The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-09-17
Gen. Crook In Business,
A LIVELY BRUSH WITH A SMALL
BAND OF aGooD INDIANS
Prospects Good for a Lively FAN Cam
paign-

ing news:
Since General Crooks column turned
south toward the Black Hills, on the
9TH instant, there has been considerable
hardship through wet weather and
living on bacon and hard-bread, and a
good deal of grumbling. On the 7th it
was decided to send a portion of the
pack-train ahead >znder the escort of
Col. Mills, wifi fifteen men on the best
horses of each company of the Third
Cavalry, making $50 in all. Lieuten-
ants Luettwitz, Sehwatka and Craw-
ford composed the subordinate officers,
with Lieutenant Ruble, Fourth Infap-
try, chief commissary; Tom Moore,
chief packer, and Frank Gruard, Crooks
chief scout. The latter was to serve
both as guide and scout, and on Friday
evening he discovered through the rain
and fog. without being himself discov-
cred, a hostile Sioux village, consisting
of forty-one large lodges and a band of
several hundred ponies and a few Amer
lean horses. Mills concluded to attempt
the attack with his $50 men without
waiting to send word to Crook for re-
Inducements. He fell back a few miles,
hid his command in a ravine, and at 2
O'Clock this morning marched for the
village, which was situated on a little
creek, a tributary Of Grand or Owl
creek.
He formed ON the north side before
daylight, and ordered Lieut.. Schwatka,
company NJ, to charge through the vii
lage, while the rest of the force, dis
mounted, were to form a skirmish line
on either side and pick off the Indians
as they came out. The latter were COM
pletely surprised and scattered out pell-
nell, half-naked, returning the fire to
some extent. Their ponies were effectu-
ally stampeded, but owing. to Mills
small force, he only succeeded in secur-
ing the lodges and property therein, and
about n hundred and forty ponies.
There was an immense quantity of dried
meat, berries, etc., all that Crooks
whole pack train could carry, and suf-
ficient to postpone the proposed pur-
chase of supplies. There were wagon
loads of robes and savage spoilnf all
kinds, the guidon of the Seventh Cav.
airy, which Custer used in the Little
Horn massacre, and various articles of
wearing apparel worn on that occasion
were also captured. A quantity of corn,
which was stored at the mouth Of Pow
der river as late as August 9Th, where
Terry was fired on, is among the spoils.
The whole march and showing since
Terry and Crook met goes to confirm
the soundness of the latter's views of
the enemy's probable destination and
whereabouts since leaving their camp
on the Little Horn.
Lieutenant Won Sutorius, of Com
pany C, wa seriously wounded in
the knee; Privates Medbron and
Charles Foster, of Company B, Augls
tus Dorm, of Company D, and Sergt.
Glass, of Company E, were wounded
and Private Wenzel of Company A
was killed in the action of the morning.
About seven O'Clock word had reach
ed Crook, 10 miles back, with the main
column. He came forward with a Sc
lection from the cavalry, reaching Mills
at II O'Clock. The latter had kept up a
good picket fight during the forenoon.
Crook was very much disappointed be-
cause Mills did not report the discovery
last night, as there was plenty of time
to have got up the entire cofmrnaad and
so ef~fectually surrounded the village
that nothing could have escaped, but
the General is also pleased toe, all things
considered. About one hundred yards
from the village, is a little ravine in
which a band of seven warriors and
fifteen women and children were safely
lodged in cavernous rocks. 1t was in
trying to dislodge them that Mills lost
his killed and most of his wounded.
Gen. Crook desired to save the women
and children, and by means Of Gruard's
Interpretation a parley ensued. Three
warriors came out, one chief named
American Horse, being mortally woun-
ded. Before this parley was effected,
however, Frank White, a citizen, was
shot through the heart and privates
Kennedy and McKeenan of Company
G, 9th Cavalry, were wounded.
About 20 minutes past 4 O'Clock Sat-
urday afternoon a sudden picket firing
sprang up, beginning on Col. Mason's
front, resulting in the wounding of
Sergt.. Schrider, Of Company K, and
private Dorm, of Company F., 9Th Cav
airy. 1t proved to be the re-
suit of reinforcements received from
Crazy Horses band, and there was a
running attack all around the circle,
but the troops were quickly thrown out
and the enemy driven off in everydirec-
tion. The latter got about a dozen
horses which were too poor to get into
camp, back a mile on the line of march.
The village was thoroughly ransacked
and the spoils divided around. Col.