Year: 1876

AN INDIAN FIGHT.

 The Story of an Attack upon au Indian

 Village as told by General Custer. ,..a

 One of the most interesting chapters in Custer's Life on the Plains" is that l which deals with his attack on the In dian villages on the Wachita. He says

 Immediately in rear of my horse came the band, all mounted, and each with his inStrument ready to begin playing the moment their leader, who rode at their head, and who kept his cornet to his lips, should receive the signal. I had previously told him to play !" Garry Owen" as the opening piece. We had approached near enough to the village now to plainly catch a view here and there of the tall, white lodges ss they stood in irregular order among the trees. From the openings at the top of some of them we could perceive faint columns of smoke ascending, the occupants no doubt having kept up their feeble fires during the entire night. We had ap- preached so near the village that flom the dead silence which reigned I feared the lodges were deserted, the Indians having fled before we advanced. I was about to turn in my saddle and direct the siPnal for attack to be given---stin anxious where the other attachments were-when a single rife shot rung sharp and clear on the far side of the village from where we were. Quickly turning to the band leader I directed him to give us "Garry Owen" At once the rollicking notes of that familiar marching and fighting air sounded forth through the valley, and in moment were re-echoed back from the opposite sieds by the loud and continued cheers of the men of the other de- tachments, who, true to their orders, were there and in q readiness to bounce upon the Indians the moment the attack begun. In this manner the battle of the Wachita commenced. The bugles sounded the charge, and the entire command dashed rapidly into the village. The Indians were caught nap ping butt realizing at once the dangers of their situation, they quickly, over came their surprise, and in an instant seized their 1ifes, bows and arrows and sprung behind the nearest trees, while some leaped into the stream, nearly waist deep, and, using the bank as a rifle pit, begun vigorous and determined de- fense. ta, ..,-...,.. .....

 Mingled with the exultapt cheers of my men could be heard the defiant war whoop of the warriors, who from the first fought with desperation and courage which no race of men could surpass. Major Benteen, in leading the attack of his squadron through the timber below the village, encountered an Indian boy scarcely fourteen years of ! age; he was we'll mounted, and was en- deavoring to make his way through the lines. This boy rode boldly toward the major, seeming to invite contest. His youthful bearing, and not being looked upon as a combatant, induced Major Benteen to endeavor to save him by making "peaoe signs" to him and ob- taining his surrender, when he could be placed in g position of safety until the battle was terminated; but the young savage desired and would accept no such friendly concessions. He regarded him. self as Q warrior and the son of 8 war rior, and as such proposed to do war rior's part. With revolver in hand he dashed at the major, who still could not regard him as anything but harmless lad. Leveling his weapon as he rode, he fired, but either from excitement or the changing positions of both parties, his aim was defective and the shot whis- tied harmlessly by Major Benteen's head. Another followed in quick suc- cession, but with no better effect. All this time the dusky little chieftain bold ly advanced, to lessen the distance be- tween himself and his adversary. A third bullet was sped on its errand, and this time to some purpose, as it passed through the neck of the majors horse, close to the shoulder. Making final but intellectual appeal to him to surren- der, and seeing him still preparing to fire again, the major was forced in self defense to level his revolver and dis patch him, although as he did so it was with admiration for the plucky spirit exhibited by the lad, and regret often expressed that no other course under the circumstances was left him. At tached to the saddle bow of the young Indian hung a beautifully wrought pair of small moccasins, ela5orately orna- mented with beads. ! ,.. t.-U .-s-

 One party of troopers came upon a squaw endeavoring to make her escape, leading by the hand little white boy, prisoner in the hands of the Indians, and who doubtless had been captured by some of their war parties during a raid upon the settlements. Who or where his parents were, or whether still alive or murdered by the Indians, will never be known, as the squaw, finding herself and prisoner about to be sur rounded by the troops and her escape cut off, determined with savage malig- nifty that the triumph of the latter should not embrace the rescue of the white boy. Casting her eyes quickly in all directions to convince herself that escape was impossible, she drew from beneath her blanket huge knife and plunged it into the almost naked body of her captive. The next moment retributive justice reached her in the shape of a we'll directed bullet from one of the troopers carbines. Before the men could reach them life was extinct in the bodies of both the squaw and her unknown captive.

 The desperation with which the In dians fought may be inferred from the following Seventeen warriors had posted themselves in depression ill the ground, which enabled them to protect their bodios completely from the fire of our men, and it was only when the In dians raised their heads to fire thas the troopers could aim with any prospect of success. All efforts to drive the war riors from this point proved abortive and resulted in severe loss to our side. They were only yanquished at last by our men securing positions under cover and picking them off by sharpshooting as they exposed themselves to get shot at the troopers. Finally the last one was dispatched in this manner. In a deep ravine near tho suburbs of the village the dead bodies of thirty eight warriors were reported after the fight terminated. o.t .-t 2.

 A Centennial Trip.

 Tho members of the New York State