Sir,

I respectfully state the facts of fght with Indians on the 21st.

On the morning of the 21st at about 11 o'clock .!. my picket on "ilot hill
reported the wood train threatened by Indians on Sulli#ant $ills.
%ieutenant &olonel 'etterman claimed, by rank, to go out. I ac(uiesced , gi#ing
him the men of his own company, that were for duty, and a portion of )&)
company, 2nd *attn. 1+th ,.S. Infantry.
%ieutenant -... -rummond, re(uested to take out the ca#alry. $e did so.
!y instructions were e/plicit. )Support the wood train, relie#e it and report to
me. 0o not engage or pursue Indians at its e/pense. ,nder no circumstances
pursue o#er %odge 1rail 2idge.)
*efore the command left, I instructed %ieutenant .$. .ands, 2egimental 3uarter
!aster, to repeat these orders. $e did so. 'earing still that the spirit of ambition
might o#erride prudence, I crossed the parade and from a sentry platform, halted
the ca#alry and again repeated my precise orders.
In half an hour the picket reported that the wood train had broken corral and
mo#ed on to the "inery.
t 12 o'clock fring was heard towards "eno &reek, beyond %odge 1rail 2idge.
&aptain 1en 4yck was immediately dispatched with infantry and the remaining
ca#alry and ordered to 5oin &olonel 'etterman. 1he men mo#ed promptly and on
the run, but within little more than half an hour from the frst shot, and 5ust as
the supporting party reached the hill o#erlooking the scene of action, all fring
ceased.
&aptain 1en 4yck sent a courier back with the report that he could see and hear
nothing of 'etterman, but that a body of Indians, on the road below him, were
challenging him to come down, while larger bodies were in all the #alleys for
se#eral miles around.
!o#ing cautiously forward he retrie#ed from the spot where the enemy had been
nearest, forty nine bodies, including those of *re#et %ieutenant &olonel
'etterman and &aptain '.$. *rown. &aptain 1en 4yck fell back slowly, reaching
the fort without loss.
1he following morning, I took eighty men and went to the scene of action.1he
road on the little ridge where the fnal stand took place was strewn with arrow
heads, scalps, poles and broken shafts of spears. 1he arrows that were spent
harmlessly from all directions showed that the command was suddenly
o#erwhelmed surrounded and cut o6. 7ot o8cer or man sur#i#ed.
'etterman and *rown had each a re#ol#er shot in the left temple. s *rown
always declared he would reser#e a shot for himself as a last resort, so I am
con#inced that these two bra#e men fell, each by the other's hand, rather than
undergo the slow torture in9icted upon others. %ieutenant -rummond's body was
on the road between the two e/tremes, with a few others.
"ools of blood on the road and sloping sides of the narrow di#ide showed where
Indians bled fatally, but their bodies were carried o6
t the northwest or further point, and apparently where the command frst fell
back from the #alley, reali:ing their danger, I found citi:en ;ames S. .heatly and
Isaac 'isher, each ha#ing one hundred and f#e arrows in their naked body. 1he
widow and family of .heatly are here. 1he cartridge shells about him, told how
well they fought.
*efore closing this report, I wish to say that e#ery man, o8cer, soldier, or citi:en,
recei#ed burial with such record as to identify each. 'etterman, *rown and
-rummond lie in one gra#e. 1he remainder also share one tomb, buried, as they
fought, together, but the cases in which they were laid, are clearly placed and
numbered.
I was asked to )send all the bad news). I do it as far as I can. I gi#e some of the
facts as to my men whose bodies I found < =
!utilations
4yes torn out and laid on the rocks.
7oses cut o6.
4ars cut o6.
&hins hewn o6.
1eeth chopped out.
;oints of fngers. >sic?
*rains taken out and placed on rocks with other members of the body.
4ntrails taken out and e/posed.
$ands cut o6.
'eet cut o6.
rms taken out from socket.
"ri#ate parts se#ered and indecently placed on the person.
4yes, ears, mouth, and arms penetrated with spear heads, sticks and arrows.
2ibs slashed to separation with knifes.
Sculls >sic? se#ered in e#ery form from chin to crown.
!uscles of cal#es, thighs, stomach, breast, back, arms and cheek, taken out.
"unctures upon e#ery sensiti#e part of the body, e#en to the soles of the feet
and palms of the hand.
ll this only appro/imates to the whole truth. 1he great real fact is that these
Indians take ali#e when possible and slowly torture.
@our Obedient Ser#ant=$enry *. &arrington =&ol. 1+th Infantry