, 1876-08-01
CROOKS COLUMN.

Captain Sixth Infantry, Dreves Lieutenant Colonel,
Commanding.
CROOKS COLUMN. |
LIEUT.. s1nLRYts ExpEnirlos-aEN. cRooI's
nuSTIN6-rAnTY-AnntvAt or sHosHoSEs-
RECEIPT or DISPATCHES FROM GEN. TENnY--
srrcuLAT1oNs Az To RuTuNE MOVEMENTS
Fron Our 0on R<porsfr.
CAMP Bic HoRN AND YELLOWSTONE ExpE-
nlTioN, GoosE CREE1s, July 1a.-To-n1ght a
courier starts for Fcttcrman with dispatches
from Gen. Crook, and I seize tic opportunity
to send sou a few words only, descriptive of the
adventures Of tll,s column sinco my last. After
gaining our Ruprty-cnmt, after the battle Of
fsosebrl Hills, VIC occupied our tftno moving
camp every few days, In order to get better
grating for our horses. Junc2 q large column
Of smoke was seen nVrth OF LIS, and Gruard be-
ing sent out reported It to be on tho Little l''G-
1lofn River. SInen then VIC know that 1t WINS
caused by tho destruction Of the village whore |
tile gallant Custer travelY met Ills saa fate.
On tho 9th Inst. Lieut. 8bicy, with uctnch-
mcnt Of twenty-five men, cofnpFtscd of live iie'l
ftosu each of the troops Of tho Second Cavalry,
accompanied by MIR. Mucrty, Of the Chicago |
Times, Frank Grllard, Bupt!stc, and packer,
left CAMP with orders to
MAKE Reconnaissance sonTnwAno,
and keep on until they had learned something
t!cnnite as 10 the position Of the hostile 1nd!al,s.
Sib1cy marched on along the basc Of tic nloun-
tnns until o'clock on the morning Of tile 7tt;
then, btvouaclsing until daybreak, pushed on
about 1 miles further, when large party of In
t!ans were seen 2l< mflcs To the front. On
making this discovery, sihlcy Mt once pushed On
to the base Of tic mountains, keeping Ills COM
nlnnd well-l,iddcn, III the hope TINT they would
not lie observed. III this he was disappointed.
The trail WAS found by ono Of the fiai,k!ng pur-
ties Of the enemy, who at once attracted the
1nalu body to lsint by yelling and riding In cir
clc. Conccalmcnt being no longer our object,
sihlcy broke covcr, and dashed up the mountain
side on an old trail, hotly pursued by the In
dians. Alter riding IS raptl1y as tho nature Of
the grounl would permit fur about miles,
through dense timber and th!Ckots, and over
rocka and bou3ders, he found himself III more
open country, with wooded knoll on Ills right,
antl another on his left aud front.
The moment l,c reached the open, he was as-
sailed by --....... ......
4 MuRDEHOus voL1.EY
from the timber on his right, which brought to
Garth three horses, one of them being Mr.. Fin
erty's. Siblcy at once placed Ills command In
the timber OIL Ills left, mud fought TIC enemy
desperately for almost two hours, repcllng their
charges gallantly ami With great courage. The
enemy wcro constantly receiving achievements,
and, ns each fresh party can,e up, they would
DASH ut the gallant little band, pour in volley,
aud then, circl!ng around, take covnr and join
In tho general fusilladc. At this time, not one
Of the detachment expected to get away; thirty
against 1,500 Is ratllcs heavy odds. Gruard, III
reply to stblcy's suggestion that they should
mount and charge through ut all hazarls, sad
| that they wou1d live longer BY staying in tho
timber. The idea was then advanced Of nhan-
| %1.n and nttAn n nrt&
on foot, under cover Of the brusll, leaving the
Indians to suppose, III tho horses were still
there that tllu soldiers were with them. Accord
ingty, tho men were told-o!f, a1sI q small purity
sent to tllcIr lorses at u time, m order tn get
the extra ammunition from the saldlc-ongs.
THIS was successfully accomplished, not grain
OF powder being left to full into the hands OF
tho enemy. In single fllc
ON THEIR HANDS AND KNEES,
tho marty now craylcd buck over tho knoll, pass
Ing through Cup that the Indians had left In
their cncircling line, which Frank mud Bat!stc
hatl found, and passing OIL over terribly
rugged country, cutting anu bruising their
hands md limbs on tho Jagged roclss; whilst,
nil tho time, the vollcys aud yclIs Of tho In
dtans rang IN Their cars. The party did not
halt until they had put 5 miles Of ranons and
prccipices between them ard their would-be
uCHLTD}Cfes AEhtA AiaA AHhth t't<J tAiilihIA "ok,
nlnees whcro Il misstcp would hAyo sent them
down 1,000 feet into the canon below; ngur
and again they scaled rocky cliffs, working teEl
why wca1ily aud painfully, but detcrmtnedly, a.
men will
WHO ARE STRUGGLING foR LIFE,
BY means Of the assures worn III t'lc granite
walls by Natusc's friendly hand.
Night found them on high and rocky peak
, | tho sides OF which wcso covered by masatt
of fallen timber; and here, worn-ont
wcarlcl almost unto lcath they Ia,
} down and slept rs thoso only s!crI
: who aro utterly md completely exhausted. a
duybrea!s on tho 9Th they pushed on, f"ot-sor'
mil weary. 1'lcy ha!l nut tasted food since t
< morning before, un.i nil were weakened by hun
Ecr rs We'll rs through tho effects of tIr terril
or,lcal Of thu thy before. At NOM they cam
out Of ths mountains. ant' crossing Dratlcti .
4 ward camp. Discovering a party of ln!iant
thuy liti ii tho brush, mid successfully elutlc
n their s!lurp eyes. Tint night anutllcr part
passea By ysry eaf 70 abuS{
on tho morning Of tho 9TH they came tntn calnl
. having been over forty-c4gl't hours without
: norsei Of food, hut
Two Of tho men had to 10 luft buck ! miles fro1
! camp, 1,cIng 60 completely exhausted that tle
cnulsl not cross tho mini Goose Greek. Cap
q Dewcss, with a aud y Of tho Second cayalr:
U I mnfEAGl uuL kl9Sao t@@A Ahie
Il them being lelirlons when found.
Il Never hcfuro IN the annals Of savage warfaI
has a purity been 10 hartl-pnslletl mi. yet 6
capca, untl, nracle though Il l., Y is all owl,
= Gruarl, and the ct,ol, deliberate, and ney:
fuillng courage Of the gallant ynunE officer vi
commanded the detachment, Lieut.. slbley,
the SECOND Caynlry, t" whom
ALL HONOR, Alb rKaIsEt IL DUE.
10 Ftnerty fought gallant'y. throughout, an
Ds has won the admiration ofal1 who havo heal
i. the wondrous story Of Sibley's escape. :,
-, Indians flruI Into tho ;intantry, and gut Mw1
~ With thru horses anil ,nu'u from tho paekcs
n. n. Oh the 10TH, about tho satnc hour, tloy aga
" attacked tho !ntantry-camp, unsl tirca 4
"a country below us, burnIn. tl'o grass for nil
y. IN tho meanwhile great uucas!tlcss la.l tcl
It felt for Gcn. Crook md party,-consst!ng
o. Capt: Wells, Second Cavalry; Capt; 'an vite