Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1879 — IN THE LAST DITCH. [ARTICLE]

IN THE LAST DITCH.

Tlie Second Slaughter of Cheyennes— Brave Resistance and Heroic Heath of the Desperate Savages. A correspondent at Camp Robinson, Neb., gives the following graphic account of the second slaughter of Cheyenne Indians, enacted forty miles northwest of that post. It reads more like a fiction born of the imagination than an actual occurrence of the nineteenth century : It will bo remembered that on the morning of the 20th Capt. Wessells, with his command, finding the body of Barber in the bluffs, where he had been killed by savages the previous evening, discovered the renegades had fled from their stronghold during the night. Capt. Wessells returned to his command with the view of starting in pursuit of the Cheyennes. On his arrival in camp he found that Col. Evans had arrived a few minutes previous. In as few w’ords as possible he informed that officer of the Cheyennes’ escape during the night. Col. Evans, having assumed command, immediately began search for the Indian trail, which was found an hour later by Lieut. Chase, leading in a westerly direction, and followed by the whole command, consisting of Companies A, B, D, E, I and H. On approaching a large range of hills, Col. Evans a halt. Taking Companies B and D, he slowly advanced toward. the bluffs. The Indians, who were strongly intrenched on the highest point, allowed the troops to advance within pistol-range without being themselves discovered, and then poured a volley into the troops, without further injury than that of killing the horse ridden by Col. Evans. The troops at once sought shelter from the enemy’s fire. Col. Evans, taring in the situation, dispatched a courier to Capt. Wessells with instructions to proceed immediately to the other side of the bluffs and endeavor to prevent the Indians’ escape during the night, when a charge would be made the following morning. The supposition is that the Indians, from their high position, discovered Wessells’ movements, and, deeming flight the better part of valor, took to their heels, which maneuver, owing to the coming darkness, was not discovered by Wessells until the following morning, when the trail was discovered, still leading west. Wessells, with four companies, immediately gave chase. His advance guard was surprised at noon by the Indians intrenched in a deep ravine. The savages opened fire on the military, seriously wounding Private Deboise. Company H, Third cavalry. Capt. Wessells, riding at the head of the main column, hearing the firing, galloped forward to ascertain the cause. He saw at a glance the situation, and ordered half a dozen sharpshooters to dismount and cover Deboise, who w r as lying apparently dead, fearing that the savages might dash from their pits and gain possession of his arms. Capt. Wessells then ordered the command to dismount and the companies to deploy as skirmishers, Lieut. Chase commanding. A company advanced from the center up the ravine; Capt. Lawson, commanding Company E, marched to the mouth of the ravine, and Companies H and E moved forward on either side, thus completely surrounding and shutting the Indians off from any possible escape. As the troops advanced, and when within 100 yards of the savages’ intrenchment, the latter poured a deadly volley into the midst of the skirmishers commanded by Lieut. Chase, killing Sergt. Taggart and Privates Brown and Nelson. Capt. Wessells, seeing his men fall, gave the command “Double quick;” which was promptly obeyed, his men as they advanced keeping up a continuous fire with fearful effect as they neared the savages’ rifle-pits. When within thirty yards of the pits the Cheyennes again rose from their dug-outs, and, despite the galling fire from the troops, poured a volley into them, slightly wounding Capt. Wessells and a sergeant of his company named Reed. Lieut. Chase, seeing Capt. Wessells fall, sprung forward, and, carrying his superior officer to a small spur of rocks, nearly out of range of the savages’ fire, ran back to his company, who w’ere near the edge of the Indians’ intrenchments, and lustily cheered his men forward. Obeying the orders of their company commander without a moment’s hesitation, the men dashed forward, and as they neared the pits two Cheyennes sprung therefrom, having in their hands huge huntingknives, determined to die game, but before they advanced a step they were riddled with bullets. At this moment Capt. Wessells, having regained consciousness, came to the front, and, seeing the pits strewn with the dead bodies of the Indians, ordered his men to cease firing with a view 7 of getting the remainder of the savages to surrender, but they heeded him not until one buck only remained alive. It must be said in justice to the troops that during the engagement not one was known deliberately to fire at a squaw or papoose. On an examination of the ground after the engagement 17 bucks, 4 squaws and 2 children were found dead, 3 squaws, 2 children and 1 buck wounded, and 3 squaws remained unhurt, making a total of 32 in all. “Pants for $5?” said a seedy-looking man, reading the sign in the window of a clothing store he was passing—“so do 1. I never panted so for $5 in all my ilfe.” ‘ ‘