The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-21
official Account of an Indian Skin.
fuiSll.

The following was recently received at
military headquarters at Chicago:
FORT LARAMIE, September 16.-General
r. c. Drum, Chicago, Illinois: The following
dispatch has just been received from Gen.
eral Crook:
BIG HORN AND EXPEDITION
CAM NEAR owl CREEK, DAKOTA, Sept. Is.
To General Sheridan, Chicago: Marched
from Heart River, passing q great many
trails of Indians going down all the differ
emit streams we crossed between Heart River
and this point, apparently working their
way coward the Agencies. Although some
trails seemed fresh, our animals were not in
condition to pursue them. From the north
fork of Grand River l sent Captain Miller,
of the Third Cavalry, with $50 men
mounted on our strongest horses, to go in
advance to Deadwood, to procure supplies
of provisions. On the evening of the 8th,
near the Slim Buttes, he discovered a hostile
village of thirty odd lodges, lay by there
that night, and attacked them by surprise
yesterday morning, capturing the village,
some prisoners, and a number of ponies, and
killing some of the Indians. Among the In
dams was the Chief, American Horse, who
died of his wounds after s~urrendering to us.
Our W casualties were slight, but among
them was First Lieutenant Won Luttewitz, Of
The 1ulEu SdNd1Iyy nOuuuCo 6cI4OuolN III tuO
knee, and leg since amputated. In the vii
lage were found, besides great quantities of
dried meat and ammunition, an army guide
and portions of officers and non-commis-
stoned officers uniforms, and other indica-
tions that the Indians of this village had par
~ticipated in the Custer massacre. Our main
column got up about loon that day, and was
shortly after attacked by a considerable
body Of Indians, who the prisoners said be-
longed to the village of Crazy Horse, who
was camped somewhere between their own
village and the Little Missouri River. This
attack was undoubtedly under the SUPPOSE
ceived no reinforcements. The prisoners
further stated that most of the hostile In
dams were now going into the Agencies,
with The exception of Crazy Horse and Sit
ting Bull with their immediate followers.
Crazy Horse intended to remain near the
headwaters of the Little Missouri, and about
half of Sitting Bulls band, numbering
from sixty to a hundred lodges, had gone
north of the Yellowstone, while ther remain
der of that band, with some Sans Arcs, Min
~neconious, and Uncpapas had one in the
vicinity of Antelope Buttes, there to fatten
their ponies and trade with the Rees and
others. 1 place great reliance on these
statements, from other coroboratory evil
dence which 1 have. These Indians with
Sitting Bull will amount to three or four
hundred lodges, and in my judgment can
very easily be struck by General Terry't
column, provided it go in light marching
order and keep under cover. Our prisoners
also, in their conversation, fully confirmed
in every particular my opinions as already
t~elegraphed you. We had a very hare
march from Heart River. For eighty mile
we did not have a particle of wood
nothing but a little dry grass, whiel
was insufficient even to cool COTE,
for the men. During the greater por
ton of the time we were drenched by tn
cold rains, which made travelling yer,
heavy. A great many of the animals gay
out, and had to be abandoned, and the 9th
ers are now in such a weak condition tina
the greater number of them will not be abb
to resume the campaign until after a reason
able rest. 1 should like to have about fv
hundred horses, preferably the half-bree
horses, raised on the Laramie plains or il
the vicinity Of Denver, and acclimated t
this country. l intend to carry out the pre-
gramme mentioned in my last dispatch vi
Fort Lincoln, and shall remain in the vicir
ity of Deadwood until the arrival of m
wagon train. [Signed1
GEORGE CROOK, Brigadier.G General.
P. II. SHERIDAN, Lieutenant-G General.