Indian Fights and Fighters: The Soldier and the SiouxBrady, Cyrus Townsend
History
Indian Fights and Fighters: The Soldier and the Sioux
Brady, Cyrus Townsend
Dakota Indians -- Wars; Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1866-1895
In one of the charges Captain Henry was shot through the face and
frightfully wounded. The troopers had dismounted, but the officers
remained mounted. Henry reeled in his saddle as the bullet pierced both
his cheek bones and tore out the whole front of his face below the eyes.
Although, as an eye-witness has it, he was spitting blood by the
handful, he continued on the battle line. The situation of Royall’s wing
of Crook’s army was precarious. Henry’s battalion held the extreme left
flank. It was his duty to remain there. Vroom’s troop L, of the Third
Cavalry, had become separated from the main body during the battle, and
was caught ahead of the line and surrounded by Indians, in imminent
danger of annihilation. Crook had ordered Royall to bring his men back
to their horses, in order to mount them and prepare for a general
charge. The Indians took this movement for a retreat, and came dashing
after the retrograding troopers. Only the cool courage of Royall and
Henry, and the magnificent way in which they handled their forces when
they went forward to the rescue, prevented the annihilation of Vroom’s
troops.
It was in the midst of this operation that Henry received his fearful
wound and stayed on the line.[62] Presently he fell from his horse. As
he did so, the soldiers, dismayed by his fall, began to give back before
the Sioux. The impetuous Indians charged over the place where Henry lay.
Fortunately, he was not struck by the hoofs of the galloping horses. His
men rallied and rushed to his rescue. Old Chief Washakie and his
Shoshones at this period of the fighting displayed splendid courage. The
fight actually raged over the body of Captain Henry until the Indians
were driven off, and Henry was rescued from what would otherwise have
been certain death. After this fierce struggle, part breaking through
the line and part turning the flank, the Indians galloped down the
valley between the river and the troops, and finally disappeared on the
other side of the Dead Cañon, their retreat accelerated by the movement
of Mills toward the village. The fighting had lasted a little more than
two hours.
VI. Mills’ Advance down the Cañon
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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