their horses, and the bugles sounded a
charge. Not a man but realized that the charge into the village
without a moment's hesitation was our only salvation. We already saw
that we were greatly outnumbered, and that only desperate fighting
would save our scalps. We were in the village in the midst of a
hand-to-hand fight with the warriors and squaws, for many of the
squaws did as brave fighting as their savage lords. Unfortunately for
the squaws and children, our men had no time to direct their aim, and
bullets from both sides and murderous arrows filled the air. Women and
children fell among the killed and wounded. The scene was
indescribable. Each man seemed an army by himself. Near the sweathouse
I emptied my revolver into the carcasses of three warriors. One of our
men, a member of the Eleventh Ohio Cavalry, a fine-looking soldier
with as handsome a face as I ever saw on a man, grabbed me by the
shoulder and turned me about that I might assist him in drawing an
arrow from his mouth. Having no surgeon of a higher grade than a
hospital steward, it was decided that in order to get the arrow out of
his mouth the tongue would have to be cut out, which was done. The
Indians made a brave stand trying to save their families, and
succeeded in getting away with a large majority of their women and
children, leaving behind nearly all of their plunder.

We now went up a stream called Wolf Creek, General Connor in close
pursuit. Soon after we left the village General Connor advised me to
instruct Captain North to take his battalion of Indians and get all
the stock he could possibly gather. General Connor pursued the savages
fully ten miles from camp, when he found himself accompanied by only
fourteen men. Our horses were so worn out that it was impossible for
the men to keep up. The Indians noticed his movements and turned upon
him and his soldiers. They fell back as fast as possible. Captain
North and myself had succeeded in coralling about a thousand ponies.
Scores of buffalo-robes, blankets, and furs were heaped up on
lodge-poles, and on these we placed our dead, and burned their bodies
to keep the Indians from mutilating them. Our attack on the village
began at 9 a. m. We remained until 2:30 and had destroyed a great deal
of Indian property. At 2:30 we took up the line of march for the
corr