Indians a chance to surrender, Bellefontaine ordered his troops to open fire.
The Indians, believing that they were at peace with the white man, watched in surprise as rifle and pistol balls flew through their village. Many of the hapless Indians had gathered under the American flag fluttering above High Hawk’s tipi, thinking this would afford them protection. High Hawk drew down the Stars and Stripes and then, wrapping himself in it, raised a white surrender flag on the same pole. Some of the militiamen, seeing the white flag raised, ceased firing, but Bellefontaine ordered them to ignore the surrender flag.
The militiamen used every weapon at their disposal as they continued to slaughter the unfortunate villagers— rifles, pistols and even sabers which they employed with devastating efficiency against the women and children. The Indians ran in horror, but there was no place to hide. The soldiers herded the women and children into groups and murdered them in cold blood.
In one instance a six-year-old girl clutching a white flag was brought down in a hail of bullets—dead before she hit the ground. Babies’ brains were dashed out against trees. The Bellefontaine men then performed outrageous depravities to the corpses. Bodies were scalped and ripped open with knives. The final grisly toll was 118 women and children, and forty-six warriors, including Chief High Hawk.
Buffalo Bill and Falcon MacCallister are filing a formal complaint with the United States Marshal’s office, as well as the United States Army, charging Pierre Bellefontaine and those who accompanied him with murder. And knowing those two stalwart gentlemen as I do, the readers of this newspaper may rest assured that Bellefontaine and his minions will be brought to justice.
In the same issue there was another story, telling of the real heroes of the recent Indian engagements.
While the white man must face the disgrace of the shameful massacre of High Hawk and the innocent and peaceful residents of the Crow Village, we can celebrate the victory of elements of the Ninth Cavalry. But six days previous, Major Benteen dispatched two platoons of his battalion on a reconnaissance in force, one platoon proceeding northeast along the Stinking Water River in the direction of the Big Horn River, and the other proceeding northeast along the Graybull River with the same objective.
The northern platoon was under the command of Sergeant Major Moses Coletrain, he, as are all the brave soldiers of the Ninth, being a Negro. On the second day of their deployment, Sergeant Major Coletrain, with Falcon MacCallister acting as a scout, encountered a large body of Indians. It was suspected that the Indians were renegades led by Mean to His Horses. When the leader of the Indians came under closer observation, the hideous paint of his face, one side red and the other white, bore out the suspicion.
A charge was made by the mounted Indians, but it was most nobly and bravely repulsed. Many of the attacking Indians were killed, falling from their horses, some less than one rod from the defenders. But the soldiers also suffered killed and wounded.
A second charge was made by the Indians, but once more they were prevented from taking their objective. During the darkness, there was a cessation of hostilities, and Sergeant Major Coletrain thought to use the cover of night to dispatch two couriers, but they were discovered by the heathens and forced to turn back.
Although they were completely surrounded, outnumbered, and more than 30 miles from any hope of aid, the brave soldiers did not despair. During the night they much improved their breastworks. So efficiently did they do so that yet another attack by the Indians the next day was, as had been the previous attempts, turned back, this time without a single loss of life to the men of the Ninth.
Then the Indians tried a new tactic. They presented for the defending soldiers to see another soldier, not colored as were they, but a white man previously captured by them. This was Sergeant Lucas Depro. A threat was made to kill Depro if Sergeant Major Coletrain did not surrender his men, but Falcon MacCallister and Sergeant Major Coletrain foiled Mean to His Horses’ plan with their excellent marksmanship. With unerring aim, Coletrain and MacCallister killed the two Indians in whose grasp Depro found himself. Then, following quickly with a second shot from his repeating rifle, MacCallister killed Mean to His Horses. A volley from the other defenders killed more Indians and the remaining savages lost all desire to continue the attack.
Subsequent to Lucas Depro’s rescue, it was discovered that he has been facilitating the renegade depredations by supplying them with guns and ammunition. Major Benteen issued an order for Depro’s arrest, but the villainous sergeant has disappeared.
The celebration plans have been changed. While it would be unseemly to hold a dance for colored soldiers, there being no colored women in town, Mayor Cravens and the DeMaris Civic Association have agreed to hold a parade and picnic in their honor.
The order of the parade is thus: Mrs. Foley’s Grammar School students, DeMaris High School Cadets, the DeMaris Volunteer Fire Brigade Pumper, the Fire Brigade Band, followed by Major Benteen and the mounted troopers of the Ninth Cavalry.
After the parade, there will be food tables featuring fried chicken, baked ham, potato salad, cookies, pies and cakes, all furnished by the ladies of the town. In addition there will be ice cream, provided by the DeMaris Civic Union. Mayor Joe Cravens will give a speech.
Although Madame Mouchette advertised her establishment as a place where gentlemen could “engage in stimulating conversation with well-mannered and attractive young ladies,” it was a whorehouse, pure and simple, and everyone in town knew it.
At the moment Sam Davis and Sergeant Lucas Depro were in the lobby of the house, waiting for Lee Regret, who was upstairs with one of the “well-mannered and attractive” young ladies. Both Davis and Depro had already had their “stimulating conversations,” and were reading the latest copy of the DeMaris Springs newspaper.
“Hey,” Davis said. “Depro, have you read this? They’re sayin’ what happened out at the village was a massacre of Injuns. Bellefontaine ain’t goin’ to like this. He ain’t goin’ to like it that they’re callin’ it a massacre.”
“Well, that’s what you done, ain’t it?” Depro asked.
“Maybe so, but there ain’t no call to put somethin’ like that in the newspaper. It’s Cody and MacCallister that’s causin’ all the trouble. What’s a minion?”
“What?”
“It says here that Cody and MacCallister are goin’ to see to it that Bellefontaine and his minions will be brought to justice. What’s a minion?”
“I don’t know,” Depro said.
“I don’t know either, but whatever it is, it probably ain’t good.” Davis said.
