The New York herald., 1876-10-02
ROCKS CAMPAIGN.
!rible Suffering OF
His Troops.
HE SPARTAN GENERALS BLANKETS
The Troops in the American Desert
Run a Race with Starvation.
COLONEL MILLS LUCKY FIND
Story of the Attack on Roman
Noses Village.
CROOKS SHAM SIMPLICITY OF LIFE.
COLONEL MILLS LUCKY FIND
Story of the Attack on Roman
Noses Village.
CROOKS SHAM SIMPLICITY OF LIFE.
DEADwooD CRY, Black Hills, D. T., |

General crooks second march In search OF tho hos
tne Sioux from Goose Greek, begun August g. has
Of the remarkable progresses IN history
IL will bc compared with the OF Napo
leon from Moscow, and might have been equally dis
aslrous, but for q freak OF the fortune which
rules the dcstines OF war, enabling the army TO
capture small Sioux village, containing stores OF food
sufficient defer tho menaclng presence OF starvation
This action ingorious, fur as 1t affected the
main body Of troops In the field, as they wero much
stronger in numbers than the savagcs who resisted
and could not but victorious II properly led.
Through the Of officer terrible reverse
one moment imminent but thu firm
moss Of subordinate and the spirit OF his
troops savod him. Undoubtedly the military
ord OF this campaign will bc em5azoned with
gratulation on the annhilation OF Roman Noses
village but il should be known that the true narrative
Of the event brings into stronger rcef tho fragrant inn
beclity ana lack Of foresight which has marked the
operations OF tho southern column in the Sioux
propose resume the history at the point where 1t
dropped in my latest communication by mail and
to marshal the incidents IN chronological order
oMINous INCIDENTS
When the supporting column from Fort Laramie
The Fifth cavalry under General Wesley Merritt
Joined General Crooks main command the latter had
made a retrograde march Of twenty miles, from the
South Fork OF the Tongue River TO Goose Greek. The
whole force was constituted OF ,25c cavalry 400
fantry aud about $50 Indian and civilian scouts.
On the evening when the general order
for the advance issued there a
very complex excitement in camp The elements and
our human enemy seemed in league to puzzle and
alarm us. The atmosphere was couded by dense
Of oul smoke, hanging close the earth and
constantly augmented by the wind VIII. ch blew from
the prares burning along tho base OF the mountains
The glowed like . sullcn ember and sunk behind
the ghosy peaks ol snow the west In the strange
twilight OF figures appeared bench Of land
west OF tho stream. they were mounted and moved
in silent order, but reaching the crest Of the
inence they suddenly paused and turning with
startling swlttuess galoped away. They appeared to
be clothed like soldiers, but their manner of riding
was unmisakably Indian. Twice they again
seen on distant ridges and then vanished. A
special picket stationed tho bank of
the stream. had observed the strange appa-
rition; but were alarmed after they had nrst
dashed away by small shower Of bullets pasfer,ng
ths ground Their horses hoos probably fred by
the rcd devils while running. There doubt that
they Sitting Bulls spies, to discover the
meaning Of tho retreat from the South Fork OF the
Tongue River aud 10 strength sftor tho ac
ossson Of the reinforcements.
FLAME
During the night tho camp fanked by acres OF
nAme Tho confagration had leaped from the western
the side of the stream cracking among
the green cottonwood produced dense, pungent
smoke which oppressed every sense while the flicker
ing glare Of the burning, struggling through it. created
grotesquc illusions change, however, came.
The wind stronger and stronger, until 1t
grew to hurricane. whirlipg before mingled dust
and smoke Tho sky was profoundly black, like The
sbon vaults OF chaos. with u backncss which only
found expression when relieved by The urd streams
OF lightning flashing across the horizon. Our tents
were prosrated as lightly as the down is blown from
tho thistle by tho summer zephyr, and tho pathetic
example Of Marius burlesqued by melancholy
men who sat disconsostc upon or among
the ruins to prevent them from flying away. Tho
wind roared hosrsey and the thunder peacd III
ringing tones. Suddenly, midnight, tho rain fell
- II the very heavens dropping. The nre had
spread with dreadful rapidy against the wind toward
she camp but was suddenly quenched Had It
unucd its progress all night It Is probable that the
supply tram would have been destroyed.
BEGINNING THE MARCEL
On the morning OF August s the battalion OF In
iantry moved at o'clock and the cavalry an hour
later. Tho civilian scouts marshalled under
AajorT. II. Stanton, who then and thereafter
tempted In vain mako OF frontier ruans soldiery
volunteers They knew discipline ave OF authority
md straggied along In very dsorganzed But
hlo Bill led detachment OF scouts, Frank Gruard
Richards and Paurrier as independent spes reported
iirectiy to General Crook The Snakes and Utes
iritca forward In advance OF tho column, a gaudy
tinted throng under the control Of Major Randall
The march tho Rosebud has becn briefly but sum-
eently described by telegraph. The hardships OF
march began the wagons Left.
The intantry. in crossing Tongue River q score OF
times in day, suffered terribly from limbs
and fect Moving westward the Panther
Mountains tho column passed ovcr high ridges from
which view was had OF the whole OF the Rosebud
and Little Horn country It was backencd aud DESC
late. The neld OF the light OF Juno II recognized
and halted near the mouth Of the canyon which
penetrated by Colonel Mills In advancing toward
Sitting BULBS village Traces of two immense
campments of the Sioux about two miles apart filed
the valley, which Is milo wide on both sides OF the
stream and together than league in length.
ExcoxrAssxD sxoKE AND FIRE.
Al the command descended from the mountains to
the lower plateau and into tho valley entered
mospherc OF smoke and heat which almost sui-
locating. The biinked through tho unnatural
twilight swollen and bloody, whio the western breeze
was torrid as simoom. On the day It
was found necessary to halt ON account OF
The obscurity, which had wo continued gropng
along the OF the hills would have gwen attack
ing enemy 4 nzblc advantage The bullets OF
the might been felt while the flash Of their
guns was invisible Whine swcItcring in camp tho ire
swept rapidly toward US. anu IT'S uisslhK oreatn
seemed almost upon Al six O'Clock IN the evening
the column resumed the march. The landscape was
only dimly disceruble by the light OF misiveilcd
moon. The troops moved grmly and almost silently
but Tor their kuilen tramp
CusTER's FATAL
The trail was very indistinct, but when Diana
showed her Taco charity could discern indications
ulon OF tho passage OF Two cavalry dies, which sub
pcquent usage had partly enaccd. We were treadng
backward the path which Gust had made when he
vent toward The village on the Little Horn. Wo be-
oil the fact some distance from the point
where he lett tue valley. An older wagon trail crosses
the valley, made In 1879 by hundred miners wno
fought their way through the Sioux nation. They
killed fortyonc indians and lost only OF their own
NUMBER. AZ eiovcn O'Clock We halted and Law down
IN our blankets.
On the 9th march Of eighteen miles made
through = burned region, where there frequent
Indications uf the former sites of Sioux village
and some of recent war encarnpments Where tho