The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-11-16

Carter, with X. In the line Lieuten-
ants Pope and Rosseau, with II; Forbes,
with G. In reserve, Captain Snyders.
with F, in charge of the Rodman gun,
and Mcdonald, with d, in rear
of the train. AS the line approached
the summit of the height the Sioux be-
Gan their wild war-danee in our front. |
This was the first hostile demonstration.
Many might have been killed now by
the Rodman gun, but that the disliket 20
be first to break the armistice prevailed
with General Miles. The Rodman gun
was pushed forward on the right, and
all was moving forward in good order,
when a shot from the rear passed
through Lieut.. Pope's company, and
was at once returned by the eager men,
who were tired Of waiting. This COM
pany was Mt once ordered to clear the
rayines and knobs whence the shot came
from. Lieut.. Rosseau, with Company
X, was ordered to take the left and Car
ter the right ravine. At the same time
the line advanced rapidly, the main
front when the Sioux dashed in circles
along the front delivering rapid fire
and then disappearing behind the swells.
Their riding was magnificent, but the
FIRE was quite ineffective. While this
was taking place the flank movements
advanced apace. Company E soon
cleared the ravines, Carter and Lyman
doing the same on the right, where they
encountered heavy firing in passing
through what had been the
CAMP OF sITTING-BULL' S BAND.
Meanwhile gallant Rosseau, worthy of
his brothers reputation, moved straight
up the lofty height under a rapid fire
until he reached and secured the key of
the field. 1t was handsomely done, and
without loss of life, aided by the boom
| inc of the Rodman. The Sioux, now
driven from every important point,
flanked and foiled, now made wide cir
cles, and many came around to the
rear or flank and rear of Company f,
which had been ordered to remain with
the train until it was out of danger.
These Indians in the rear took posses
sion of each height, and, dismOunting,
did some close firing. Here Sergeant
McPhelan, Company E, was wounded
severely from a shot. The Indians
now fired the prairies in front, and
amid the lurid flames the fight contin-
ued until no Sioux remained to oppose
the advance. Company Z was ther
directed to clear the ravines on the LEFT
rear, where water was to be found
of the few Indians collected there, while
the command moved back and campeC
on the high ridge.
THELOSs.
In this action only two men were
wounded, this being due to the fact tina
the fire of the Indians was so well KEEP
down by the new arms and good marks
men. Sergeant McPhelan, shot by
sharpshooter in the rear, and one pri
vate of Company was the total loss o
the Fifth Regiment. OF the number
actually engaged or the loss incurreC
on the side of the Indians it is impossi
BILE to speak with any certainty. Th'
Fifth had S9S all told, and the Indian
certainly greatly Outnumbered these
Sitting Bulls forces are estimated a
600 on the field, but did not take par
, in the fight.
FRUITS OF VICTORY.
1t has since been heard that there
were three bands, in all 1880 warriors
of which only few took part. Si1
dead Indians were seen lying on tbs
field; but as they had full opportunity
to carry off their dead before the!
could be reached by the troops it is rea
sonable to believe great number wer'
killed. Whatever their loss in killed
may have been, more SO
: we're was the loss of several tons o
dried buffalo meat, and large amount
, of camp equipage. For this they haC
2 fought, and by the loss of the fight the
, prestige of Sitting Bull was diminished
His punishment for the destruction o
a gallant band of cavalry was accom-
| plished by infantry alone, not a cavalr,
soldier or officer being on the field il
, this engagement. General Miles dis
played that superb handling of troop
. that so distinguished him during tn,
) War, and on the Southern plains. TIL,
, Indians were so completely baffied b,
: the rapidity of his movements as to b,
t unable to make any formidable opposi
ton. The next morning the sun APP
peared early, and a fight occurred witt
the pickets of Company E, arising from
the chasing and nearly capturing of one
man who was Struggling; but the In
: dams were speedily driven off. Tit
: main trail was then resumed and press
, ed rapidly to the Yellowstone
r Skirmishing continued most of the day
The prairie is being fired all along
l the line of march, and ponie
? and lodge poles picked up all the way
' The Importance of the above engage
ment and pursuit will finally appear il
the fact that this day the whole of thu
Minneconjous and Sans Arcs have sur
rendered and given five of their chief
: Red Skirt, Black Eagle, Sunrise, Sit
: ting-Eagle, White Bull and Foolish Bul
to General Miles as hostages tina
, they will 90 at once on to Cheyenne
D Agency. They give the number o
, their lodges as 1900, but this is consid
erably overestimated. These chief
? leave tonight, under guard, for Chey
enne Agency, via Fort Buford. Thes
, tribes broke from Sitting-Bull immedi
: ately after the fight, he going with
few lodges toward Fort Peck. To-
{ much credit can not be given Genera
4 L =