Year: 1866


party who were cutting hay for the fort.


For seven or eight days previous the


party had been able to cut no hay, but


had constantly been employed fighting


Indians There were about sixty OF them,


and the best that they could do they were


not able to prevent the Indians from


burning large quantities of hay which


had been put up in stacks. Our party,


then reduced to sixteen, was too small to


undertake the hazardous trip back, but


to our great Joy we learned that a mail


escort of twenty-six soldiers would leave /
for the Big Horn on the Goth of Septem-


Der, who were anxious to have us ac-


company them. We readily accepted


their proposition. Early on the morn


ing we left large band of Indians made |
near getting all of our stock. But we
were lucky in getting around them just
in time to save them. A good many of
the "reds (" were visible at the time of
our leaving, and we were satisfied that
they would follow us. Eighteen of the
soldiers were mounted, and the remain
der started out in an ambulance, which


when about twelve miles out broke down,


leaving six on foot This left the escort
in an awkward shape for fast travelling


and fighting Indians. About twenty


miles out we met the hay party, with


which we camped for the night. Hap


PLY for US, the noble red man." the
first day out, did not make his appear


ance. AT daybreak the next morning,


we left the hay-cutters and came on, in


tending to make good drive that day.


At 10 o'clock, a. M, we stopped about


two hours for breakfast, then travelled
till 8 o'clock p. m, stopping about two
hours for supper, after which we contin-


ued our journey until 8 o'clock, when


we made a dry camp for the night, it


being about forty-five miles beyond Fort


c. f. Smith, and four miles beyond the


Little Horn. Picketing the horses


closely together, six men were placed on


guard, and the remainder retired to their


blankets, without divesting themselves


of any part of their clothing. No In


dians had been seen after leaving the


fort up to this time, but we had not


been camped more than an hour when


they made fierce attack upon us with


guns. At first, confusion prevailed in


the camp to some extent but we soon


rallied and returned their fire, driving


them back. Keeping them at distance,


we commenced intrenching After they


were driven off, their fire ws.s not so


rapid, and all of their balls apparently


passed over our heads. In about two


hours the intrenchments were finished,


little before which time the Indians


ceased firing, and nothing more was seen
of them during the night. During the
fight soldier received u flesh wound
in the leg and one horse was slightly
wounded, and seven missing. at day
break the horses were saddled, and as
we were about to leave camp we discov
cred that the Indians had completely
surrounded US. 1t appeared at first sigh
that they were numerous enough tC
eat us up. Our situation at this time
looked critical in the extreme. We hat
but one show, that was to fight them
> A small hill about one hundred yard
from our camp was selected for ou
standpoint. They rode up III the small
: ravines about us, within four or fv'
D hundred yards, and from these place
: they evidently intended to pick us OF
by degrees, until our numbers had be
:, come so decimated that there would b
Z but little risk in their making a dasl
a upon us as a finishing stroke. We re
/ mained in one body and fought for abou
i thirty minutes, when we were convince
e that some new plan must be adopted o
8 the last one of us would be killed
| They were in positions where we coul
i do them but little, if any damage, Will
we were standing in showers of leade
u hail 1t was plainly to be seen tha
II they must be driven out of the neares
e ravines This, if accomplished, woul
Lr keep them at distance where the
n could do but little damage Twenty {
n thirty of them were lodged in ravir
5 at distance of about four hundre
II yards. Eight of our men made ca
$. airy charge upon them, which came {
e quick and unexpectedly that they fie
re in wild confusion. At this charge v
d. captured two fine horses and woundt
is several Indians, who were taken up
n others and carried of. After this chars
s, we were not long driving them out
~ all the nearest ravines. About ty
Sc hours after the first attack, they ceas
e. firing, apparently satisfied that tn
~ could not whip us. AT one time duril
e. the fight, we saw from two to thr
er hundred, only part of them doing t
1g fighting, while the others kept at d
W, tance. The soldier that was wound
OF the night previous, during the mornil
ne fight received another slight wound
us the head from glancing ball. o
Is horse was killed and another woundt
til This was all that we were damaged
Ks. the morning. Our loss of seven hor:
ng left ten or twelve men on foot. I
IN, sargeant of the soldiers escort told
St (miners) thap if we would throw aw
MS, our mining tools, provisions, ETC., a
ny. let the men without horses ride our pa
nd animals to the Big Horn, there was
ne doubt in regard to our getting enou


provisions from the commander of
til, fort to bring us through. Consequent
,ut our packs were thrown away, VIII
Ill. left enough horses for all to ride.


es- soon as horses were provided for ev,
bly, man we commenced travelling, expect
| it that the savages would follow us,
ew fortunately they gave up the chase &
he no more was seen of them afterwal
es- We reached the fort that night about
ty. O'Clock, nearly chilled through, wet ;
ost hungry. A violent storm of snow