Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-09-21
THE INDIAN CAMPAIGN.
A Newspaper Correspondent Who Does
Not Admire Gen. Crooks style Oh Ah-
dian Fighting.
IFrom the Chicago Tibune.

dian Fighting.
1From the Chicago Tibune.]
BISMARCK, D. T., Sep. 4.-On the
3Oth of August the steamer Benton, on
her way up the Yellowstone with Gov
eminent supplies, burs her larboard
cylinder, and had to tie rp at a point be-
tween Coulson Rapids and Glendive
Creek. To repair tie broken ma
chinery, Capt. McGarrr sent his Clerk,
Mr.. John Barr, and a crw of eight men,
in the metallic life-bat, to Bismarck,
which gave me the log-looked-for OPP
portunity of escaping rom the dull life
of the army sent out tt make war upon
Sitting-Bull. Mr.. arr ran the yawl
day and night, and he is entitled to
great praise, for very few steamboat
men would undertaketo navigate either
river down stream ola night.
On the night of the 25th, Gen. Terry
received q dispatchfOm Gen. Sheridan,
which at once altered all his plans for
continuing the campaign. The dispatch
ordered a cantonmelt of the Fifth and
Twenty-second Infantry and Fifth Cav
airy to be made at he junction of the
Tongue with the YELLOWSTONE River, to
send the first battalion of the Second
Cavalry and the S0enth Infantry, I'M
der Gen. Gibbon, to Forts Ellis and
Baker. in Montana and to
CEASE ALL OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS
on or before October 10. To make the
cantonment, it was absolutely necessary
that Gen. Terry snould at one forward
up the YellOwtonce the immense
supplies which would be required to
subsist the threeregiments till naviga-
ton was resumed in the spring. The
steamers Far Wtst, Josephine, Carroll,
Silver Lake, Belton, Durfee, and j. M.
Chambers were at once put into COM
mission to transport the supplies and,
as there was nc telling when a band of
hostile Sioux would put in an appear
ance on the Yellowstone, each boat had
to be provided with a heavy guard.
Between GleIdive and Tongue River
there were also two or three portages
to be made, requiring additional heavy
guards. So the execution of Gen.
Sherjdan's oder would leave Gen. Ter
ry without L corporal's guard for Of
fensive opertiOns.
Gen. Crook, having accomplished his
strategic movement, of marching-up the
hill, then down again, on the 31st start
ed back fo. Nebraska, via the Little
Missouri route.
1t is, perhaps, too early, and not even
the duty of this correspondent, to sum-
Marie the results of the late campaign
against the Indians. 1t will undoubtedly
be made the subject of a Military Com
mission appointed by Gen. Sherman,
or of one of the Congressional Military
Committees. That there has been
SAL NUMBERING SOMEWHERE
is now generally conceded by intelligent
officers at the front. Some of these
have gone so far as to say that, should
the higher authorities fail to investigate
the conduct of the war, they themselves
would demand a Court of Inquiry.
l will, however, venture this asser-
ton: That Gen. Terry never knew
where Sitting-Bull Vas after the Goth
of June; and this other assertion: that
Gen. Crook did know where Sitting
Bull was as late as Aug. 5, when he
broke camp on Goose Greek. From a
careful study of the Indian situation,
Gen. Crook knew that where the 18th
parallel crossed the 10th longitudinal
line, and Whereabouts, was a vast scope
of country which for 20 years has been
neutral ground for plains lndiars,ea
district - miles broad and 200 long,
Astounding in game, amply supplied
with grass and water, and sheltered
from storms. 1t has been neutral
ground for Cheyennes and Arapahoes,
the south; Bannocks and ~Shoshones,
on the west; Crows, Asiniboines and
Blackfeet OF the north; Ogallalas and
other Sioux on the east. 1t has been
neutral ground to this extent: that no
small hunting party dared to occupy it
for any length of time. Gen. Crook
knew Cor else a good many of his Off
GERS lied to your correspondent that
Sitting-BulI and his allies fell back
AFTER THE CUSTER FIGHT,
and occupied that district. 1t is shown
on the maps as the headwaters of the
Big Horn River and its tributaries. In
this secluded region, with game in
and grass for his immense
herd of ponies, with every stream full
of trout and other fish, and with a eli
mate as mild and equable as the valley
of the Sacramento, Sitting-Bull has
been quietly occupying himself in re-
covering his warriors from the wounds
incident to his two great battles, and
in planning for fresh victories.
But, if S%itting-Bull was there when
left, on Aug. 3, and has never
moved from there, say you, how do
you explain the heavy trail which
Crook followed from the Big Horn
down the Rosebud, and
which Terry and he followed across
he Tongue and Powder River regions?
THIS. Is THE EXPLANATION:
When Gen, Terry first moved up the
Yellowstone, he made a supply depot at
he mouth OF the Powder River. After
he reverse of June %, he only fell back
% the Rosebud, leaving 800, 900 pounds
IF oats and 100000 pounds of corn at
oowder River. We will give Sitting
Bull credit for ordinary sagacity, and
that he never lost sight of Terry's
army; and that, when Terry made a