New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-09
THE YELLOWSTONE WAR.
BATTLE OF THE BIG HORN.

OF THE INDANs-UNsUcCEssFUL ATTEMPTS 1p
CROSS THE YEILowsToNE-TIIE INDIAN ATTACH
-CUsrER'S ORDERLY KuLED-TIiE SIOUX SWIM
THE RIVER AND ARE ROUTED By THE CAVALRY.
IRON THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIBUNE.i
CAMP NEAR MUssEL SHELL RIVER, Montana, AUg.
19-For three days after the fight at Tongue River,
Gen. Custer with two squadroDs OF cavalry went on
each morning in advance of the tram for the doubo
object of finding road and looking for the indians.
Ii was not deemed best TO bury DIR. HOnsnger and
Mr. Baliran in the camp where the fight occurred.
The Indians have wonderful skill in finding p new
grave Once found. no scruple forbids them t des-
ecrate the grave and mutiIate the dead The bodies
were therefore taken on Is miles further TO the camp
of the next day. and buried at evening in the cent'r
of a square formed by four cottonwood trees. The
horses were picketed over them at night, and the
ground so well rampled that in the morning 10 trace
Of fresh excavation could be found. Two Henry
rifles and a pistol found on the plain by orr men
showed the nature of the arms and ammunition which
the Indians used, and also the haste with when
they had departed. The discovery Of these arms had
also further significance which was still more III
tensted by subseqont experience. Two OF three
Indians might incidentally come into possession X
Henry rifes through capture theft; but two az
three hundred could not be armed with these and
other rifles without the guilty connivanee OF some
fresh and well marked that we had no trouble ia
following it, The party that attacked Gen Custer
was entirely war party travelling in light marching
order There was no evidence that any Of their VII
lagos were near. Had we known one day after the
fight what we knew three days after, the cavalry
would Immediately have started in pursuit OF them
But on the heels of war party with fresh horses,
unincumbered by lodges or trayois, orr cavalry
would have stood but little chance Of making q sue,
cessful pursuit.
IN PURSUIT OF THE INDIANs.
Within two days after the fight two wounded
ponies were found on the line of march which hao
been abandoned by the Indians. One of our scouf.
also found an Indian saddle. On the morning of the
18th Dr. Honsnger's fine bay horse was found dead
ON the plain, his body half eaten by wolves. The
supposition that having been over pampered by his
former master he had taken sick and died from the
hard treatment received from the Indians sub
seduently confirmed. About noon Of the same day
Gen. Custer, who usual had gone on several
hours in advance of the train came upon the site OF
recent Indian village, which had evidently been
large one numbering, according to Bloody Knifes
estimate between 400 and 500 lodges 1t was directly
the trail OF the retreating war party Leading from
the village the trail three or four days old,
showing that the Indians had moved their families
either just before or Immediately after the fight
and numbers histories and prophecies, in the trayois
tracks the pony ot-prints, and the whole alpha
bet of Indian signs and evidences easily almost
as your readers will read this letter, that the
Indians had begun to move on the day of the fight,
warned by signal fires and beyond the battle
scene. The marks of such fires we had discovered
on the 9Th inst. IL was only when we got 10 this
village that we could understand their import.
The amount of abandoned property which we picked
up az their former camp showed that the Indiana
must have been more than usually precipItats
in their flight and that they had moved a. lightly
laden possible. Large numbers of long, heavy.
carefully finished lodge poles which must have oc-
casioned Madame Squaw many a reluctant sigh 10
leave behind found scattered over the ground.
IIatchets and !. large number of axes kept company
with these retired lodge poles. Several paddles
some moccasinS u quantity Of war paint. some In
dian trnkets aud paythings formed the larger part
of the rest of our spoil. A quantity Of coffee and
sugar winch some squaw in the hasty exodus hat
overlooked was left to the action OK the clements
The cottonwood trees had been well barked bS
Indian ponies, aud the grass nibbled very short
showing that Indian brethren had made 4 con
siderable sojouTn at the camp which hao been ss
suddenly abandoned
The trail from the Indian village confirmed onl
estimate Of the numbers il had sheltered. The iar
down by hoof and travels. As many 20 disiinc
parallel ;rayos trails could be counted.
Az ABANDONED VILLAGE.
We made cur camp that night in the vicinity 81
this Indian village The next day, Gen. Caster col.
lowing this heavy trail, came upon second village
site from which the inhabitants had decampod as
hastily as those of village Number One. The two
parties had Joined forces and proceeded together 10
their flight In addition 10 the lo1ge poles and pad
dies there were here the framework OF a medicine
lodge and two three stone mOrtars and peslleS
The number of axes found was here increased "a
nearly 200. Why so many axes had been left be-
hind would have been problem if no such thing rs
an Indian agency existed. Tho Indian thIows
away what can be most easily replaced. IL viii
only be necessary TO put on a meek face and go fo
the nearest agency to supply the loss which the
rapid advance of the United States army had occI
stoned.
The discovery of these village sites created ma-
teria change in our plans. There is only one way in
which a hostile Indian tribe can b. thoroughly
crippled and inundated, aud that is by attacking
aud destroying one of their villages Severe as this
may SEEM it is the shortest and most mercifui way
in the end. On discovering the design of the Ind
ians which was evidently to get their villages in
safe position and then attack u.s. Con- Stanley deter
mined to make an effort to punish them for their
murder of Honsinger and Baliran and their uDpro-
vOked attack on Gen. Custer. Gen. Custer was con-
ident that. il he could oyertake the Indians. he
would make short work Of their village and repeat
the victory of Wsshita. Though the trail was two
or three days old there was a strong probability
that by rapid marches the Indians could be over
taken or at least could be sorely pressed To be
obliged to abandon most of their property. Gen.
Clusters report of the situation was embodied in