Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-08-10

| fore this the slightest intimation of fighting
at any other point. A force large enough To
! prevent Reno from assuming the offensive
was LETT, and the surplus available force
| followed to the other end Of the camp,
where, finding the Indians successfully
| driving custer before them, instead of
uniting with them, they separated into two
parties and moved around the TANKS of his
| cavalry. They report that Custer crossed
| the river, but only succeeded in reaching the
edge of the Indian camp. After he was
driven to the bluffs, the fight lasted perhaps
an hour. The Indians have no hours of the
| day, and the time can only be given approx
imately. They report that a small number
of cavalry broke through the line of Indians
in their rear, and escaped, but were over
taken within a distance of five or six
miles and all killed. I infer from
this that this body of retreating cav
airy was probably led by the missing officers,
and that they tried to escape only after
| Custer fell. The last man that was killed
was killed by the two sons of Santee In
dian, Red Top, who was a leader in the Min
nesOta massacreS of '62 and IS.
After the battle the squaws entered the
| field to plumber and mutilate the dead
General rejoicing'was INDUCED in, and dis
| tributiOn of arms and ammunition hurriedlv
| made. Then this attack on Reno was vigor-
| ously renewed. Up to the attack the Indians
had lost comparatively few men, but now
they say their most serious loss
| took place. They give no idea of
numbers, but say there were a
great many. Sitting Bull was neither killed
nor personally engaged in the fight He re-
manned in the Council tent directing opera
| tons. Crazy Horse, with a large band
and Black Moon were the principal leaders
on the 25th of June. Kill Eagle, Chief of
| the Blackfeet, was at the head If some
| twenty lodges of this Agency. He was prom
/ inently engaged in The battle of June %, and
afterward upbraided Sitting Bull for not
taking an active personal part in the engage
ment.
| Kill Eagle has sent me word that he was
forced into the fight that he desires to re-
turn to the Agency; and that he will return
TO the Agency if he is killed for it. He is
reported to be actually on the way back to
go to his Father and Agent and make con-
fession and receive dissolution for his defiant
crime against the hand that had gratuit-
| y
a shrewd chief, who must have discovered
| that
| " He who fights and runs away
! May live to fight another day.
| The Indians were not all engaged at any
one time. Heavy reserves were held to re-
pair losses and renew attacks successfully.
The fight continued until the third day,
when runners, kept purposely on the look
| out, hurried into camp and reported great
| body Of troops (Gen. Terry's command) ad-
yancing up the river. The lodges having
been previously prepared for move, a
retreat in southerly direction followed,
toward and along Rosebud Mountain.
They marched about fifty miles, went in
| to camp and held a consultation, when it
was determined TO send into all the Agencies
reports of their success, and to call upon
them to come out and share the glories that
! there were expected to be in the future.
| We may expect an influx of overbearing
and impudent Indians, to urge, by force,
perhaps, an accession to Sitting Bulls de-
mands. There is a general gathering in the
hostile camp from each of the Agencies on
the Missouri River, Red Cloud and Spotted
| Tail, as also the Northern Cheyennes and
| ATTdpdUOeS.
| They report for the especial benefit of
| their relatives here that in the three fights
| they had with the whites they have captured
| over 400 stand of arms, carbines and rifles,
! revOlvers not counted; ammunition without
| end, and some sugar, coffee, bacon and hard
| bread. They claim to have captured from
| the whites this summer over 900 horses and
mules. I suppose this includes operations
| against soldiers, Crow Indians, and Black
| Hills miners.
The general outline of this Indian report
concurs with the published reports. The
| first attack of Reno's began well on in the
day, say the Indians. They report about
800 whites killed, but do not say how many
Indians were killed.
A report from another source says the
Indians obtained from Clusters command 592
carbines and revolvers. have, since writ
ing the above, heard from the returned
hostiles, which they communicated q
secret to their particular friends here,
information that a large party of Sioux and
Cheyennes were to leave Rosebud Mountain,
or hostile camp, for this Agency to intimi-
date and compel the Indians here to join
Sitting Bull. If these refuse, they are or
dered to soldier them" (beat them) and
steal their ponies. Very respectfully,
-. J. S. POLAND,
Colonel, Commanding.