The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-09-18
AVENGING CUSTER.
Col. Mills Attacks a Sioux
Camp and Utterly Routes
the Hostiles.
Al Lodges, 40 Ponies and
Savage Spoils Of all
Kinds Captured.
American Horse Passes in His
Checks-List of Killed
and Wounded.

| duu w OuuoCo.
CHEYENNE, September l6.-A cjurier
who lett General Crooks command on
September 10th, brings the following
nows dated September 9th: Since Gen.
eral Crooks command turned south
toward the Black Hills, on the 5th inst.
there has been considerable hardship
through the wet weather and living on
bacon and the hard bread, and there has
been good deal of grumbling. On the
7th, 1t was decided to send portion OF
the pack train ahead, under escort OF
Colonel Mills with fifty men on
the best horses of each company
Of the Third cavalry, making one hun
dred and fifty in all. Lieutenants Van
Lutivitz, Schuttle and Crawford COM
posed the subordinate officers, with Lieu.
tenant Bubb, of the Fourth infantry,
Chief Commissary Tom Moore, Chief
Packer, and Frank Gruard, Crooks chief
scout. The latter was to serve both as
guide and scout, and on yesterday even
ing, he discovered, through the rain and
fog, without being himself observed,
A Hostile Sioux Village,
consisting OF Al large lodges and Il
band of several hundred ponies and a
few American horses. Mills concluded
to attempt the attack with his $50 men,
without waiting to send word to Crook
for reinforce nents. He fell back few
miles and hid his command in ravlne,
and at 2 o'clock this morning marched
for the village, which was situated on
Little creek, tributary of Grand or Owl
creek. He formed on the north side
before daylight and ordered Lieutenant
Schwatko to charge through the village
while the rest OF the force dismounted and
were to form skirmish line on either
side and pick of the Indians as they
came out. The latter were
Completely Surprised
and scattered out pell nell, half naked
returning the fire to some extent. Their
ponies were etiectuslly stsmpeded
owing to Mills small force. He sue,
ceedcd in securing the lodges and prop
er.y therein, and about l40 ponies. There
was an immense quantity OF dried meat
berries, and all that Crooks pack train
could carry, and sufficient to postpone the
proposed purchase of supplies. There
were wagon loads of robes, and
Savage Spoil OF all Kinds.
The guidon of the 7.h cavalry, which
Custer used in the Little Big Horn mas.
sacre, and various articles worn on that
occasion, were also captured. A quantity
of corn stored at the mouth of Powder
river rs late as August 18th, where Terry
was fired on, was among the spolIs. The
whole march and showing since Terry
and Crook met goes to confirm the
soundness of the latter's views OF the en-.
emy's destination and whereabouts since
leaving their camp on the Little Big Horn
KILLED and Wounded.
Lieutenant Van Lutivitz, of Company
G, was seriously wounded in the knee;
privates Medbury and Chas. Foster, OF
Company B, Augustus Dorm, OF Com
psny d, and Sergeant Glass, OF Company
+, were wounded, and private Wenzell,
of Company A, was killed in the action
of the morning.
About o'clock, word had reached
Crook, who was tteen miles back with
the main column. He came forward
with sections from the cavalry, reaching
Mills at II o'clock. The latter had kept
up good picket fight during the fore
noon. Crook was
Very Much Disappointed
because mills did not report the discover y
last night as there was plenty of time to
have gotten up the entire command and
so etfectuslly surrounded the village that
nothing could have escaped, but the gen
eral is also pleased, too, all Things CON
sidered. About 100 yards from the vii
lage is little ravine, in which band o:
seven warriors and fifteen women and
children were safely lodged in cavern
GUS rocks and it was 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 glides interpreting
ParIey Ensued.
| Three warriors came out, one chief
named Americana Horse, being mortally
wounded. Before this psrley was effected,
however, Frank White, citizen, was
shot through the heart, and privates
Kennedy and Mckennsn, of Company
G, Fifth cavalry, were wounded.
About twenty minutes past 4 o'clock
this afternoon, there was sud len picket
firing sprung, beginning on Colonel
M..nr.'s front, resulting in the wolnding
OF Sergeant Schneider, OF Company h
and Private Dorm, of Company +, Fifth
cavalry. Il proved to be the result OF
reinforcements received from Crazy
Horses band, and
Running Attack All Around the Cir
Gle.
but the troops were quickly thrown out
and the enemy driven of in every direc
ton. The latter got dozen horses toe
poor TO get into camp. Back mile on
the line of march the village vas thor.
oughly rsnsscked, and the spolls divided
round. Col. Mills and men got the
ponies. There were found passes to good
Indians from Indian Agent Howard, OF
the ISpotted Tail agency, and an illicit
agent there f.. {. Boucher), dated re.
spectively January, IA and February Is,
! 1876. Much ammunition aud many gun:
were found in the lodges and sll evidence
Is to the effect that these Indians were
prepared for winter. There were probably
1000 Warriors Connected with IL
and their chief is Roman-Nose, Of the
Cheyenne agency. 1t is regretted thai
some of the other larger villages near BY
were not surprised and destroyed, bu'
this again demonstrates the good policy
of a stern chase after Indians, even with
foot soldiers who come in here for the re-