The New York herald., 1874-08-05
AN INDIAN SCOUT.
Twelve Days Hunt After the In
dtans Who Murdered the
Seminole Miners.
STRIKING THE TRAIL.
The Cavalry Without Food One Hundred
Miles from the Wagons.
RETURNING ON THE BACK TRAIL
The Indians Gone in the Direc-
ton Of the Black Hills.
E0Rr ERrn SrrrIr wv

ronI TIRED oTEELE, wy. l., july Jl le1R
nave just returned rom twelve days scout
IN the country north OF this post after a band OF
maraudng Indians that visited this vicinity about
fortnight ago. We have had rather hard time
OF II. and after following the trail about $50 miles
north OF the railroad, had to give up the chase,
provisions were at a low ebb, and some Of the men
had not tasted Iood for twentyfour hours. On Sat
urday, July Is, arrived at Cheyenne and talking
win Gener al Reynolds, who Is IN command at
Fort d. R. RUSSELL learned that troop Of cavalry
were 10 leave has post that evening" en- roule ior
Fort Steele, where some Indian hunting was 10
be done. Tue despatch said that a party OF In
dians mad corraed some miners in the Seminole
Mountalns-a range about thirty-lve miles north
OF the railrosd-and that some stock grazing
within mie OF Fort Steele had been driven OF
by the daring redskins. Thinking that the excur-
sion might prove interesting, after receiving per-
mission to Join the command, drove
out to Fort d. r. Russell. and was in
troduced TO Captain Vessels, the of1cer VINO was
to have command Of the party. He was then busy
getting his troop Ia readiness lor the field, and
tod me to meet him at the depot at about eight
p. NJ, as their train would back up there to take
on caboose. Returning to Ctesenne met Mr..
Valentine Bromley, an English artist, VINO was
making sketcning tour through the country, on
his way 10 Fort Laramie. When the train arrived
Mr.. Bromley, thinking there would be good op-
portunlty Tor seeing the Indian az raturel, OBJ
tanned permission from Captain VESSELS TO ac-
company the command and In lew minutes we
we're all seated IN the caboO5e, rafting over the
rails in the direction OF Fort Steele. The rair cad
officials did not appear to display any extra
despatch IN forwarding the troops tlat were being
sent to protect settlers their line as IL took
FIFTEEN HOURS TO TRAVEL TWO HUNDRED NILES,
and the men and horses were not on the cars at
Fort steele until nearly one P. NJ. As caterer Of
the mess Was occupied at Fort Steele laying in
the necessary stores which were to be consumed BY
Captain Vessels, Bony Ernest, the guide our art st
and the special. Shortly before four p M. the three
wagons, laden with ten days. ratiOns Tor the men
and grain iOr the horses, each drawn by slx-mue
team followed the command slowly out OF camp.
he party consisted OF the Captain, guide artist.
special, lorty-elght men and three teamsters. Our
road led for about fifteen miles over fiat prairie,
about 100 yards to the southward OF the railroad,
and finally crossed the line and headed to the
north, within 300 yards OF Rawlins a small town
ship OF $50 population that has been settled since
the road was built. Leaving the command IN
charge of the first sergeant, the Captain, guide,
artist and special galoped ahead into the town
ship and paid a visit to the principal saloon IN
order to OBTAIN some Information about
THE MOVEMENTS OF TIE INDIANS
We founu quite lively party for a sunday even
Ing gathering. who, filed with the best liquid
lightning, were breathing a wordy MT.
Lo Tney were all talking at once. and each CIV
Ing graphic description OF what ne personally
had done during gallOp they had taken after the
Indians. Every speaker appeared to have Killed
has man, and would announce the fact with
ferocious whoop, calculated to make o
peaceful man frOm the East tremble IN his
vuith
awe and admiration. The Captain, however, had
seen this kind of thing before, and getting Two or
three OF the best men one SIDE. learned that the
trail led away to the north, and they were OF the
impression that the Indians would be found in the
country between the Seminole Mountains and the
North Platte. They variously estimated the
strength OF the party from 100 TO 300 strong. One
young man, who was whOoping about every I'VE
minutes, stated that he had Killed one Indian and
knew exactly wnere TO find the band. The wno,e
party were evidently delighted at the arrival Of
the cavalry, and asked the captain II he would
have any objection to party OF about forty clti-
zens joining his command. The Captain had not
the slightest objection, and as got our horses
to return the train they said they would be with
us IN the morning. We caugat up with the troops
within half mile and went into camp at half. past
nine P. M. at Sulphur Springs, about two miles and
d
there were no fires lighted tents pitched, and
we lay down in the sage brus1 rolled up
in our blankets, with the moon. lit sky for
a shelter. At daylight all hands were
up and moving, and while the cooks prepared
breakfast, blankets were rolled up and packed
away IN the wagons. At breakfast we we're
joined by the Rawiins CONTINGENT, which, how.
ever, had reduced In ten hours from iOrtY TO one
solitary individual. He was
A STRANGE LOOKING PERSON
tall In stature, attlred In buckskin aEta00ns gray
SOuierS' OVercOat and brown
and was seated astrlde oI an o.d white proncuO
mare oi nearly as eccentric an appearance as her
owner. He was armed with carblne, lying
across the front OF mis- saddle, two mysterious
bottles peerlng out OF each saddle bag, another
from the bosom OF his gray nannel shirt. lie dig
mounted and. leaving tue old mare to browse
around, produced the bottle from out Of MS shirt
bosom and asked us to take drink. As 1t was
about three-quarters empty We declined and re-
turned the clyiIity by an nyitation TO breakfast,
which was promptly accepted, with the remark
that "he never missed a chance at q dri X or q
meal" Mr.. Scott, such was the name OF the con-
tingent, said he started rom Rawlins the evening
be ore, but as the night was dark, struck camp
about mile from town and 1nlsn ed
his journey in the ne, morning; gentle
saying he started from town so drunk that be lell
OF and lay on the prairie until daylight, wnen ne
The command moved OF shortly ater SIX A. NJ,
and, travelling in q northwest direction, passed
the ranch OF an old kentuckian, who was WORKING
vermilion paint mine, and then followed along q
ridge heading more TO the northward. After travel
ling about eight miles Scott saw Indians ridge
some three miles away, and the Captain started
after them with the guide and seventeen men. He
Joined the wagons about an bour afterwards fnd-
ing that Scott's Indians turned out 10 oe Dand of
about twenty elk Descending lrom the range, we
crossed drcary desolate alkal plain some fifteen
mtes in extent, and made a short hait Of twenty
minutes at Smiths Spring. We then started
across Sleeps Ri1Re, barren looking range Of
mountains covered with loose rocks and bouiders.
The road was very bad, and one OF the wagons
containing baggage, mess kit &c. capsized, and
We we're delayed over an hour repairing damage
and reoading. Alter descending the other side OF
the range we crossed couple OF nice little creeks
with good water, and finally camped in
RED CLOUD GULCH,
where we found grass and water. Just before we
arrived in camp we passed Though small gulch,
where Mr.. Hunt, settler at the Seminole nfnes,
had built comfortable wckysp and sown some
gram and potatoes. These had been entirely de-
stroyed by the Indians. We camped about six p.
NJ, and, as we had travelled thlrty miles, were
soon stretched out In our blankets. IL began to
rain pretty heavily about eleven p. NJ, 30 tnat we
had to rouse some OF the men TO pitch tent.
under whose covering We found shelter. Next
in