The attack lasted but a short time, and the Indians were driven several miles away.  The soldiers then gathered in the herd of Indian horses, which were running at large over the country and drove them back to the camp.  After taking a survey of what we had accomplished, it was found that we had killed about one hundred and forty Indians, and captured one hundred and twenty squaws and papooses, two hundred lodges, and eight hundred horses and mules.  The village proved to be one of the richest I had ever seen.  The red-skins had everything pertaining to an Indian camp, besides numerous articles belonging to the white settlers whom they had killed on the Saline.  The Pawnees, as well as the soldiers, ransacked the camp for curiosities, and found enough to start twenty museums, besides a large amount of gold and silver.  This money had been stolen from the Swedish settlers whom they had murdered on the Saline.  General Carr ordered that all the tepees, the Indian lodges, buffalo robes, all camp equipage and provisions, including dried buffalo meat, amounting to several tons, should be gathered in piles and burned.  A grave was dug in which the dead Swedish woman, Mrs. Alderdice, was buried.  Captain Kane, a religious officer, read the burial service, as we had no chaplain with us.

While this was going on, the Sioux warriors having recovered from their surprise, had come back and a battle took place all around the camp.  I was on the skirmish line, and I noticed an Indian, who was riding a large bay horse, and giving orders to his men in his own language—­which I could occasionally understand—­telling them that they had lost everything, that they were ruined, and he entreated them to follow him, and fight until they died.  His horse was an extraordinary one, fleet as the wind, dashing here and there, and I determined to capture him if possible, but I was afraid to fire at the Indian for fear of killing the horse.

I noticed that the Indian, as he rode around the skirmish line, passed the head of a ravine not far distant, and it occurred to me that if I could dismount and creep to the ravine I could, as he passed there, easily drop him from his saddle without danger of hitting the horse.  Accordingly I crept into and secreted myself in the ravine, reaching the place unseen by the Indians, and I waited there until Mr. Chief came riding by.

When he was not more than thirty yards distant I fired, and the next moment he tumbled from his saddle, and the horse kept on without his rider.  Instead of running toward the Indians, however, he galloped toward our men, by one of whom he was caught.  Lieutenant Mason, who had been very conspicuous in the fight and who had killed two or three Indians himself, single-handed, came galloping up to the ravine and jumping from his horse, secured the fancy war bonnet from the head of the dead chief, together with all his other accoutrements.  We both then rejoined the soldiers, and I at once went in search of the horse; I found him in the possession of Sergeant McGrath, who had caught him.  The Sergeant knew that I had been trying to get the animal and having seen me kill his rider, he handed him over to me at once.