The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-08-21

Fought - General sherman and
Hrs Views Of the Battle-Howard
to Continue the Pursuit.
~i.s,r,l q" The -. LOFTS Tunes
CHT,Go, August II. A dispatch
received at army headquarters tonight
gives additional particulars 81 the
massacre of Gibbons command ut Big
Hole, Montana, August 6. Gibbon
courted danger from the outset. and
forced marches over the toughest
country to overtake the Nez Perces,
whom he know Outnumbered him two
to one. What little remaining ambi
ton Gen. Howard possessed to meet
the savages in deadly conflict seems to
have been mouopolized by the brave
Giblon, and while the ,ormer hung
back and killed time writing dispatches
about the retrea,ing foe AMI his COM
mendable efforts to overtake and pun
i>h them, the latter was pushing along
over mountains AMI through CLUTCHES
with his handful of men en,leavorina
to come up with Joseph and his band
Gibbon was undoubtedly inspired with
SOME OF THE CUSTER AMBITION,
and while he appreciated the peril, he
still thought that his force. many of
whom were experienced Indian fighters
would be able to cope successfully with
the savages and possibly gain. victory
that would virtually end the troubles.
Howard. with the main force, was one
hundred miles in his rear when the
fight took place. AMI Gibbon it appears
entered the fight Knowing full well
that he could not receive >uccor from
his superior. 1t was evidently his in
tention to hiring on the fight. win If
possible. and thus gain the glory of
striking the final AMI finishing blows
in this Troublesome campaign.
On the other hand, the Indians We're
not taken by surprise. They Travelled
fast enough to lead Gibbon out of reach
Of assistance. AMI on reaching the
locality most desirable for battle they
awaited the
APPROACH OF THE ENEMY.
The courier in describing the battle
saws that the soldiers entered the fight
without any prearranged plan of at
tack. The savageS were encamped on
a flat or swampy piece of ground. that
rendered access to them exceedingly
difficult. One mile to the South was
the Big Hole river, and contiguous
was mountain range, offording the
best facilities for the Indian mode OF
warfare. After getting into the
swamp it was almost a matter Of i'm
possibility to retreat, and here the
savages intended to repeat the terrible
punishment that was inflicted upon
General Custer and his brave compan-
ions in the canyon.
Gibbon entered the defile that lead,
to tn, swamp early in the morning,
having received information the pre-
vious day that they were encampe,l
there and apparently
| UNsUsPICIOUS OF DANGER
or an attack. The white forces were
lei by an experienced scout that ha.i
frequently traverse,l that section o'
the country AMI professed to know
every inch Of ground. 1t was hardly
daylight when the command came ur-
ON party Of half dozen or more sava-
ges leading horses from the direction
Of the river. They disappeared almost
instantly, and the command pushed on
and reached the full force of the enemy
in a half hours march. They were
not found lowering over camp
fires preparing breakfast or lolnging
around as If no enemy was near. but
they opened the hattie at once with
deadly earnestness. They were all
under cover and the white forces were
bewiliered for a moment, seeing their
men falling rapidny and
no ENEMY IN SIGHT.
They soon brought about a change
in the situation. however, and the In
dams were forced to fall back. 1t
was during this little retreat of a few
hundred yards that the enemy suffered
most. The troops were fresh and
poured a leaden hail storm upon the
du<ky fends. They fell back slowly
towards the hill, but continued to pick
off our men with telling effect. Up
wards Of twenty men had fallen in the
encounter, but the slight success en-
couraged the remainer and they
pushed ON with wells that almost
drowned the war whoop of the saw
ages.
There was slight ravine mt the brow
Of the hill and along this the under
growth was almost impenetrable.
Across this the savages made a de-
termined stand and from the slight
rise of the hill they
AGAIN OPENED FIRE
upon our men. who were now lodging
around behind tree and bush and firing
without any apparent effect. II wa,
ut once evident to Colonel Gibbon
that the enemy would have to be dis
lodged from their present position, and
he moved down the ravine few hun
dred yards with the intention Of cross
ing and coming up on the other side.
The Indians moved around the hill
gradually, both sides continuing the
fire with unabated fury. In an at
tempt to force them from the hill at
this point, Lieutenant English was
badly wounded and number of men
were killed. Lieutenants Coolidge
and Woodruff were also wounded
afterwar,. AMI it is thought |
that the latters injuries
WILL. rEOvE FATAL.
Instead of leaving the hill the In |
lians fell back to a position where