The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-07-28
CROOKS SCOUTS.
Account of Lieut.. Sibiey;s Exploi. on
Rosebud

olio III OIOOh camp SENDS the follow
! ing:
"A accommodating party Of 50 per-
sons under the command of Second
Lieut.. Friedrich W. Sibley, of the sec
ond cavalry, was sent from this camr
on July e. They were to observe the
movements and and position of the
| sioux, and if possible the whereabouts
OF Terry. On the 9th they returned
on foot after a terrible retreat of two
nights and one day. They were sur
rounded by the enemy in prodigious
numbers, and only escaped mirac-
ulously by the sacrifice of all their
| equipment excepting arms a4d ammu-
milton, including 81 picked saddle
| horses and two mules. But for the
| sagaclty and caution Of guides, Gruord
ana Baptlste. and the judgment and
| gallantry of Sibley, no one would have
| survived.
The handful of men left our camp
| IN broad daylight with strange alb
| sence Of precaution. for which some
! body superior to Sibley in rank is re
sponsible, it being usual to disguise
| such movements under the shelter Of
| darkness.
They marched all night Of the 9th
| toward the sources of the Little Big
| Horn. On the It'll, after a slight meal.
which afterward saved them from per-
lshing, they pursued their course
through some foothills verging to-
ward the mountains. The conforma-
ton OF the cavalry was extremely fav-
| orable to an ambuscade. The Sioux
covered a wide plain.
At about half-past four large body
of Sioux was espjed from the top of
the bluff, marching eastward. They
seemed to spread all over the plain.
and evidently were moving to attack
the camp on Goose creek. Lieut.. Sib-
ley party remained concealed and in
horrible anxiety for an hour Watching
their movements. Soon a tremendous
shout warned them that the trail they
seemed to ! e looking for was found.
Quickly hundreds of savages were
crowded upon it. and set out upon Che
| chase at full canter, uttering those
terrible WOlish cries peculiar to the
Sioux and Cheyenes.
The scouting party mounted and
gallOped toward the mountains, the
Sioux yelling as they caught a glimpse
| of them like hounds on the scent.
They seemed to be diStanced in the
race, but had broken into bodies and
were making a double circuit to gain
the high points which they knew the
pursued must pass. The scouting par
ty climbed the outer ridge and were
approaching shelter about noon, trot-
ting quietly through a ravine. when
suddenly volley of fifty shots was
poured from the surrounding rocky
slopes, where the savages were massed.
while as many more of them charged
/ upon them like fury. Every man of
the little party felt despair chilling
him. They wheeled and galloped for
the timber III the valley, followed by
volley before they reached shelter
| three horses were wounded.
| They dismounted on a knoll covered
/ by a grove, and could see the enemy
SWarming on TIE foot hills below.
: while constant reinfOrcementS gained
/ the higher points around them. A
plunging fire tore the foliage from the
pines, and us their numbers thickened.
the roar of the volleys was perfectly
deafening. The bullets were all too
high, but the enemy were gradually
perfecting their aim, and nOtched the
trees close about their heads. The
leading chief was clothed in white
buckskin, land called out in theCheyenne
tongue "You are not the only people
! in this country"
He was undoubtedly the celebrated
White Antelope, a Southern Cheyenne.
All the boldeSt attacking warriors
seemed to shout Cheyenne war cries.
while the more timid, who fired from
rocks, uttered Sioux CALCULATIONS. The
fuSilade continued an hour, the scouts
replying seldom, in order to save am
munitiOn, when suddenly there was Il
lull, seeming to pOrtend some new
mischief, the guides declaring that
death was artain. and swOre to end
their own lives Rather than suffe} cap
ture and torture. Sibley delivf ed Il
harangue of 20 words to his nm, to
which they responded stoutly. lie
told them there were two alternatives
to die hOnOrably. or TO escape dis
honorably. Gruard declared that if
there was a coward among them he
would be shot rather than the enemy.
\ brief council was held, and by
the dUNlCe Oh Ullt SElutS bllty ueltI-
mined to attempt to escape further in
to the mountains, leaving their horses
to engage the attention of the Sioux,
tied to the trees. All the ammunition
was taken from the saddles. The par
ty then moved stealthily from the
ground and dashed behind the project
ing rocks. The Sioux did not see
them, and they climbed UP and up,
over slippery precipices, until ex.
hausted. While resting they heard
firing commence louder than ever, and
knew all their horses would probably
be killed, and be a sorry prize for
their captorS.
The volleys were terrific, the Sioux
thinking they still had them III their
clutches. The scouts resumed their
laundering; the carhines were hand
ed up the rocks from hand to hand.
Had the Sioux pursued them on the
grim heights that froWned upon them
thev could have crushed them with
boulders which were poised ready to
fall They continued to hear the