New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-20
Crooks Expedition.

A letter in the Chicago Inter Ocean.
written from the camp OF the Big Horn ex-
pedition, on Tongue river, at the mouth Of
Prairie Dog creek, Wyoming Territory,
June Is, gives the following interesting
sketch of the movements of General Crook
against the savsges:
This expedition arrived here June Z, and
went into camp on Tongue river, few
miles eOuth Of the Montana border. Until
the day before yesterday NO Indians had
been seen by the command. Captain Van
Vliet's detachment of the Third Cavalry
that left Fetterman, May "a, to 20 to Pow
der river and meet the Grow Indians, joined
the expedition at old Fort Reno on the
second, and reported that NO Crows had
BEEN seen. Captain Meinhold, with two
companies of the Third Cavalry, left the
expedition May 30 at Sage Greek to scout
the country for Indians, and returned on
Powder river with the same result. On
jane the guides Frank Gruard, Louis
Reichard and Baptiste, left the expedition
for the Crow village to obtain Indian scouts,
and have not since been heard from. 1t is
feared they have been either killed or cap
tured.
We arrived at old Fort Phil Kearney
June 5, and at this camp two days later.
A courier from Fort Fetterman arrived
here yesterday bearing dispatches for Gen
eral Crook. He reports 100 Indians on the
way to join the expedition 40 scouts and
guides, who will be here in . day or two.
He also reports that 5000 warriors have
lately left the agencies for the Crazy
Horse village battle ground, to fight Crook,
and that eight companies of the Fifth Cav
airy have been ordered to the agencies.
Five or six Indians approached this camp
s~AA hnk~ LII
obtained the information they wanted and
went away.
Last evening about six O'Clock largo
war party, variously estimated at from
fifty to $50 warriors, fred into the expedi-
ton from the bluffs ON the north side of
Tongue river and commanding the camp.
For about half an hour the Indians, oil Of
whom were we'll mounted and we'll armed
with long range rifles, poured volley after
vcllcy into camp. Fonr con enies of the
Third Cavalry, A, E, l and N, under Lieu
tenant Lawson, Captain Sutorious, Captain
Andrews, Lieutenant Foster, Lieutenant
Paul and Lieutenant Schwatks, all under
Colonel Anson Mills, charged the hills
where the Indians were concentrated, and,
by aid of the skirmishers of the Second
Cavalry and Ninth Infantry, dislodged
them. Private Collins, Company B, Sec
ond Cavalry, and Sergeant Warfeld, Com
pany l, Third cavalry, were slightly
wounded, and the Indians succeeded in
killing several horses and mules. One In
dian was killed and several severely
wounded, but were conveyed from the
field. Private F. Tierney, Of Company B,
Tnird Cavalry, was accidentally shot May
20 and died June from the effect of his
injuries.
Gold was discovered in the bars and flats
on Crazy Women's Fork and Clear Fork
by several miners accompanying the expe-
dition. Color was panned out west of our
trail and toward the Big Horn mountains.
A number of Black Killers have been seen
EN- route to these and other new placer
mines. 1t is claimed by old miners that
there is gold in these creeks in paying
quantities. The colors are coarse and cas-
lily saved. The diggings are surface. The
creeks have line head of water and q good
fall, and the valleys are quite broad.