CHARLES L. YOUNGBLOOD. I39 



led and fattened the Indians for fighing, and 

 kept soldiers to kill them when they were 

 fattened, they might go ahead and do it. But 

 while I did not take an active part in the hos- 

 tilities, my occupation brought me in frequent 

 collision with the redskins, but all the fighting 

 I did was merely a pure matter of self defense, 

 and I made it a point not to get into any un- 

 necessary conflict with them. 



One evening, a few days after the fight mi 

 White Woman's Creek, I saw a bunch of 

 something in a side draw of the creek, and 

 supposed it to be buffalo, but it was so smoky 

 that I could not distinguish what it was, and 

 went nearer. We were then within about a 

 half mile of them, and, on going closer, I 

 brought my field glass to bear on them and 

 found they were Indians. They were lying on 

 the ground holding their horses, which I re- 

 garded as rather suspicious, and was afraid 

 that they had scouts stationed between me 

 and them. I had with me at that time a man 

 by the name of Brank Howard, and I told 

 him that we would withdraw a few hundred 



