose, who was six feet tall and a
magnificent specimen Of manhood
arose and said in reply to a suggestion
that the Father in Washington want
ed the treaty made.
I'm the sky Is my Great Father.
The earth is my Great Mother and on
her bosom I will one day lay my
Scared body, still fighting against the
white man.
"As Roman Nose dashed forward
at the head of his troops he looked
superb. He was perfectly naked, ex-
cept that he had crimson sash
round his waist and moccasins on his
feet His face was hideously painted
and he wore a magnificent war bon
net. AS he came on he turned his
face toward the women and children
of the tribe who lined the crest of the
bluff and waved his hand at them and
then shook his fist defiantly at us.
when the advancing column was
within 200 yards of US General Forsyth
shouted Now" and 40 rifles belched
lead and fire. I was a good shot in
those days, one of the best on the bor-
der, and aimed direct at the head of
Roman Nose and fired But did not
touch him. 1 fired three times point
blank at him and missed. I said to
myself. All right, old Roman Nose,
: your time has not come yet But /
, laid down my Spencer rifle and turned
to Jim Curry, who was in a pit be-
hind bush in my rear, and asked
him to hand me Lieutenant Beechers
Henry rifle. Lieutenant Beecher was
a nephew of Henry Ward Beecher and
he had been killed in his pit. I took
, his Henry rifle and several of us shot
at the same time at Roman Nose and
/ his horse. Both fell dead. / don't
: know whether killed him or not.
! Now let me read you a description
of that charge as it was written by
General Forsyth 20 years ago and