. Indian history for young folks . fire thinned their ranks. ()therstook the places of the fallen, and rode close up to the corral, but could seeno enemy. Nothing was visible but the covered wagon-beds; but beforethe constant and accurate fire from these the assailants steadily diminished,until, routed and disheartened, they turned and rapidly retreated. Thou-sands of Indian spectators swarmed over the elevated plateaux which ro-eon all sides from the corral. After consulting the principal chiefs, Red Cloud decided to make an-other attack, this time on foot, and with his entire force. Warriors
. Indian history for young folks . fire thinned their ranks. ()therstook the places of the fallen, and rode close up to the corral, but could seeno enemy. Nothing was visible but the covered wagon-beds; but beforethe constant and accurate fire from these the assailants steadily diminished,until, routed and disheartened, they turned and rapidly retreated. Thou-sands of Indian spectators swarmed over the elevated plateaux which ro-eon all sides from the corral. After consulting the principal chiefs, Red Cloud decided to make an-other attack, this time on foot, and with his entire force. Warriors armedwith Spencer or Winchester carbines, taken in the Fetterman sent forward as sharp-shooters. Crouching on the ground, coveringthemselves with shields or bunches of grass, they approached and openedfire upon the wagon-beds. The soldiers returned their fire so rapidly thattheir gun-barrels became overheated. Spare guns had been placed in eachwagon, to be used by selected marksmen. H >& g>•;O SP. •X- INDIAN WARS (1862-1877). 439 Red Clouds nephew, anxious to win renown and to, become his unclessuccessor, now gathered two thousand warriors in the plains. When withinlive hundred yards they rushed forward, and had nearly reached the corralwhen they were obliged to turn and fly, so deadly was the fire. Againand again they charged, only to repeat their failure, and it was not untilafter three hours of energetic but futile effort that the attack was finallyabandoned. The Indians could not understand their ill success, but concluded thatthe white men had made some medicine guns which would fire allthe time. They were not far wrong. Among the supplies recentlyreceived by the garrison were some breech-loading rifle-muskets, combiningextremely long range and accuracy with the utmost rapidity in Indian loss was not far from three hundred. Powell had one officerand two privates killed, and two privates wounded. After waiting a year for the Govern
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade191, booksubjectindiansofnorthamerica
