New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-08
THE YELLOWSTONE WAR.
BATTLE OF TONGUE RIVER.

AND FIFTY PAINTED wARRIoRs-THREE HOURS
FIGHTING AND A CAVALRY cHARGE-THE KILLED
AND WOUNDED.
IfR6E TnE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNEI
CAMP NEAR MUssELLsHELL RIVER. Montana, Aug
1e-No day since the expedition started opened more
mOnotOnOusy than the 5th of August. Our march
since we left the Yellowstone has been devoid OF
interest except that afforded by meeting the Jo-
Rephine. The country presented the same arld oar
ren features of the eastern side. only the oottom
land along the rver. with It's growth OF umpel anu
belt of grass. For scientists there was noIn'ng
To do but march with the soldiers 1or the solOlee'
nothing to do but march with the train and Tor the
train nothing to do but to move slowly through the
valley and climb the surly bluffs which interrupted
our line terrible heat had oppressed us for sew
eraI DAYS and taken the grip out of the men. The
Indians seemingly, had cOnspired to render the mo-
notony more oppressive. They had kept out of
sight and let us alone We were willing they
should Only dearly-bought experience can make
one realize that these men when they are not seen
are most to be dreaded. We knew that we were in
an Indian country We had seen their graves and
their camp sites, and few had been seen IN the
distance yet, having been ont As days from Fort
Rice without suffering single hostile act 1T was
hardly possible to get up any excitement on the In
dian question. consuming ennui seemed to settle
the expedition.
hot AND THIRSTY MARCH.
We left camp at the usual hours o'clock in the
morning. The GOODNESS of the early morning, which
had excited the hope of relief from the oppression
of the preceding DAYS soon disappeared, and the
sun rose without single vail of cloud. Ipitied the
poor men and the poorer mules, compelled to march
and pull through this wilderness of sage and cac-
tus As rode up to the head of the infantry line,
before crossing to join squadron of cavalry on the
flank. gathered something of the sentiment OF
the men concerning things in general and the eXpe-
dition in particular The army is a great school Tor
grumbers. There are more chronic gTumblers In the
army than anywhere else know of Grumbhng
seems to be one of the soldiers perqusites reckoned
in with his tobacco and his pay. If he succeeds
in making himself miserable in a vicarous ways he
creates good deal of fun at his own expense; for
there are always men enough who do not grumble TO
laugh at those who do The officers are frequently
rs bad as the men.
Good Lord said an infantry captain, in return
to good morning" from me, =" il this Is not the
est country that ever saw in my life. I'd have
resigned quick enough if had known what a mis-
cradle country was coming to-
Course the Jay Cookery that got up this expedi
tom said another Even the scientists had lost
hope and Omtting expletives mildly referred to
the wlted condition of things generally. This eX-
petition is getting somewhat mOnotOnous. There Is
nothing TO collect or see. 1t is too warm TO write,
read, OF think" This the state of opinion with
the thermometer at 1909 in the sum- and shade to
be had at any price, fall of 40 degrees would have
given quite a different aspect to the march, though
no condition of the thermometer could reconstruct
the topography of this country
As / galloped along | overlook Capt. Hale's de
fachment Of cavalry which was guarding the left
flank. i came up with the veterinary surgeon of
the cavalry, Mr. Honsinger, a tine-looking portly
man. about IS wears of age, dressed in blue coat aud
buckskin pantaloons, mounted on his fine FLOODED
horse lesurey trotting along on the cavalry trail
No man in the regiment took more care OF his horse
than he. 1t an iextra professional care-a love
of the horse for his own sake, without which no
man ought to be a cavalryman, much less q veteri-
nary surgeon. He had taken the horse at Yankton,
in the Spring, from one of the cavalry tToops-a
gaunt-looking steed then, but under his fostering
care he bad grown fat and sleek. Poor man he
was soon to make last long camp on the lonely
banks of the Yellowstone. Without dirge funeral
note he was sslOwly marching to his own grave.
When saw him again. few hours later, he was
CORPSE lie had died victim to his devotion to that
noble horse.
INDIAN FOOTPRINTS,
AS noon approached, the heat grew more and more
intense In addition TO the heated march, the bad
condition of the country compelled great deal
of work with pick and shovel Frequent detentions
at the streams and ravines we crossed added still
more to the ennui of the day. We had camped the
night before on creek tributary to the Yellowstone
We expected to make high detour to avoid the
bluffs running down to the river and afterward to
camp in the valley. Not anticipating long or I'M
usually hot march, the men had not provided them
selves with sufficient water. Being obliged TO keep
well away from the river, we found none on our
way. To the heat and fatigue of marching were
soon added the pangs of an intense thirst. The
men wilted the mules and horses dropped. The
men longed for camp and longed for water but both
were hours away.
While the infantry and the cavalry near the train
were longing for any deliverance from heat, thirst
and monOtony. Gen. Custer with squadron OF cav
airy several miles ahead, was having a warmer and
much more lively experience. With a squadron
numbering so men under Capt. Moylan, one troop of
which was commanded by his brother, Lieut..
Thomas Custer, and the other by Lieut.. Charles A.
Vamum, he had started in advance OF the train TO
find good road In addition to the officers named,
he was accompanied by Bloody Knife, the Indian
scout interpreter, and the regimental adjutant,
Lieut.. James Calhoun. When abOut two miles from
the camp of the preceding night they struck an In
dian trail. Indians had been lurking near the
camp several nights previous, but we had no inti-
NATION that they were near in any considerable
force. Gen. Stanley had carefully abstained from
taking the aggressive. The order was that the In
dians should not be molested unless they first mo-
Tested US Gen. Custer therefore proceeded on his
march without taking note Of the Indian trail,
cept to read the very legble caution which the pony
foot prints had left ia the sand He advanced with
his detachment about ten miles at fast walk. and
HAVING descended from the bluffs IN the valley he