Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-09-30
THE INDIAN CAMPAIGN.


Attack Upen = Camp Of sieux..A Hestil
village Discsvsred BY Col. Aliils..Th
Indians Surprised :. Complete Victor
Ter the Troops.
On the fifth Of September, says cor
respondent writing from Gen. Crook
command, from tho headwaters OF Hear
river, Gen. Crook sent dispatches vii
Fort Lin soln to Gen. Sheridan, stating
that he should move down to the Blacl
Hills that he was nearly out OF sup
plies, and desired the wagon train to bt
sent to meet the command. His forces
were put on half rations on the same
day. Hunting was allowed, and some
game obtained. On the sixth the men
began to kill and eat the abandoned
horses. On the night Of the seventh a
pack train Of Afty-one mules under
Psckmaster Moore started for Deadwood
in the Hills, supposed TO be about seven
ty miles distant. The train was escorted
by a picked force Of fifteen men from
each Of the ton companies Of the Third
cavalry, Capt. Arson Mills commanding
About thirty miles out Frank Gruard
discovered an Indian village of thirty.
three lodges of about two hundred in.
habitants. The discovery was made on
the eighth, and the command fell back
into ravine, and waited there until two
o'clock the next morning. Capt. Mills
sent back word to Gen. Crook that he
should attack them when the time came.
The men led their horses down to with.
in three hundred yards Of the village.
It was still dark, but the herd of Indian
ponies commenced to raise such an alarm
as necessitated an immediate charge.
Twenty-Five mounted men charged
through the village under command of
Lieut.. Schwalka, while Lieut.. Crawford
and Won Lentwitz led two skirmish
lines of dismounted men on either side
of the creek to shoot the Indians as they
rushed out of their tents.
The attack was complete surprise,
but the attacking force was not strong
enough to surround the village in time
to prevent the escape of the Indians,
who dashed out OF their tents, and run
ming some distance, opened fire. Lieut..
Won Leutwitz fell at once, with ball
through the knee, and the leg has since
been amputated. Some Indians took
refuge in ravine, and their escape was
cut off. The skirmishing continued till
the arrival of the advance guard of the
command. All the Indians had retired,
but those in the trenches held out. In
attempting to dislOdge them White. one
of the scouts, was shot dead, and Pri.
vate Kennedy of the Fifth cavalry had
his leg so shattered that he died this
morning. Private Vented of the Third
cavalry had been shot through the head
earlier in the day, and another man was
wounded in the foot. One of the In
dams was shot dead by Big Bat, the
halfbreed scout, as he rose to take aim.
It was ascertained that there were women
and children in the ravine, and every
effort was made to save their lives. The
soldiers had been SO exasperated by
their serious losses that they could hard
ly be prevented from carrying the place
with rush. If they had, nothing would
have come out alive. Between two and
three o'clock in the afternoon the H.
dians surrendered. 1t was found that
twenty six people had run into this
hole. Three men came out alive, but
one, Iron Shield, was shot and MORALLY
wounded. He died this morning. Three
dead squaws and one child were taken
out. The other women and children
were unframed. Gen. Crook desired to
spare the lives of the men, to get in
formation from them.
A short time after the surrender,
while the men were cooking their din
ners, all alarm was given. A body of
Indians had made sudden dash for the
herd Of captured ponies. They were
fred at by the herd guard and the pick
cts, and driven back. Firing opened at
once from all the bluffs and ridges west
and northwest of the camp. 1t was evil
dent that re endorsements had been OBJ
tanned from Crazy Horses village west
OF us, and they had come in expecting
to find only the small attacking party OF
the morning. The enemy could be seen
i'll large numbers riding rapidly toward
tho points of attack. Then the infantry
marched out from their camp and took
position in front of the cavalry and
swarmed up the first hill in skirmishing
order. The ridges in front of them were
speedily cleared. The cavalry moved
at on the left, and the whole line went
with cheers from ridge to ridge, clearing
every one for two miles. The enemy
were seen riding with extreme rapidity
tho way they had come. At dusk the
firing ceased. Some picket firing con-
tinued during the night, and when the
Fifth cavalry were drawing out of camp
this morning the Indians came quiet
close, and a lively skirmish entued
The withdrawal was ably conducted by
Major Upham, and only one man was
hurt.
The command marched no more then
ten miles to-day, on account of tina
A party will start for Dead
wood tonight for supplies. The whole
force is feeding Oh the meat captured in
the village. 1t was stored with immense
quantities of supplies OF every kind
The band was under command of Roman
Nose, an agency Indian, and the party
we're returning to Standing Rock. A
euidon, saddle and saddle bags, and
belonging to the Seventh cav
airy were found. The carbines belong
ing to the Seventh regiment were given
up by tho Indians who surrendered. A
letter was found on the body of one of
The Indians from Agent E. A. Howard,
SLaGl0R tDhC bnlS lnulan WAS BOOu ana
peaceable; that he was going to hunt
buffalo, and recommending him to the
faithful consideration of white men. The
letter was dated in February last. Some
sacks of corn taken from the store aban-
ioned at Powder river by General Terry
we're also among the plumber. Gen.
Crook, while commencing Capt. Mills,
regrets that he did not send back word
earlier. If the whole command had
been on the ground not one Indian
would have escaped from the village.
The march for Deadwood will be con-
,inued tomorrow. We have only eleven
men who need to be carried.
The spirit of the command has been
greatly raised by the recent success.
and starvation had apparently
broken it until the first hostile shots
,ame in.
The Channel Tunnel.
Work on the channel tunnel between
France and England will begin simuita-
,anuolv or both anIa IN Iulv 1877