Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-12-12
DANGEROUS RIDE.
How Four men ReIIeved Body OF
TroOpa-Meeting SIoux and yam
aulehlng Them-A SuceessfuI Ann
bash md a Lively Fight.
CorrespOndence Of the Evening Post.


spOndence Of the Evening Post.
EUeESE, Iowa, November 1S. 1879.
We were encamped a few yesrs ago up
on tributary of the Tongue River, some
seventy miles from its mouth. South Of
US were the Wolf Mountains. Rightly
named, too, are they, for I doubt whether
or not in all the world there is another Ie-
cality with so many wolves to the square
acre. Large, gaunt and bOny, they look
as if they had never known the satisfac-
tion of a square meal.
This region is the habitat of the Buff
falO. There is no time of the day when
some of them cannot be seen. Grass is
abundant in all the valleys, and a little
back from the river bluffs the rolling lands
supply SUPERB pasture. The day is not
far distant when herds Of cattle VIII sup
plant the game, as they have already In
the southern part Of Wyoming. From
Fort Casper down the Platte, and south
into Colorado, it is literally one immense
pasture covered with cattle and lively with
the cries of cowboys. But there will be
this difference in the two regions in
northern Wyoming, winter protection and
hay will be necessary, whereas in. the
south the cattle can subsist without this
care. However, hay will be easily OBJ
tanned. Never in my life did see such
meadows as are found above the forks of
the Tongue River to the foot of the Big
Horn Mountains, and it is the same almost
all the way to the right bank of the Big
Horn River. Beyond this line the Crow
Indians, who watch with suspicion the en-
.croachments Of the cattle herds This
season they refused to allow the passage
of herds from Oregon to the Wyoming
pastures, and the drovers were compelled
thereby to make large detour by the way
of Bear River, and to suffer consequent
loss of time. All this, however, is foreign
to what had in mind to write.
a cooperating body of cavalry which
started ont from the Loup fork of the
Platte, and another which had struck due
north from Fort Laramie, were to form
a junction in the Panther Mountains,
where we were to meet them with sup
plies. This movement, it was hoped,
would hem in and chastise the refractory
Sioux and bring about peace that would
efectually protect the frontier settlements.
These regiments of Missouri and Kan
sas troops had served with distinction
against the South, but experience has
proved that indian warfare is an entirely
different affair, and nothing but loss and
chagin came Of this attempt.s The guides
furnished proved to be imposters, totally
unacquainted with the country over which
the expedition was expected to pass. One
of them, in looking up the route, became |
lost A week afterward he was found
but his sufferings had been SO great that
his reason gave way, and he died before
the settlements were reached.
These troops reached the .neighborhood |
of Bear Buttes, and here they were beset
by the Sioux The four great bands
Ungapa, Minneeejou, Brule and Ogolalia
attacked them in force, harassing them
They finally reached Powder
River, although ignorant of their where
lbouts, and directed their march toward
its source. The time when they should
have formed a junction with us had
passed, and great was the Generals anx-
ety upon their account. Small parties
we're despatched in every direction in
search of them. One went west to Rose
1ud River; another down Tongue River
o its mouth, while the Pawnees, under
North, struck east over the divide to
Powder River.
Upon his return North reported that
hey had reached the valley of the river !
nd come upon several hundred head of
iorses lying dead an tied to their picket
opes; that the trail showed the troops to
e chiefly on foot, and in destitute con-
itioni that a large body of Sioux and
]heyennes were hanging upon their rear,
trough which they found it impossible
} penetrate. They were subsisting in L
art upon the flesh of mules
I had just risen in the morning, and
-as drawing on my boots, when an order 7
? saluted, and said the General wished
le to report at his teat. Upon arriving
lere found him desirous of sending me
, the Missouri cayaIrv- fFsss tE =
"Take whatever men you may think +
said he. aia % iit 2
! considered the matter until after break
ST. and decided to take but three. Three !.
ere enough to lose, I thought, and I could :
ot take sufficient to fight through, for they
,uld not be spared from the train. The Z
EN- 1 chose as companions were an Ohio
rgeant named Thomas, and two Pawnees
-La-sharo pit-kOo and Tuck-oo-wa-ter-oo :.
men whom 1 knew to be resolute and of :,
domitable courage. However there was =
1t little risk to run, as I had determined :.
make detour and come upon the col y
mn from the south. =
4tA%ttt' NNif LAtlANAeAOAo WIZ n
eted, AMI we started, after shaking hands d,
ith om comrades, many Of whom, no W
,ubt, thought they were gazing upon us "
r the last time, v,
The first two or three miles led us -
rough a very hilly country, densely COW te
ed with cedar and pine, but after leav- er
g this we came to a beautiful prairie 10
othed with buffalo grass. Deer started 81
D every few moments, while elk, ante a
pc and buffalo were abundant. At noon 10
G halted for dinner and examined anew n
If arms, for from the summit of the last W
ninence I disceTned the tops Of the cot W
n woods that skirted Powder River My re
,mrades were In excellent spirits. We h,
ere mounted on powerful horses, and I'll