The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-22

dition Ar. tSs Srsi Who have vislked IL.
I cannot CLOSE this letter without rendering
falo sn sts 10 the srst olsoe, because they are
intolerable nuisance and have troubled me ex-
cssdnsy In ss camp and sse,Sndl} , .na'ns
fault with brilliant coiorlng upon canvas. The
thouvht occurred to me to- day, as rode along.
the suplisht upon the red pipe-cfsy buttes
which flned our right. Their hues were as nne
to a dark and Sneularly bright red. have
heard Moran's landscapes PRONOUNCED very fine,
bat criticised for their unnatural and oxaeeer.
ated colorfuR; and could this beautiful range Of
BLUM be transferred to and accurately define
atod upon canvas, there would doubtless be
many ConnOisseurs who would designate the
perfect picture wretcbed daub.
BATTLE WITH RATrLEsSAKEs.
CAMP ON oNGUE RIVER, MONTANA June TO-
We were becoming very impatient at finding
which had consisted only OF constant marcn ming,
rather inRlorious. On the night OF tha eth inst.
Prairie Dog creek and Tongue river (Deje- Apie).
Here the latter stream Ia wide. swollen by
numerous tributaries, and barely forbade but
nearer the mountains IL Is beautiful trout
brook, ripping and babbling over Its rocky bot
tom In such manner a. TO suggest its name.
Upon level plateau, situated at the confluence
Of the two streams. adjacent to WOODS, and, It
VS. hoped, sufficiently protected from the nre
OF a la. ding and concealed enem V, II was pro-
POSED to establish our perm aDent camp, or
depot. Numerous rattlesnakes had made their
anl e!rance before the camp was properly
found and killed IN his ped very nne specimen
wi Ia weive rattles and button.
and before we arrived mad killed line buffalo
calf. several others were equally successful;
Tongue river secured several nne hauls Of cat
nsh, suckers, pike, whiten-h, and few trout.
T6rd cavalry. native Of New York. snd VINO
wrote you had accidentally shot himself IN
the thigh or groin, having died the evening pre-.
IN tho afternoon after our arrival In camO CaDt.
Henry, ihird Cav Try, conducted the services
after the Episcopal form, the funeral otherwise
being with mi itarv honors. The dead march was
executed by trumpeters preceding y g cortege
wniSh, Without "" coma, but wrapped ''i IN his his
blankets, the corpse was lowered. Three vol
le were fred by the escort and echoes from
rison for lights out " and slumber, was sound
ed In concert BY the assembled ,rumpetsrs-the
TO camp TO lively air that rudely Jared upon
my ears.
AN oRAroRIcAL RED MAN.
During the night OF the 9TH inst. the camp was
| alarmed by some ope-evidently an Indian
calling In steutOrlan voice from the bluns the
| opposite side OF the river. After yelling for
about two hours the same thing (which no one
understood, our guides and interpreters being
absent liter the Crows) he seemed sufhcently
| were the surmises as to the text Of his Grafton.
| Some said he was Sioux. Others "A Crow, and q
few insisted that he was Sioux personatiDx a
| Crow. A teamster, who claimed that he under
s,ood the L,kotah dialect, made Out tn he in
| CURED after the halt breeds and the Crows; con-
sequenily, we feared that this might have beef
| IN derislon, and that some evil had befalien our
brave scouts. am inclined to the opinion. my
self, that he made us patriotic and emphatic
speech, Informing Gen. Crook that he had
reached the Ruoicon, and would be straight
| ened II he attempted TO cross IL.
During this d.y Uhe 9Th inst.) we remained
| quietly In camp awaiting the return Of scouts
wi the Grows. On Yesterday morning two
couriers arrived from Fettetman bearing des.
| patches from Gen. Sheridan to Gen. Crook. the
| purport Of which was that three Thousand war.
| nd Of al all nd Rad
| Agencyi that eight companies Of the Fifth Cav
| airy mad been ordered to occupy those points {;
| Shpshone Indians were en- route to join US at
| Phil kearney.
THE fIRsT FIGHr WITH THE SIOUX.
This news was the topic of conversation In
| camp until about i've O'Clock p. NJ, when We
nfty TO two hundred SIOUX. 1t was evidently
were led down TO the river for water, or into
| the companies whom formed for retreat and
90 III:
| opposite siue OF the Tongue, believed To be too
distant to place our o mp within ANYTHING like
though not entirely mistaken. The Indians
were too late for the former and too early for
the la ter formation, being discovered by an
inf ntry picket While attempting to secure safe
retreats one the rocks. His are was at once
alarmed, the First Battalion, Third Cavalry,
commanded bv Opt. Mills, and consisting OF
four companies under Capt. Andrews and Su
torous. Lieuts. Lawson and Paul, respectively.
| was oruered TO ford the river and dislodee
them, winch II effected without mucn dificulty.
They retfeated nor. h ward md as pisht was az
| pro ching aud We were withOuG guides, no at
tempt was made TO f.'llow them.
| Al one time their hre very severe, and the
| bullets whistled ominouslv about our ears.
was standing near Gen. Crook, who had his back
gathered. when a burning band was struck aud
shattered. small kitchen stove was hit, ne
cessitating the recooking OF an oficers dinner
and the employment Of French cook. Capt
| Munson's tent was shot through and through,
and the ridge pole Of Capt. Luhu's broken. Capt
Burts horse, mule attached TO wagon Ia
front OF Col. ROyens tent, and two company
horses, were badly wounded.
After the confusion consequent to the attack
had subsidized. the casual les among the troops
were ascert insd TO be Sergeant W arneld, Com
sna prs s Rn wsIne M
ID, Second Cavalry. flesh wound In the left
thigh, just below the groin. From their position
the Inoians had immensely the advantage, and
It is not likely that they suffered any loss 10
either killed or wounded. Several exposed
cl.imed that one or two Of these were picked
on, 30 many rideriess ponies being seen galop-
among the rocks, or were Withdrawn by tueil
companions. Their position would have beer
almost impreenable II bravely held, and In ford
Ing the riyer, the troops presented an eIcellen
mark, not taken advantage Of oy the Indians IL
their hurried flght.
Both oricsrs and men OF our force appeared
to expose themselves most needlessy. hav,
been much struck, indeed, ny their behavior
upon this expedition. Every order Ia cheer
fully and promptly obeyed, and hardships anc
exposure are endured without murmur; bu
little enthusiasm Is manifested. Stern dutl
seems their only motive-the handspring OF
their action. Nor Is It TO be greatly wondered
ut. They hight an unseen and savage foe-if vic
torious, they are butchers; II defeated, COW
ards Public sympathy Is not with them IL
| opinion does not sustain them but they will d.
what they CONCEIVE TO be their duty.
A SMALL ARMY OF PRESS CORRESPONDENTS.
CAMP ON 6 DOSE CREEK, W. T., June 18TH,
expedition, having marched to the Tongue river
In Montana has marched back again, at least q
Goose Cree. IN Wyoming, where u was origi
naily Gen. Crooks Intention to establish de
pot OF supplies, after leaving Phil KeArney
Through somebody's laundering, the trail Wa
missed, as i wrote you. However, IL makes lit
tie difference, as we must await tue Crows ant
Snakes at some point. They expected to End u
at Phil Kearney, and fear our failure TO re
main there was . mistake. Three hundre,
Crows should be able TO take care of themselves
but one hundred and twenty Shoshones. no
finding US at the point expected and agree,
upOn, may become timid and frightened. anS
return. without Indian scouts u will be al ex
ceediDEly difnoult matter to make asuccessfu
CAM aiEn against the Sioux, at this season o
the year. They are all "bush " PACKERS" an,
are the nnest skir mishers In the world.
| Unjust not FORGET To mention what may tern
professional incident OF tho attack by the In
dians UPON our camp, or rather their repulse
upon the 9th Inst. The correspondents OF th
eIpsditiop-of which there are many. most o