The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1863-10-10

II
r I will give you some items concerning
our march up tho river, and an account
Of the battle of White Stone Hill. s'~.s J.
We left Fl. Pierre Aug, 1s, with a force
!; consisting 5 .5fs of the I'd Nebraska Cav, 9Th
Iowa Cav, Co I, 7th Iowa Cav, Sioux
City co.l and the Prairie Battery Of four
Mountain Howitzers 1t was splendid
sight to see the whole Brigade moving
over the Prairie, the 9th Cav on the right
and the Cd Nebraska on the left, with a
train of one hundred and sixty wagons in
the centre, IN two columns, . and the
Sioux City Compsng and Battery in the
centre Of the wagons; making five dis
tinct roads. We were three days going
to the Little Shayenne, where we were
compelled to lay four days waiting for
the boat, to bring US supplies. 1t was
found to be impossible for the boat to get
further up the river, so we loaded the
wagons, left everything but what we
were. compelled to have, and on the
morning Of the Goth Aug. saddled up and
were about ready to move when it began
to rain and finally turned into one of the
hardest hail storms ever saw or heard
Of; over fifty horses were driven across
the Missouri river. The bed of the Sha-
yenne was perfectly dry when the storm
commenced, and great many had taken
shelter doTr>in it; all at once the stream
began to rise, and in less than ten min
utes the water came down in perfect tor
rents: great many were compelled to
leave their arms in order to save them
selves and left their horses TO get out the
best they could Two wagons loaded
with hard 7ark were roughly handled by
the drift wood--uou BET The storm final
lv abated, but the stream @ntinued to
rige--the whole Shayenne bottom was
covered with water. was separated from
my Company by the Shayenne, but could
see the 9Th Reg. on the hill side, making
| Camp. They had ali the greeb SO you see
+ it was necessary for US to get to them, or
else go hungry. When we saw the smoke
of the cook-fres water coald not stop US,
and about fifty men, led by Major Ten
Broeck started for the "Missonria" and
in we went, ferded it twice, up to our
horses backs, and finally got on the 9th
er side Of the stream. have frequently
heard Of dry times but this was a oet one.
Bv morning the water had fallen 50
as to enable US to cross, and about noon
| the column was again on the move
Nothing Of Importance occurred for the
newt four or fve days; we had, by this
time, got into Buffalo country, where
VIC had fne times hunting. The day af-
ftcr teavine Blue Blanket Greek, Buffalo
were killed all along the column and left
on the ground for want Of tran sportationi
every one was anxious to kill buffalo,
! 90 much so thatwe had 10 put stop to
| It,. Four or FIVE days more brought US
near the Painted woods, and near where
General Sihlev had been. Two Compa-
nies were sent ott TO find, if possible, his
trail; they found on Apple River where
he had fortified, and, as we suppose, had
fough4 the Indians We had taken an
Indian Prisoner who said that Gen. Sib-
lev had been there and fought three bat
ties with the Indians and whipped them
and started home; this proved that he
hsd been there, so it was thought unnec-
essary for us to go further in that direc-
ton, we consequently started IN an
Eesterly direction, and came into
the vicinity of the great Salty Lakes
we fo7nd several dead Indians on the
nrairie during the day. We kept this
direction for two and half days, when
the column began to move South. We
travelled South for three days. and shad
inst made camp on small salty Lake
on the Sd day of Sept, and had just com
meneed eating supper, when Frank La
Fromboise came running into camp and
,anerted Ahree hundred Lodges about ten
miles snuth Of us, and that the Sd battal-
hon> which was out scouting had Surroun-
ded them. " To horse" was sounded and
in less then fifteen minutes the whole col
nnnn was on the way fer the Indian
camp, notwithstanding the horses had
all been picketed to Craze. We arrived
at the camp about two hours before dark
The Indians were driven over into hot-
low and surrounded by the I'd Neoraska "a
on ono side and the 9th Iowa on the
other. Firing had not yet commenced
hut soon a rolleF was heard from the Ne