Early next morning, September 19th, the cry of “Indians” startled the command.  Every man jumped for his horse.  A half-dozen red-skins, yelling and whooping and making a hideous racket, and firing their guns, rode up and attempted to stampede the horses, several of which, together with the four pack-mules, were so frightened that they broke loose and got away.  The Indians then rode off, followed by a few shots.  In a minute afterwards, hundreds of Indian warriors—­it was estimated that there were nearly one thousand—­came galloping down upon the command from every quarter, completely hemming them in.

Acting under the order of General Forsyth, the men retreated to a small island, tied their horses in a circle to the bushes, and then, throwing themselves upon the ground, they began the defense by firing at the approaching enemy, who came pretty close and gave them a raking fire.  The besieged scouts at the first opportunity threw up a small breastwork with their knives.  The firing, however, continued back and forth, and early in the fight Forsyth was twice seriously wounded—­once in the right thigh, and once in the left leg.  Dr. Mowers was also wounded in the head, and soon died.  Two other men had been killed, and several wounded.  All the horses of the command were killed by nine o’clock in the morning.

Shortly afterwards over three hundred Dog-Soldier Indians commanded by old “Roman Nose,” charged down upon the little band of heroes, giving them volley after volley; but finally the scouts, at a favorable opportunity, returned their fire with telling effect.  “Roman Nose” and “Medicine Man” were killed, and fell from their horses when within less than one rod of the scouts, who thereupon sent up a triumphant shout.  The charging braves now weakened, and in a few moments they were driven back.  It was a brilliant charge, and was most nobly and bravely repulsed.  The scouts had again suffered severely, having several men wounded, among the number being Lieutenant Beecher who died that night.  The Indians, too, had had quite a number killed, several of whom had fallen close to the earthworks.  The dismounted Indian warriors still continued firing, but as the scouts had thrown up their intrenchments sufficiently to protect themselves by closely hugging the ground, little or no damage was done.

A second charge was made by the mounted Indians about two o’clock in the afternoon, and they were again repulsed with a severe loss.  Darkness finally came on, and then ensued a cessation of hostilities.  Two of the scouts had been killed, four fatally wounded, and fourteen others were wounded more or less severely.  There were just twenty-eight able-bodied men left out of the fifty.  The supplies had run out, and as Dr. Mowers had been mortally wounded and the medical stores captured, the wounded men could not be properly cared for.