it did in the Mexican war) on duty in the
Indian country, on account of a great excitement which prevailed among
the Indians. The officers of the battery were Major Sherman, First
Lieutenant Ayer, and Second Lieutenant Du Barry. Its force of men was
about sixty, including noncommissioned officers. I think it had four
guns, but of this I am not certain.

One day, after skirmishing about over considerable country, we made a
camp on the Yellow Medicine river, near a fine spring, and everything
seemed comfortable. The formation of the camp was a square, with the
guns and tents inside, and a sort of a picket line on all sides about a
hundred yards from the center, on which the sentinels marched day and
night. I tented with the major, and seeing that the Indians were allowed
to come inside of the picket lines with their guns in their hands, I
took the liberty of saying to him that I did not consider such a policy
safe, because the Indians could, at a concerted signal, each pick out
his man and shoot him down, and then where would the battery be? But the
major's answer was, "Oh, we must not show any timidity." So I said no
more, but it was just such misplaced confidence that afterwards cost
General Canby his life among the Modocs, when he was shot down by
Captain Jack. Things went on quietly, until one day a young soldier
went down to the spring with his bucket and dipper for water, and an
Indian who desired to make a name for himself among his fellows followed
him stealthily, and when he was in a stooping posture, filling his
bucket, came up behind him, and plunged a long knife into his neck,
intending, of course, to kill him; but as luck would have it, the knife
struck his collarbone and doubled up, so the Indian could not withdraw
it. The shock nearly prostrated the soldier, but he succeeded in
reaching camp. The major immediately demanded the surrender of the
guilty party, and he was given up by the Indians. I noticed one thing,
however; no more Indians were allowed inside the lines with their guns
in their hands.

When the prisoner was brought into camp a guard tent was established,
and he was confined in it, with ten men to stand guard over him. These
men were each armed with the minie rifle which was first introduced into
the army, and which was quite an effective weapon.

While all this was going on, we were holding pow-pows every day with the
Indians, endeavoring to straighten out and clear up all the vexed
questio