The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-18
CHASED BY THE SIOUX.


[Capt. John F. Finerty an old Chicago journal
ist now accompanying Gen. Crooks expedition
against the Sioux savages, sends to the Chicago
Times the following thrilling story of Indian ad-
venture j
The day after Crooks party returned
from their hunt, the General, expecting
the wagon train every moment, deter
mined to send out accommodating
party along the base of the mountain,
northwest, to discover where the In
dians were and to take general obser-
vation of the country. Lieut.. Frederick
Sibley, of f company, Second Cavalry,
with 25 picked men drawn from the
regiment, was detailed to accompany the
scouts, Frank Grouard and Baptiste
Fourier, on the reconnaissance. John
Becker, q mule-p packer who had some ex-
perience as q guide, was also of the
party. The scouts had ventured for
ward some twenty miles two nights be-
fore, but saw Indians and returned. An
officer came around to my tent on the
morning of July and informed me of
the plan. He said the party were going
in the direction of the Little Big Horn
river, southwest, and if no Indians were
discovered they would proceed still fur
ther. AS I was sent out here to see the
country and not to dry-rot around
camps, made up my mind to go with
Sibley, who is fine young officer and
son of the late Col. Sibley, of Chicago.
I obtained Crooks permission, which
he appeared rather reluctant to give,
and was ready to start with the party
mustered at noon. Each of us carried
1, ~f oh
provender to last week. The scouts
led us to camp on Big Goose creek, but
thirteen miles from Camp Cloud Peak,
where we remained until night. When
evening had sufficiently advanced, our
little party, 80 men all told, moved for
ward for the most part on the old Fort
@. E. Smith road, Grouard keeping
sharp lookout from every vantage
point ahead. The full moon rose upon
us by o'clock, and we continued our
ride along the foot of the mountain un-
Til o'clock that morning. Then we
halted at point seven miles from the
Little Big Horn, in Montana, and fully
forty miles from our permanent camp,
half-corraled Our horses, and slept until
daylight, our pickets keeping watch
from the bluffs above our encampment.
At 4:30 o'clock on the morning of Fri
day, July z, we were again IN the sad
die, pressing on toward where the
scouts supposed the Indian village to be.
Reaching the foot of rocky mound,
Grouard told us to halt while he took
observations. By this time we had
moved about four miles from our late
bivouac. We observed Grouard's s move
ments with some interest, as we knew we
were in the enemy's country, and might
encounter Indians at any moment
Scarcely had the scout taken first look
motion of his hand summoned Baptiste
to his side. Both left their ponies be-
low the bluff, and observed the country
from between the rocks on the summit.
A minute afterward they had mounted
their horses, and came galloping back
to us. "Quick, for your lives" cried
Grouard. We mounted Immediately
and followed him. He led us among
hills of red sandstone, the footstool of
the mountains, and we were obliged tc
make our horses leap down on rocky
ledges as much as six or seven feet to
follow his course. Within fifteen min
utes we reached q hill sufficiently large
to conceal our horses, while those of us
who were furnished with glasses, name
ly, Grouard, Fourier, Lieut.. Sibley, and
myself, went into the rocks, and waited
to see what was coming. "What did
you see, Frank" asked Sibley of the
scout. "Only Sitting Bulls war party, %
Frank replied. "Knew they were az
here without coming at all" We die
not have long to wait for the c,ynsirma
tion OF his words. Almost a. the same
instant groups of mounted seyoees ap
peared on every hill no. .th and east ot
MS. Every moment i-,creesoj the num
bers, until they seemed 10 cover th,
country far and vide. "They have no
seen us yet" sAid the scout. "Unles.
some OF them hit uron the trail we ar,
compare.h' yely safe.
Gr% .i1ally the rignt flank o. the In
dlanfs approached the ground over which
we Dad come that morning and the pre-
W Gus night. We watched their move
Jnents with breathless interest. Sud
denly an Indian attired in red blanke
halted, looked for amoment at the earth
and began to ride around in a circle
"Now look out" said Grouard, "tha
fellow has found our trail and they vii
be after us in five minutes"
" What are we going to do 2" aske
the young officer.
"Well, we have but one chance c
escape" said Grouard, "let tis lead ou
horses into the mountains and try I
cross them. Meanwhile prepare for th
worst."