The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-10-14

from Lewiston that he was collecting
his forces and would follow them to
Hell-gate. and settle the matter, the
command has travelled about two
thousand miles. The four companies
of infantry have walked all this distance,
and Capt. Coolidge, who was wounded
at the Big Hole fight, reports that when
he saw them last they presented a most
pitiable spectacle. They had neither
shoes nor socks, and their feet were
wrapped with gunny-sacks, pieces of
blankets, ETC., and many of them left
blood in their tracks. Footwear or
clothing of any sort was not procurable
in the country through which they
were marching. The cavalry was
mounted on American horses, while
the Indians rode ponies, driving with
them large herds and shifting to fresh
animals every few hours. These Indian
ponies can o%ut-travel the American
horses every day in the year.
l tell you, sir, that while l don't
think Howard is much of a warrior, l
think no man could have taken his
command, consisting, as it did, of both
mounted and Lnmounted men, and
done any better than lie has done. 1t
has simply been a chase, land the In
dian is always the swiftest in a chase.
And rs for Sturgis, of whom it cannot
be said, as of Howard, that he is more
Christian than soldier, he, too, has done
remarkably well, all things considered.
He had been on the go all summer,
having marched his command, prior to
joining in the chase after Joseph, nearly
two thousand miles since warm weather
set in. Yet, with his exhausted beasts
and tired, WORKOUT men he sailed out,
not knowing which trail the enemy in
tended to take, and, in this hap-hazard
way, overlook and punished the Indians
severely on the 14th of September.
Now, sir, Gen. Miles, mounted, not
on American horses, mind you, but on
Indian ponies, started in late, and, by
n series of marches which would have
been impossible with anything short of
a fresh command, passed, or rather
went around Howard and Sturgis, lit
down on Joseph and licked him. Gen.
Miles is n splendid soldier, and he
should have the lions share of the glory
| for this achievement; but, because he
happened to pitch in at the right time
and gobble the game, Howard and
| Sturgis, have their full measure of
credit. They have made the best time
OH record over the worst country that
God ever made" The officer who
delivered the above has seen much hard
service in the Indian country.
When word reached Fort Shaw, and
was transmitted thence to all quarters,
that the Nez Perces had crossed the
Missouri and were heading for the
border, everybody, including the army
officers who had been betting, first on
Howard and then on Joseph, ever since
the race began, said that the copper
colored nag from the Pacific slope
would 60 into Canada a good many
lengths ahead. Miles and his fresh
ponies were not reckoned in the race at
all. And even when news came that
he had overtaken and engaged the
hostiles, and was endeavoring to amuse
them until reinforcements could arrive,
the chances seemed nine to one that the
enemy could get away and skip over
the line. Gen. Sheridan, while accord
ing to Miles all the glory he has honora-
bly, and nationally achieved, thinks that
Howard and Sturgis should share the
credit of the victory with him. He
says this fact should not be overlooked.
Gen. Miles pounced upon and captured
a game which had been chased to death
by Howard and Sturgis. The lieutenant
general believes that Howard, whose
campaigning has been severely c%ritici-
sed, has done the very best he knew
how, and that the soldiers under him
have suffered great privations and
hardships in their unparalleled march.
[Chicago Times.