Meantime I was moving the volunteers down towards the lake to take the places in our front vacated by the relief column.  The battle now became desperate, the Indians concentrating all their forces against the column going round the lake.  In this situation the volunteers pressed forward and soon we could hear the women and children crying.  Applegate’s men were almost on top of them and were getting into camp.  We were within 50 yards of the scalp pole over Jack’s cave which was the center of the stronghold.  The volunteers were anxious to charge.  I went back to where Gen. Wheaton was standing and explaining the situation asked permission to charge with all the volunteers.  The fog had raised and Capt.  Adams of the signal staff was signaling to Bernard.  I told Gen. Wheaton if he would have Bernard cease firing I would charge and close the Indians out in twenty minutes, that our men were on top of them.

The General walked rapidly back and forth, snapping his fingers for a few moments, and then turning to me exclaimed:  “You can go, but not with my consent.  We have lost too many men already—­five times more than Jackson lost at New Orleans.  The country will not justify this sacrifice of human life.  You have taken these young men and boys off the farms and from stores, schools and shops and their lives are worth something to their families and to their country.  You can go but not with my consent.”  Then turning to Gen. Ross, who had scarcely spoken a word during the day, he said:  “General, what had we better, do?” “We had better get out of here, by God,” exclaimed the bluff old veteran.  “All right, Capt.  Adams, tell Bernard that as soon as the relief column reaches him to hold his position until dark and then withdraw,” exclaimed Wheaton in rapid succession.  Then turning to me he said:  “Colonel, we will have to depend on the volunteers to protect our wounded and mule train in getting out of this place.”  It was soon arranged that the men were to keep firing until dark and then begin the retreat.  Just after sundown Bernard signaled that the relief column had reached him, but there is not a question of doubt had not the volunteers pressed the Indians so hard at a critical time Fairchild’s, Mason’s and Perry’s command would have been annihilated.  Jud Small was badly wounded in the shoulder and afterwards told me that he was shot by an Indian not twenty feet away.  At one point the men lay in the water and rolled over and over with only their heads exposed.

Night finally closed in and with the gathering darkness the fog rolled in from the lake, increasing its intensity.  Kelley’s company was formed in the rear with Applegate’s company on the flank, and formed parallel with the lake, along the shores of which we were to make our way, with the wounded men on litters between.  Finally the word was passed along the lines to move forward.  The night had meanwhile settled down to one of Stygean blackness.  Objects a foot away were indistinguishable, and we had to