The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-09-28
CROOKS FIGHT.
CROOKS EXPEDITION, on FORK GRAEDO
RIVER OR SLIM BUTTE, DAKOTA, Sept.
D. via EORT IlARAMIE- SenlRmher lH.

CROOKS EXPEDITION, ON FORK GRAND
! RIVER OR SLIM BUTTE, DAKOTA, Sept.
| o, via FoRT LARAMIE, September l5. }
1t is pleasant to be able to record q
genuine victory for this command at
last. We reached q lagoon, thirty
miles from our camp on Heart River,
on the evening OF September 8, and
m ade thirty additional miles the sue
eeedlng day. On the evening Of Sep.
tember ), General Crook detached
Colonel AnsOn Mills, with one hun
dred and fifty picked men and the
best horses OF the Third Cavalry, To
march on DeadwOOd by forced march
es, in order to procure TatiOns at the
place named, the expedition being al
ready reduced to the necessity Of eat
ing horses.
Fifty paek-mules accompanied the
party. The Colonel set out that night
and made eighteen miles. 1t rained
all day on September s, but he made
thirty miles and struck an Indian trail
leading south. He resolved to follow
the trail and attack the Indians, If
possible. At $3.50 on the afternoon of
yesterday the party observed q herd
of ponies grazing OH some hills about
five miles ahead, Colonel Mills and
Frank Gruard went forward to recon-
noitre, and they became satisfied of
the existence OF village. Mills told
his officers, LIeutenants Schwatka,
Won Leutwitz and Crawford, that he
would attack In the morning, and ar
rangemeDts were made accordingly.
The detachment went into camp in
q ravine, and being unable To sleep
because Of the pouring rain kept vigil
until the dawn of day. With the first
light the command was i'm the saddle,
and at 4 o'clock came upon an Indian
village, situated in q small valley
which was commanded by bluffs on
the south side. Some bluffs were also
on the west, but not in close prOx-
unity. Mills ordered Lieutenant
Schwatka to take twenty-five mount
ed men and charge the pony herd, so
rs to cut iL off. SehWatka Obeyed his |
orders in most dashing manner, sur
prised the Indian herders, drove them |
pell-mell before him and captured |
about two hundred first-class ponies. |
He charged right through the vii |
lsge aud produced q regular stam-
pede, the Sioux being completely sur |
pTised. Meanwhile Crawford and |
Van IentWitz dismounted, charged |
into the village on the flank, aud cap
tured the tepees, 5, 500 pounds of dried |
meat, an immense number of buffalo |
robes and other Indian fineries, and,
lastly, two hundred dogs. They also /
took large quantity of dried fruits
and other eatables-suite GOd-send
to the soldiers. The men displayed
heroic bravery, and reflected credit on
the American army. Nothing could
have been more gallant than the con-
duct OF the officers engaged in the
fight. Taken altogether it was q
bright page In the history of this ex-
peditiOn. Taken by surprise, the In-
dians cut themselves out of their
tepees and managed TO escape for the
most part through tue ravine. They
gave our men two vOlleys before they /
cleared their village, and then the
darkness of the morning Ut was still
enabled them to get away.
Won IIeutwitz, Of Company L, of the
Third Cavalry, was shot through the
knee joint at the first vOlleY. Lieu
tenant Crawford showed excellent
judgment as well as sOldiery daring.
Colonel Mills is much congratulated
because of the success Of his dashingI
for the Sioux, although tax
en- unawares, fought as usual, with
courage. They rallied
in the hills, and soon made matters
warm for our boys, keeping up an in
fire, and making desperate ef-
iorts to recover their captured ponies.
A party then took up position In a
kind OF burrOw, down ia q small rut,
between two cliffs, covered with
brush and protected by rocks, and
With kind of lava beds. The troops
made eidesperate efforts to dIslcdge the
,svages, but the latter, although very
lew, fought with the desperation OF
despair. During the morning the fol-
owing of ours were killed or wound
ID
Third CavaIry-A Company-KilI-
ID, John Wenzel, Of Frederick, Mary
and. WOunded-E Company, Lieu
tenant A. ii. Van LeutwltzI severely;
Sergeant Edward Glass, severely,
right arm I; Corporal Edward Me-
KeeOn, severely, body and head. ID
Company, Private Augustus Dorm,
b Company, Private Chas.
Foster, severely. III Company, Ser
geant KirkwoOd, severely. g Com
pany, Private Charles Dubois, slight
".
Colonel Mills, having too much
property to guard, and being harassed
Dy the Indian fire, sent cOuriers TO
Crook, seventeen miles back, with
the main column, for reinforcements.
Crook Immediately took one hundred
men from the Third, fifty from the
Second, and the entire Fifth Cavalry,
and arrived on the field as the last
Indian shots wero being fired. He
ordered the sRvages in the ravine to
be dislodged, and led the attack in
person. He displayed splendid pluck
and captured dozen squaws and half
! dozen papOOses right at the mouth
)f the Indian barrow. Iieuten-
ant John G.. Burke, Of his'staff Lieu
tenant Rogers, Lieutenant Wv. p.
Clark, Of the Second Cavalry, the
guide Baptiste Courier, Colonel Roy
Il Of the Third Cavalry, and Captain
MunsOn, OF the Infantry, also exposed
themselves with conspicuous gallant
y. The Indians, however. although
.ome We're shot, kept up q deadly 9
ire, and KILLED the scout, Charley |
White alas buffalo Chip" q friend ,
)t Buffalo Bill's, shooting him through
he heart. Private Edward Kennedy,
1f Company L, Of the Fifth Cavalry,
and Private Stevenson Of Company /,
Df the Second Cavalry, were danger
1usly wounded at the same time. The
'quaws, who were placed under guard,
tate that the defeated Sioux are
Brules, from The Spotted Tail Agency,
and that their chief is Roman Nose.
Among the trophies secured by Mills
are one OF the guidons Of Clusters
and an officers under aud
OVer coat, blouse, several saddles, and
} pair of gHuntlets marked "COl.
keOgh ~ also some horses which be-
Onged to the same unfortunate COM