WITNESS KILLING OF YELLOW HAND BY BUFFALO BILL

Comrade James B. Frew, late Troop D, 5^th U.S. Cavalry, sends us a photostatic copy of a page of a diary which he kept day by day while serving in the Army.

Under date of July 17, 1876 the copy of his diary states, "Indians reported by the pickets. Command ordered to secrete in the ravines, but two couriers arriving from agency being in danger Cody fired on them, killing the chief, Yellow Hand. The rest (Indians) tried to rescue him but we charged, killing six. Followed them into the agency 40 miles."

The entries preceding this one and Mr. Frew's explanation of the affair reveal that his detachment which had been stationed at old Fort Laramie in Wyoming, had been sent out on a scouting expedition. When the Indians were reported, he said, the order to conceal themselves was given the soldiers with an idea of taking the Indians by surprise. However when the couriers arrived and were pursued by Yellow Hand and his band, original plans were revised.

Mr. Frew said that Yellow Hand streaked out ahead of his band, and Buffalo Bill, then chief of scouts for General Crook who was riding ahead of the troops, spurred forward to meet him. As soon as Buffalo Bill was within range he fired at the red-skinned chief. The first shot, he said, wounded the Indian in one leg, but it killed his horse. As Yellow Hand extricated himself Colonel Cody fired again, the bullet striking Yellow Hand in the body and dropping him.

Mr. Frew said he was riding not more than 50 feet behind Buffalo Bill when Yellow Hand fell. He said it was possible that Colonel Cody might have dismounted long enough to plunge a knife into the Indian to make certain of killing him, but he is certain that if anything as spectacular as the reported knife duel had occurred he would have seen it and would have noted it in his diary.