Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-03-02

the Kelt0WstOme-GrRp Recital
Of the Recent Operations Of Gen.
Miles, Command.
Correspondence st. Paul Pioneer Press
TONGUE RIVER, Mont, Jan. 1S.
| don't know of any incident since
the war that excited my enthusiasm
so much as the sight of General
Miles and his command, marching
into the post to-day, returning from
a three weeks campaign against
the Indians. AS they passed me,
wading through snow almost knee
deep, with their heads covered with
ice, hands and feet bundled up to
twice their natural size, an old pic
ture Of Napoleon's army in Rus
sia, REQUIRED to my mind, and |
thought how small would appear
that generals winter experiences,
were the campaigns in this coun-
try made a part of our history. The
results, of course, are not to be COM
pared, but the Individual hardships
endured, without the same in
centiye, is what ennobles the eff
forts of our troops, and makes a
reputation for the little army of
the Yellowstone which any other
might envy. The expedition was
against Crazy Horse aud his band,
who was encamped at or near the
Wolf mountains, about ITO miles
from here.
On the day before reaching that
point the scouts, who were in ad-
vance, suddenly came upon eight
squaws and children, ladened with
buffalo meat. They were at once
captured and taken back to camp.
This indicated the close proximity
of a consolidated force, so every
precaution was taken to prevent
surprise or ambush. The scouts
were again sent out to keep sharp
lookout, but they had not been
gone over an hour before they were
surrounded and attacked at very
close range. They threw them.
selves into a olump of woods close
by and kept off the Indians till re-
lief was sent from the main column,
When this firing was heard, and
the picketS gave the alarm Of In
dams, Captain Casey's company, a
Rodman gun, and the mounted
men under Lieutenant Hargons
were sent out. General Miles or
dered Casey to occupy a hill in
front and on the other side of the
river, about three-qUarters of a
mile from the camp. About two
hundred Indians made an advance
in skirmish line against this posi-
ton, and . brisk fire was opened
and kept up till darkness and the
retirement Of the lndiaps put a
stop to il. This action, together
with tho movements Of the mount
ed party, relieved the scouts. They
are men who have done 0 great
deal Of this kind of work, and they
say that this siirmish was the hot
test they were ever in, ana bad not
the relief been sent to them ss
promptly, few Of their number
would have escaped.
The encampment at this place
was in a clump Of timber in a bend
of the river. In front was an open
plain Of about half a mile in length,
with woods and the river beyond;
on the right, across the river, was a
narrow bottom with hills beyond;
on the left was a bluff about sixty
feet in hight, which was occupied
by the battery commanding the
open plain and the hills on the
other side of the river.
Indians in force were discovered
in front. General Miles at once
ordered Captain Casey 10 the sup
port of the battery on the blqif,
and deployed Dickey'S, Cusick's
and Carriers companies across the
plain. Casey had occupied his pos
ition but a few minutes when he
was ordered to occupy a hill further
to the left, as the Indians were
seen swinging around In that direc-
ton. The hill was high and Pre-.
clpitous, with a fiat top, and COM