INTRODUCTION. xxix 



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Indian ponies, and the whole of the winter supplies of 

 the Indians. The victory, however, was not purchased 

 without its sacrifices : amongst the killed being Major 

 Elliott, Captain Hamilton, and 19 enlisted men ; of the 

 wounded were Major Barnitz and 13 enlisted men. 



Major Elliott and the men under his command, in a 

 charge against the Indians, became separated from the 

 other troops, were surrounded by an overwhelming force 

 of Indians, and cut off to a man. When their bodies 

 were discovered, a few days- after the battle, it was found 

 that they had been horribly mutilated. 



The decisive character of the victory, and the severe 

 blow sustained by the Cheyennes, may be judged from 

 the number of 'big' chiefs, war chieft, and head men 

 killed in the battle of the Washita. It was learned from 

 the squaws, by means of Mr. Curtis, the interpreter, that 

 the following were killed : 



Cheyennes ' Black Kettle,' chief of the band ; ' Little 

 Bock,' second chief; 'Buffalo Tongue, 'Tall White Man,' 

 ' Tall Owl/ ' Poor Black Elk', ' Big Horse/ ' White Beaver/ 

 ' Bear Tail/ ; Running Water/ ' Wolf Ear/ < The Man that 

 hears the Wolf/ ' Medicine Walker.' 



Sioux' Heap Timber/ and < Tall Hat.' 

 Arrapahoes ' Lame Man.' 



On Christmas Day a detachment of troops under 

 Colonel Evans captured a Comanche village of sixty 

 lodges, who surrendered after only a feeble resistance. 

 In the meantime other troops had succeeded in capturing 

 Satanta and ' Lone Wolf/ and on January 1 General 

 Sheridan, in his despatch to General Sherman, was 

 enabled to report as follows : 



' The destruction of the Comanche village by Colonel 

 Evans's command on Christmas Day gave the final blow 

 to the backbone of the Indian rebellion. At midnight on 

 December 31, 1868, a delegation of the chief fighting 



