Lieutenant Mason, who had been very conspicuous in the fight and had killed two or three Indians himself, came galloping up the ravine, and, jumping from his horse, secured the elaborate war-bonnet from the head of the dead chief, together with all his other accoutrements.

We both rejoined the soldiers.  I started in search of the horse, and found him in the possession of Sergeant McGrath, who had captured him.  McGrath knew that I had been trying to get the horse, and he had seen me kill its rider.  He handed the animal over to me at once.  I little thought at the time that I had captured the fastest running horse west of the Missouri River, but this later proved to be the fact.

Late that evening our wagon-train arrived.  Mrs. Weichel, the wounded woman, had been carefully attended by the surgeons, and we placed her in the ambulance.  Gathering up the prisoners, squaws, and papooses, we set out for the South Platte River, eight miles distant, where we went into camp.

Next morning, by order of General Carr, all the money found in the village was turned over to the adjutant.  Above two thousand dollars was collected, and the entire amount was given to Mrs. Weichel.

The command now proceeded to Fort Sedgwick, from which point the particulars of our fight, which took place Sunday, July 11, 1869, was telegraphed to all parts of the country.

During our two weeks’ stay at this Post, General Augur, of the Department of the Platte, made us a visit, and complimented the command highly on the gallant service it had performed.  Tall Bull and his Indians had long been a terror to the border settlements.  For their crushing defeat, and the killing of the chief, General Carr and the command were complimented in General Orders.

Mrs. Weichel was cared for in the Post hospital.  After her recovery she married the hospital steward.  Her former husband had been killed by the Indians.  Our prisoners were sent to the Whetstone Agency, on the Missouri, where Spotted Tail and the friendly Sioux were then living.  The captured horses and mules were distributed among the officers and soldiers.

Among the animals which I thus obtained were my Tall Bull horse and a pony which I called Powder Face.  This animal figured afterward in the stories of “Ned Buntline,” and became famous.

One day, while we were waiting at Fort McPherson, General Carr received a telegram announcing that the Indians had made a dash on the Union Pacific, killing several section men and running off stock of O’Fallen’s Station.  An expedition was going out of Fort McPherson to catch and punish the redskins if possible.

I was ordered by General Carr to accompany this expedition.  That night I proceeded by rail to Fort McPherson Station, and from there rode horseback to the fort.  Two companies, under command of Major Brown, had been ordered out.  Next morning, as we were about to start, Major Brown said to me: