The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-07-19
THE SAVAGE SIOUX.
The Narrow Escape of a Party Of
Crooks Command.
IN THE TOLLS.


THE ENEMY.
A dispatch. to the New York Herald from
General Crooks military column at Cloud
Peak Camp, w. T., via Fort FettermsD'
says: A reconnoiter!ng party of thirty
persons under the command of Second
Lieutenant Frederick w. Sibley, OF the
Second cavalry, was sent from this camp
on July 6 They were to observe the
movements and position of the Sioux, and
IL possible the whereabouts of Terry O8
the eth they returned on loot, alter a terri
BILE retrea. of two nights and one day.
They were surrounded by the enemy in
prodigious numbers, and only escaped
miraculously by the sacrifice of all their
equipments excepting arms and smmuni'
tion, including thirty-One picked saddle
horses and two mules. But for the sagscity
and caution OF guides Grusrd and Bsp-
tiste, and the Judgment and gallantry of
Sibley, no one would have survived. The
handful of men left our camp in broad day
light, with strange absence OF precautiOD,
for which somebody superior to Sloley In
rank Is responsible, Ii being usual to dis
Ruse such movements under the shelter of
darkness. They marched all night OF the
S-h, toward the sources OF the Little Big
Horn. On the 7sh, ster slight meal,
which aiterwa!d saved them from perish
ing they pursued their course through
some foot hills verging toward the noun
tains. The conformation OF the cavalry
was extremely
FAVORABLE TO AN AMBUsCADE.
At about hslf-psst large body of Sioux
was espied from the top of the Dluff,
marching eastward. 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 3
tremendous shout warned them that TIE
trail they seemed to be looking for was
found. Quickly hundreds OF savsges were
crowded upon IL, and set out upon the
chase at full canter, uttering those terri
BILE wolfish cries peculiar to the Sioux and
Cheyennes. The scouting party mounted
and gslloped toward the m mJuntains,
the Sioux yelling as they caught a
glimpse of them like hounds on the
scent. They seemed to be dis anced in the
race, but had broken into two bodies, and
were making double circuit to gain the
high points VIII ch they knew the pursued
must pass. The scouting party climbed
the outer ridge, and were approaching
shelter about noon, trotting quietly
through a rsvine, when suddenly a vOlley
of fifty snOts was poured frOm the sur
rounding rocky Opes, where the ssvsges
were msssed, while as many more of them
charged down them like fury. Every man
of the little party iels despair chilling him.
They wheeled snd galloped for the timber
in the valley, ioilO ned bv vOlley. Before
they reached shelter three horses were
wounded.
THEY DISCOUNTED On A KNOLL
covered by grove, sad could ses the
enemy swarmiDg on the foot hills bslow,
while constant reinforcsFcents gained the
higher points sronnd them. A pluuging
fire tore the foliage from the piues, and as
their numbers thickened the roar OF the
volleys was perfectly 6esfening. The bull
let's were all too high, but the enemy were
gradually perfsc lug tnei- aim, and notched
the trees close ab1ut their mead. Pbe
leading chic was clothed in white buck
skin, and called out in the Cheyenne
tongue: "You ara not the only people in
this country" He was undoubtedly the
celebrated White Ante ope, Southern
Cheyenne. All the boldest attacking
warriors seemed to shout Cheyenne war
cries, while the more timid, VINO fired from
rocks, uttered Sioux ej sculations. The fu-
silade continued an hour, the scou
replying seldom, in order to save ammu-
milton, when suddenly thsre was lull,
seeming to p)rteno some new mischie,
the guides declaring that death was GER
tain, and swore to end their own lives
rather than suffer c4pture and torture
Sibley delivered hsrangue of twenty
words to bis men, to which they
responded st0u ly. He told them
there were LwJ alternatives-tD d.
honorably or TO escape hoDorsbly.
Grusrd declared that if there was coward
the enemy. A brief council was held, and
by the advice Of the guides they deter
mined to attsmp to escape further into
the n,ountairs, leaving their horses to en-
gage the attention of the Sioux, tied to
the trees. All the ammunition was taken
from the Saddles TIE p 7rtv then moved
stealthily from the ground and
DASHED BEHIND THE PRoJ ScrING ROCKS.
The Sioux did not see them, and they
climbed up and up, over slippery pr4ci-
pices, until exhausted. While resting.
they heard firing recommence louder than
ever, and knew all their horses would
probably be killed, and he sorry prize
for their csptors. rhe volleys were ter
rife, the Sioux thinking they still had
them in their clutches The scouts re-
sumed their ciamberinz; the csrbines were
handed up the rocks from hand to hand
Had the Sioux pursued them on the grim
heights that frowned upon them thew
could have crushed them with boulders
which were poised ready to fall. They
continued to hear the sound of riff IS until
it died away In the distance. Thev toiled
over mountains until dawn OF July 8, rest
Ing under the cliffs. They once more
abandoned hope when they saw a large
band of Sioux among the foothills moving
as II to intercept them. It, however,
turned toward the Tongue river, and they
supposed it 20 be the rear guard of the
larger force which had been advancing
to attack either q camp or q wagon train.
Their hunger was great, as they
bad abandoned all their ratious. From
dusk they scrambled along the sides of
the mountains all the night. About dawn
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