Year: 1876

tho morning at tho first ALARM directly behind the iet
wing. and, killing Snake, captured small herd OF
ponies which he guarding. Lieutenant Foster,
with squad OF men from Captain Andrews company,
sent to of the Sioux and rccaplure the ponies
lilo dashed after them two miles and only halted when
he found the enemy springing up SO thickly around
him that he feared would be impossible to fight his
way back. In rejonius the left wing he rode through
series oi ravines. and in emerging from them
at full gallop unfortunately mistaken for party
OF the enemy and three vocys fired a. him by the
troops No damage was done to his men,


THE


As Colonel Royal was determining to make rapid
charge tho heights held by the Sioux and by des
peraioiy dslodgng them extrcatng himself from his
exposed position, Captain Nickerson ade-de-camP,
having made u wide circuit around the hollow lying
between the Generals headquarters and Colonel
Royals line, dashed down a steep side hill under
concentrated fire. the bullets making the dust fly under
his horses hoois and delivered the unexpected order
to fall back The line the main ridge, backed by
mass Of cavalry and infantry still renamed stationary
To retreat into the hollow the right which would
be necessary in order to form Junction with the
centre risk the loss OF nearly the whole
battalion. Colonel Royal, however, obeyed his order
extend his limo in that direction by sending Captain
Menhod's company Of the Third cavalry around
by su, a route as saved from much exposure and





strong line of skrmishcrs continually deployed to
amcse the enemy. As progressed they OBJ
tanned better range upon the troops every moment
but the skirmshers did their utmost in nring cooy
aud with steady aim II cannot bo doubted that their
bullets took effect among the savagcs crowded tho
high point Of the main ridge Many TO :all
and subsequently several dead ponies strewed the
ground. The horses belonging to the dismountcd
cavarymcn led first into the small ravines in the
bottom Of the valley.


DEADLY FIRE.


At this juncture the soldiers felt great discourage
ment but preserved their cooncss although death had
ladng hrc causing them to drop every moment. Cap
tain vroom, Lieutenant Morton and Lieutenant
Lemley, OF the Third cavalry, took places
in the skrmsh line when the enemy were
within rauge, and used their carbnes with
effect Unwilling to let slip opportunity for help
ing the extrcation OF tho lett line with which my
fate was identified by the chance Of battle, dis
mounted at several points during retreat and fired
with the skirmshcrs At last when the recedng line
reached the last ridge next the fatal hollow became
evident that the sacrifice OF few lives was inevitable
for the salvation OF many more. Colonel Royal sent
his adutant. Lieutenant Lemey through the storm Of
bullets 70 ask support OF Infantry protect his
treat About the same moment Captain Guy V. Henry,
who had remained at Tho head OF his battalion under
the hottest fire, was horribly wounded IN the face He
lifted from his horse and led to the by two or
his soldiers. The tide Of retreat grew
cited and turbulent, and pressed back, with tho
soldier attending the rearward upon the
slope, which raked by oblique fire from
the north. The infantry which expected to relicve
this line not in position enough to check the
wild advance OF tho Sioux, who observing the retiring
body becoming crowded together on the edge OF the
gap which 1t must under fire, rushed both down
and up the valley the right while they poured their
FIRE from the high bluff across the low elevation, rcn
dering utterly untenable, we they were charging
at the same time TO prevent its abandonment. A
swarm OF Sioux within 900 yaras of in front
and heard their shots in the they murdered
the poor soldiers of the guard Of the retreat
Obliged either to take the chance OF death then
wait with the battalion which would
still fatal fire, because would form large mark
for the aim Of the enemy. The hill where tho Gen
erals headquarters were and large body of troops
which had yet been engaged more
than half mile distant chose the
converging ravnes and rode through them


greater part OF the way but as gaopcd up the sopc
opposite the had left heard the yells OF tho
savases close behind and the reports OF their rifles
/ emerged from the safer ground sounded remarkably
and loud.


BrrcnERISG TROOPS.


u
group of soldiers who had struggled behind the
Six killed at one spot recruit surrendered his
carbnc painted warrior, who flung II to the ground
and cleft hts bead with stroke OF the tomanawk.
William W. Allen, brave old soldier, who had been
twenty years IN tho army, fought with magnificent
courage and killed. The Sioux rode close to
their victims that they shot them in the face with
vovers and the powder blackened the flesh. Captains
Burrows and Burt's companies of infantry by this
time firing we'll directed vocys from position
half way down the west side of the high blun,
and just after my escape the Snake Indians,
calamity led by their CHEFS Loussant and Cosgrovc.
dashed with thrilling shouts into the hollow, among
the Sioux who wcro the rear OF the cavalry, and
drove tLcm back Captain Henry, weak from the
bleeding OF his wound, had been unable TO keep up
with the retreat and had sunk on tho ground Louis.
SAINT put himself astrdc the body and for nvo minutes
kept tho Sioux of, when soldiers of his company
rushed back and rescued him. About the time
corporal OF company, Of tho Third cavalry, maac
last charge, with three men, and captured from
the enemy tho bodies OF their comrades thus
saving tn, from the scspIng knife TIC Snakes took
scaps from the Sioux whom they killed the hol
low, and swung them fresh and bleeding with gecfrl
triumph above their heads as they returned The
tantry under Captains Burrows and Burt executed
their part admirably II said OF the por-
ton OF the engagement which I have thus far de-
scrib,d that IL the most important and
dangerous, and that In il Captain Henry's
baitai, on OF the Third cavalry aud Captain Andrews
company o. ;ae Second cavalry with ali their ofncers,
displayed most honorable degree of iortiiude and
bravery. they had a.duous duty and suffered
severely than any other portion OF tho command
Colonel Royal was circumscrbcd by orders in every
Of his movements, ard the disaster attending the
woula have been much greater had /, been
sog Nv a cd ~ On O lima
lofty crescent shaped palisadc, toward which,
early in the morning, he dcployed skrmshors. Had
the order fall back been little later this would have
been occupied. II would then have been impossible for
tho Sioux to have crclcd around 10 the rear and fire
could have been turned upon the last high point held
by them, which would have compelled them to hide
behind It, while the cavalry couIi have charged the