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
During the summer of ’67 life was one continual round of fighting. We
lost a great many men, but damaged the Sioux much more than during the
previous year. The soldiers had better guns, and were far better Indian
fighters. They had learned that it was safer to keep their faces to the
Indians, than, as during the previous year, their backs. When you run
from an Indian you are his meat.
On the day of the wagon-box fight, accompanied by my partner, I left the
fort before daylight. We went to the foot-hills to get some deer. A
short time after daylight we discovered a lot of Indian smoke signals on
the hills, and decided that we had better get back to the fort. In
making our way back we followed the Little Piney down for some distance,
and found that the country was full of Indians. We then struck out for
the wood train. The Indians had got between us and it. We then went to
the wagon-box corral, and got there none too soon.
Your description of the corral is correct as I remember it to be. Its
location is about right, except that it was not on an island. I never
heard of Little Piney Island, and I do not believe such an island
existed there at that time.[26] The wagon boxes were of the ordinary
government boxes. They were set off from the wagons, as the wagons were
in corral. The intervals between were packed with logs, bales of
blankets, clothing, sacks of corn, etc. As to the wagon boxes being
lined with iron, you are right. They were not. Up to that time, and
during my time on the plains, I never saw wagon boxes so lined. The
wagon box that I was detailed to fight in had no such protection, but we
had gunny sacks of corn placed on edge two deep on the inside of the
box, with a two inch auger hole at the point where the four sacks came
together. This made good protection for the body when lying down. As
stated in your article, the tops of the wagon boxes were literally torn
to pieces with the bullets fired at us by the Indians. Without this
protection the fight would not have lasted very long.
There was a surplus of ammunition and guns. I had two Spencer carbines,
and two revolvers (six-shot army Colt’s). During the first charge I
emptied the carbines and the revolvers less two shots (reserved for
myself in case of a show down). The balance of our men must have fired
as many shots as I did. The soldier that was in the box with me had a
needle gun and a Spencer; also one or two revolvers. And he kept them
busy while he lived. This man was an infantry soldier—do not remember
his company. He was shot through the head, dying in about two hours
after being shot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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