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- Feb 5, 2017
The Astonishing Life of an Italian American Civil War Soldier
Lt. Charles DeRudio inched along on his belly through dense underbrush to the bottom of a dry creek bed, concealing himself to avoid capture and certain death. Pistol shots rang out nearby, followe…
emergingcivilwar.com
Lt. Charles DeRudio US 7th Cavalry Lt. Charles DeRudio inched along on his belly through dense underbrush to the bottom of a dry creek bed, concealing himself to avoid capture and certain death. Pistol shots rang out nearby, followed by female voices. DeRudio raised his head gingerly and observed two Lakota women scalping a dying US soldier while two others danced around the mutilated body. Then a crackling noise broke the spell. The lieutenant realized that the Lakota had set fire to the grasses, hoping to flush more blue clad enemies out of their hiding places. DeRudio crawled back up the bank and heard a friendly voice call out to him. Three of his comrades and their two horses had also taken refuge in the creek bottom. They elected to wait six hours for darkness in order to cover their escape. |