Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1879-10-31
BRIsBO and SITTING BULL
A HALF-BREED SCOUTS VIEW.
OF THE LAST CAMPAIGN.


OF THE LAST CAMPAIGN.
The Battle of Gen. Miles with the
Indians Pronounced Farce
Sitting Bull will Neither
Fight or Give Up.
THEIR STORY
Two of Gen. Miles scouts came down
the river as far as this point last week.
Chris ellison and Oliver Brisbo. Chris
is well known in this vicinity and he can
roll a cigarette with as much grace as
Yellowstone Kelly or Buffalo Bill. He
has been all over the Yellowstone coun-
try and is familiarly acquainted with
every Indian trail. Brisbo is N ez Perces
halfbreed. He has pleasant counte-
nance and talks rather good English. His
folks live in Oregon, but he became rest
less and wanted to see the world. He has
had many dime novel escapes. Last
spring he came from Ft Belknap, seeing
Indians on Milk river near Beaver
Creek He had two white men with him
who were afraid to go into the hostiles'
camp, but BIisbo finally prevailed upon
them, and they went. The chiefs told
Brlsbo that they were down hunting and
did not want to fight the Great Fathers
warriors. Brisbo came on down and i'm
parted this information to Miles. Miles
employed him as scout and sent him out
to scourge the country. The reported
9j GREAT FIGHT OF MILES
with the hostile Sioux last summer was a
farce. The true einwardness, Brisbo thinks,
never has yet been revealed. Miles was
ambitious and wanted a chance to show
his bravery. Two companies of soldiers
and tifly-four Indian scouts, Brisbo being
one of them, under Lieut.. Clark, started
out in advance of;Miles' command The
engagement took place about fifty miles
south of the line. The Indians were 60
ing north and did not want to fight They
had come down TO hunt buffalo, and were
then on their way back across the line.
Brisbo saw Sitting Bull in the distance ac~
companied by two Nez Perces and two
Sioux. They were waving their hands
which signitied the desire to talk with
Miles. The Grow scouts with Clark
wanted to fight and they began firing.
SITTING BULL ..a
turned away and joined his band over the
ridge. There were only twelve braves
with their women and children with Sit
ting Bull, the main band being then on a
retreat. They wanted to get their wives
and children to a place of safety so they
showed fight. Selecting favorable loca-
ton, they began to fire back, the women
and children retreating in haste. One
squaw and child had already been killed
by the scouts, who had kept up an inces-
SAINT firing. The twelve warriors stood off
the tifty-four scouts until the two com
panies came up. They then retreated,
several of the scouts following them close
". One Crow had been firing at Sitting
Bull throughout the skirmish. A Sioux
told Sitting Bull and Bull turned and
fired, saying, ''you want to kill me, do
you? II. s,...s- &c.,, ....,...... .
DIE YOU DOG"
The top of the Grows head was blown off.
Bear Caps outfit of $50 lodges were about
two miles from the skirmiSh when they
heard that the soldiers were near, sixty
of them returned and showed fight simply
to give the main band chance to get the
women and children away. Had the In
dians wanted to fight they could have
taken Miles whole command. They were
we'll armed and lacked nothing in num-
Der. They knew that if they fought they
could not return across the British line.
j Johnny BREWER, who is now in the US.
Jail at Fargo for murder, was amcng the
scouts The Indians hate BREWER and
say that he lied to them. They will kill
him if they ever get a chance. Both Gill
sen and Brisbo are we'll acquainted with
the hostile Sioux. They have been in Sit
ting Bulls camp several times during the
past season. Once they went with John
Finnerty, correspondent of the Chicago
Times. The Indians thought Finnerty
was Gen. Miles They gathered around
him, shaking hands, and expressing
most friendly feeling. The report that the
SIOUX ARE HOSTILE TO AMERICANS
is emphatically denied. They have
greeted every white man who has been in
their camp this season with a friendly
grasp. Smith, who had the hay contract
fol the new post, went within eight miles
of the hostile camp with his stock. For
fear that the Grows would steal the stock
and the blame be attached to the Sioux,
Sitting Bull sent out several of his war
riors to keep them away. There are now
about 3.700 Indians in Sitting Bulls band.
The principal chief is Spotted Eagle. Sit
ting Bull is a sort of counselor. All the
chiefs go to him for council. He will not
surrender or fight, He says it would have
done no good TO have massacred Miles, as
more soldiers would have been sent, and
he would have been driven from the Brit
;ish line. and then he. would have no