Year: 1876




to hunt FOR the crossing. Once we for
ded the stream, but found it WIS at
bend and that we would have to ford il
again. When we recrossed the river we
ran full into band of eight savages
The two mounted men ran for their lives,
the soldier and myself jumped into the
bushes near us. cooked my revolver,
and, in kneeling position, was ready
to fire at the savages if they should ap-
proach me. They evidently thought
from the precipitate retreat of the two
mounted men that all of us had de-
camped, and began to talk among them
selves. In few minutes. to my sur
prise, they continued their course, and
soon after went out Of hearing raised
up from my position, approached the
bank of the river and called to the SOL
dier, who Immediately answered.


We then saw that the fords were all
well guarded by the savages, and that it
would be very dangerous to attempt to
cross any part of the river. OF course,
we did not know the condition of our
regiment, and knew nothing about the
extent of their defeat, so that we hoped
if we could find good hiding place for
the night we could wait for the probable
return of our command in the morning,
and could then easily join them. We
also hoped that the Indians would leave
during the night. Accordingly we
searched for good place in the thick
underwood and hriers near the river and
there waited with much anxiety our fate
on the morrow.


The night passed, and in the dim dawn
of day we heard an immense tramping
as of large cavalry command, and the
splashing of the water convinced us some
troops were crossing the river. imag-
ined it was our command, as | could
distinctly hear the sound of the horses
shoes striking the stones. | cautiously
stepped to tbs edge of the bushes to look


out q was then no more than three yards
from the bank of the river, and thought


| recognized some gray horses mounted


by men in military blouses and some of
them in white hats. They were, /


thought, going out of the valley, and


those that had already crossed the river,


were going up a very steep bluff, while
others were crossing after them. | saw
one man with buckskin jacket, pants,
top boots and white hat, and felt quite
sure / recognized him as Capt. Tom Gus
ter, which convinced me that the cavalry


men were of our command. With this


conviction | stepped boldly out ON the
bank and called to Capt Custer, f" Tom,


don't leave us herel" The distance was


only a few yards and my call was an.


swered by an Internal yell and dis


charge Of 800 or 400 shots. / then dis
covered my mistake and found the saw


ages were clad in clothes and mounted
on horses which they had captured from
our men. Myself and the soldier Jump
ed into the bushes (the bullets moving
. down the branches at every volley) and


crawled off to get out of range of the
fire. In doing SO we moved the TOP
branches of the underground, and the
Indians on the top of the bluff fired
where they saw the commotion, and thus


covered us with their rifles.


We now decided to cross clearing OF
about twenty yards and gain another
wood, but before doing this took the
Precaution to look out. The prospect
was terribly discouraging. for on our i'm.
t mediate right, not more than fifty yards
/ distant, saw four or FIVE Indians gallop.
t ing towards us. Near by me there were
: two cottonwood stumps nearly touching
] each other, and behind this slender bar.
| ricade myself and the soldier knelt down,
he with his carbine and l with my revol.
yer, ready to do for few of the savages
3 before they could kill us. We deter
E mined not to fire until they came SO near
r that we could not miss them, and there
j we waited. l had given up hope and
} made my mind up to it that the end had
3 come. They had not seen us, and when
3 the foremost man was just abreast of me
and about ten yards distant | fred.
They came in Indian file, and at my fire
} they turned right about and were max
| ing off, when Private ONeill fred his
carbine at the second savage, who at that
moment was refining his pony to turn
him back. The private's eye was true
and his carbine trusty, for Mr.. Indian
dropped his rein, threw up his paws and
laid down on the grass to sleep his long
sleep. The gentleman l greeted rode a


short distance and then did likewise.
The rest of the party rode on, turned the
corner of the wood and disappeared. We


remained in our position, expecting eve


~ poment that a hundra1 Jos,.,,.o. a, =, -.