The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-17
THE WAR WITH THE SIOUX.
THE NARROW ESCAPE OF PART
OF CROOKS COMMAND.

Prom the Ne,o FORK Herald.
GEN CROOKS MILITARY COLUMN
CLOUD PEAK CAMP. wy. T., July T.,

CROOKS Camp Reset by the Enemy.
Prom the yeu rort Herald
GEN. CROOKS MILITARY COLUMN
CLOUD PEAK CAMP, wy. T., July II,
Via FoRr FErrERMAS, July 10, 1870.
A accommodating party of thirty persons
under the command OF Second Lieut.. Frederick
w. Sibley, of the second Cavalry, was sent from
this camp on July 8. They were to observe the
movements and position Of the sioux and u
possible the whereabouts of Terry. On the eth
they returned on foot, after terrible retreat OF
two nights and Que day. They were surrounded
escaped mlraculously by the sacrifice OF all their
equipments excepting arms and ammunition,
including thirty-One picked saddle horses aud
two mules. But for the saeacity and caution Of
guides Gruard and Biptiste, and the judgment
and gallantry OF sioley, no one would have sur
vved.
The handful Of men left our camp In broad
Daylight, With strange absence Of precaution,
for which somebody superior to Sinley in rank
Is responsible. II being usual TO disguise such
movements under the sheiter OF darkness. They
marched all night Of the 9th. toward the sources
OF the Little ZIG Horn. On the 1tn, after slight
neal which afterward saved them from perish
ing, they pursued their coutse through some
foot hills verging toward the mountains Tho
conform alton of the cavalry was extremely ia
vorable to an anbuscade.
At about half past 1 a large body Of Sioux was
espied from the top OF the blum, III rching east
ward. They seemed to spread all over the plain,
and evidently were moving to attack the camp
on Goose creek Lieut.. Sibley's party remained
concealed and in horrible anxiety for an hour
watching their movements. soon tremendous
shout warned them that the trail they seemed
to he looking for was found. Quickly hundreds
H.
upon the chase at fun canter, utteriug those
terrible wolhsh cries peculiar TO the Sioux and
Cheyennes.
The scouting Marty mounted and galloped
toward the mountains, the Sioux yelling As they
caught glimpse Of them like hounds on the
scent. They seemed To be distanced In the race,
but had broken in o two bodies and we're max
Ing double circuit 10 gain the high points
which they knew the pursued must pass. The
scouting party climbed the outer ridge, and
were approaching shelter about noon. trotiing
quietly through a ravine, when suddenly "A vol
ley oil ufty shots poured from the surrOuut-
ing rocky slopes, where the elvages were
aw ,n wne as anS wore %, men ,Se
party felt DESPAIR chilling MIN. They wheeled
and galloped for the timber In the valley, to-
lowed by voliey. Before they reached sneltor
thr horses were wounded
They dismouated on knoll covered by
grove, ana could see the enemy swt ming on
the foot hills mellow, while constant reinforce
ments giined the higher points around them
A plunging IRE tore the foliage from the plues,
ana as thelr nu noers thickened the roar OF the
NOile's was perfectly deafening. The bullets
were al too high. but the enemy were grAdu lily
perfe ting their aim, and nOtched the trees close
about their heads. The leading chief was cloth
Ell In white ouckskiO, aud called out Ia the
you are not the only people In this country"
He was undoubtedly the celebrated White
est attacking warriors seemed to snout Chey-
enne war cues, wnlla the more tinid, VINO nred
from rocks, ut cred Sioux CALCULATIONS
The fusl ide continued an hour, the scouts
replying seldom. IN order to save ammunition,
when suddenly thore was a lul seeming 10 por-
|
that De ltn was certain. and swore TO end their
own lives rather tndn suffer capture and torture
StOley delivered harGngie OF twenty words -
his men To Nhlcn thef Iespnnueu So" y. lie
| told them there were two alte n 1tves-to die
hOnoraoiy or to escape nonorably. Gruard de-
| clsred that II there was coward among them
he would he shot ra her than tue enemy.
pricf council was neld. and by the advice OF
| the guides they determined TO attempt to es.
| cape iurtuer into tue mountains. LEAVING their
horses to engage the attention OF tho Sioux.
tied TO the tires. All the amunu niion was taken
| from toe saddles. The party then moved
stealtnily from the ground and dssned behind
! the projecting rocks. the Sioux did not soc
| them, aud they climbed up aud ~, over slippery
preciuices. unul exhausted. While resting they
hoard nring recommence louder than ever, and
| knew ali their horses would probably be killed,
and be asorry prize for their captors.
The yollevs were terrific the Sioux thinking
| they stil had them 10 their clutches. The
| scouts resumed their clam oering; the c,roines
were handed up the rocks from hand to hand.
| Had the sioux pursued them on tho grim
| heights that frowned upon them they could
have crushed them with Doulders which were
the sound Of rifles until IL died away In the dis
tance. They toled over mountains until dawn
| OF July =, resting under tho cliffs. They
once more abandoned hope when they Jaw
large band OF sioux among the foothills moving
as u 70 intercept THEM II, however, turned to-
| ward the Tongue river, and they supposed It to
be the rear gard OF the idrser force which h I'd
| been advancing 10 attack either camp OF a
| wagon train. Their hunger was greaI, as they
had abandoned all their rations. From dusk
they scran died along the sides Of the mountains
| all the night. About dawn on the yth they
reached the bank g; Tongue river.
Two men were 80 worn out tnat they could
| not ford the swift and deep current. They there
| IRE hid themselves ia tue thlcke ;. and
| left. one OF them was crszed bY exhaustion
| ana fear. few miles further south the sioux
were seen, but, luckily, tho fugitiyes escaped
| ohserV ,tlOn.
-Four niles from camp packer,who was haul
ing, loaned MS mule to one Of tue scouts, aud
news was carried To Col. Royal, who WAS com
handing durng Gen. Crooks absence ON a
hunt. TWO companies VI cavalry were sent GU {
with horses to bring them IN. Before meeting
tue renef they were so Iatlsued they could
only maFcn loo yards without dropping on mo
On the night Of the sth the Sioux, supposed to
be the man body, were seen by Lieut.. Stniey' 5
| comm nd. On the same uay they attempted to
steal horses from this camp, ana were nrel
! upon by The pickets
On the uight Of the 10th the Sioux set Ore to
| the grasS At the eastern end Of the camp. The
| q ines gathered ike fury and swept the hills
east OF the camp. IN KING tremendous smoke.
| Fortunately the wind was favorable to us.
| 1t Is believed that all the grass has been burned
along the Tongue and Rosebud rivers. he at
| mosphere has been very murky.
| In consequence OF the absence OF Gen. Crook
at the time uf MS return no force had been sent
To meet the Sioux band reported by Lieut..
| Sibley
In the opinion Of the subordinate officers OF
this column the campaign has a gloomy future
| aspect. The rehabilitation OF the Shoshones at
the management Of our fight of June Il IL not
yet appeased, but they are wiling TO test an ALI
ance Of troops once more. Two hundred utes
aud number Of Baunocks are reported AS
willing to Join us, but their coming 10 far from
being assured.
Gen. Terry assured Gen. Crook that II he will
join aim he will not assume any superior au-
thotity on account OF seniority OF rank. Unless
Cen crook accedes' other disasters may be an
ticipated. The messengers from the camp on
the Yellowstone say that the Sioux village was
destroyed, hut the Official despatch contains no
| such statement. The guides VINO accompanied
Slbley believe there Is a large village on Little
Biz Horn, near the old Government road.
The village attacked by Custer Is supposed to
| have b en- the one removed from the Rosebud
| after or during the ight OF June II. Sioux now
serenade this camp every night with bullets aud
| toni HaarH ua tla aHlN