The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-04-08
Gen. Crooks Expedition.

Urn. VroVk . LApeuitioh.
We finally are enabled to give n
more authentic and reliable account of
the causes which led to the partial de-
feat OF Gen. Crook in his late cam
paign in the Powder river country.
We have labored under great disad-
vantages in obtaining the facts in this
X expedition were extremely reticent
and would divulge nothing. But to-
day we have the testimony of mn eye
witness, who sent n long communion
ton to the New York Tribune, imme-
diately after the command returned to
Fort Fetterman, giving a very COM
prehensive history of the campaign
from notes taken daily. and on the
spot.
After extracts from his diary, cover
ing the eleven days occupied by the
ex pedition, which terminated in the
destruction of Crazy Horses village,
the correspondent says:
"It is hardly proper to close this
ohStth VI nv bbuESuttb WitttOub iC-
ferring more particularly To those
causes which prevented its complete
success. First among these was the
failure Of Capt Moore's battalion to
reach the position assigned 1t in the
real Of the village, or a point covering
the rear. before the charge was made
by Capt. Egan. The failure allowed
the Indians to make good their escape
to the rocky businesses 81 the noun
tains overlooking the valley. from
which they subsequently poured in n
CALLING fire upon u troops. Mnore's
battalion was "a strong one in
bers, and needed only to he led TO the
front where it could be effective to do
good service. When it was discovered
that the battalion would not be at the
place assigned it, Maj. Stanton and.Lt.
Sibley with five men, left it and went
on, taking up the position which the
battalion should have occupied, and
gave the flying savages the best en-
filading fire they could. But they
were too few to prevent the escape of
the Indians. This was the first serious
blunder. The next was that after the
herd of ponies, numbering over 700,
had been captured, driven twenty
miles from the scene Of action, and
turned yer to Gen. Reynolds, com
handing the troops, he failed to place
u guard around them, SO that the
uroofar ,,Arfinn IF than, otrnrnI aF
during the night. and were picked up
by the Indians. When informed next
morning that the herd had escaped,
and the scouts reported that 1t was
being driven off by Indians, only two
or three miles from camp, he positive
ly declined to send u man or horse t o
recapture them thus allowing the
most substantial fruits of the victory
to be taken away without an opposing
effort. The next blunder was in leav-
ing his dead upon the field and direct
ing that they be so left, when 1t was
perfectly easy to have thrown them
upon horses and borne them away for
burial. 1t was v stated that one
WOuiiuSu III tihN Z iCAL OGillilu III
the village, belonging to Company NJ,
3rd Cavalry, and that.the line of skir-
mishers covering the withdrawal of
the troops, saw the Indians rush into
camp and scalp him. II these state
ments are true land all except the last
undoubtedly are). they should lead to
an investigation. II they were the
result of incompetency and inefi-
cheney, it should be known. Further
more, there were large quantities of
buffalo meat and venison in the VIII
lage. which Gen. Crook had directed,
in case of capture, to he brought out
for the use of the troops, who were or
half rations of salt meat. This was not
done, and as u result, the soldiers have
had no fresh meat except ponies since
that time.
Lieut.. Bourke. Mr.. Strahorn, and
Hospital Steward w. c. bryant went
with Egan oil the charge, and behaved
with decided g%allantry. The last
named had n horse killed under him,
and Lieut.. Bourke had his bridle-rcin
shot away. Capt. Egan's horse WINS
shot through the neck. and most OF
the horses In his Company were
wounded, and nearly every man had
bullet-holes through clothing or equip
nients. Lieut.. Bourkc and Mr.. Stra-
horn were conspicuous for their cool-
ness and courage throughout the en-
gngement.
cannot omit In this account of our
long march and tight on the Powder
river ! o-mention the gallnntry and
foliiei-lihe coriuct OF Capt. EGan, ind