The Ocala evening star., 1914-04-23
CHAPTER XIV.
The Battle on the Wabash.


where l pleased. This implied insult
had taken the measure of the man, I
cared little enough for his good opin-
ion. Very well, l would choose my
own service them would go back to
Oldham and his Kentucky militia. He
was of fighting blood, if his face spoke
truth, and his command was stationed
where they would feel the first shock
of attack whenever it came
Oldham received me gladly; and
about the fire that night l told of my
reception by st. Clair.
We'll, l warned yer, Hayward the
colonel commented, chuckling. Il
know the bullet-headed old fool.
reckon he'll know more about Injuns
in day or two. Told yer he had his
scouts out, did he? Why, man, there
isn't one of 'em been ten miles from
the column since we began this march:
isn't that so, captain? The old cock
doesn't know tonight what's goin' on
two hundred yards ahead of his out
posts" He got up, and stretched out
his arms. And so, gentlemen, we
march for the Miami towns in the
morning. Old Cock-a-doodle-doo says
so. I'll wager years pay we never
get there. What! no takers? Well,
I'm going to bed"
Why should l attempt to describe
that drear battle on the east fork of
the Wabash? Many another has done
it already, yet few tell the story as
remember it.
We were up at dawn, but for no
purpose, so far as l could see, unless
it was to idle through leisurely
breakfast. l had finished mine. and
was smoking, cuddled close to the fire,
when the storm broke. Our outposts
could not have been a hundred yards
in advance, or else they ran without
firing a shot, for the red devils burst
on us without slightest warning. 1
heard hoarse shout of alarm, then
whoops and yells, such as would strike
terror to the bravest. / was on my
feet, gripping my gun in an instant.
l saw Oldham leap forward, roaring
out an order-then they came, pouring
out of the woods into the open, a mass
of shrieking demons, half obscured in
smoke, their rifles splitting fire. The
man beside me went down in a heap;
Oldham flung up his arms and toppled
over; / saw men stare, then turn and
run, peering back over their shoulders
with eyes full of horror. / threw up
my rifle and fired; sprang back, racing
for a tree, loading as l ran. Men
were everywhere, frightened, scream
ing mob. l saw officers strike them
with their swords, cursing them as
towards. But nothing could stop the
panic; they fought to get away, they
struck with clinched fists, they bat
tered a path for themselves with
dubbed muskets; they became fends
| from terror, every semblance of meE
| lost. God! may / never see such a
sight agaSn! My hand trembles as
| write of it,
Into that terror-stricken, fleeing mob
the naked warriors came, hacking with
tomahawks, slashing with knives, bat
tering with dubbed guns. The snow
was red with blood. covered with dead
bodies. 1t was massacre. / know not
how l got out of it, but fought back
| from tree to tree, firing as | halted,
| loading as / ran. There were others
! with me, cool-headed fellows, ana we
| held the painted demons back until
| hundred of us, or more, gained the
opening by the river, where the regu-
lars and artillery were. But the saw.
| use uorueS, InIurlaIeo Dy Victory
| drunk with slaughter, were at our very
| heels. They lined the edge of the
| woods and poured in deadly volleys
There was no sound now, no yelling
| only the incessant rattle of firearms
as they crept from log to log, and
tree to tree, slowly drawing closer
| They filed off to either side ano
hemmed us in, the river alone protect
ing our rear. Through the clouds o.
smoke we caught glimpses of thell
fitting figures, distorted. horrible, o
faces striped black and red, of waving
feathers, and brandishing arms. Neve
before or since have | seen Indians
fight as they did that day-rushing t.
the charge, leaping straight at u
, through the smoke, and firing wit
I deadly aim into our very faces. The,
shot US down with no rest, no cessa
, ton, no time in which to breathe
Twice they took the guns, swarmin
forward with a fierce rush that fun
US back, and crushed the gunners III
der foot. But they were in the ope
now, and we could see; with bayonet
s. | and dubbed rifles we charged home
driving them back TO the woods. Their
/ they held US, while from every hollo7
S and grass patch, every tree and falle
J. log, their rifles spat fire. The band
Of my gun few off, and l picked u
another; / was out Of powder and ba
and took them from a dead body. Th
dead lay everywhere, alone, in heaps