The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-09-19
CHAPTER XIV.


The wounded men from the 7th were
taken in travois from the camp on Little
Horn to the steamboat, which had come
to the mouth of that stream and was
taken by it down the Yellowstone and
Missouri to Fort Lincoln. The troops
were marched down the Big Horn and
encamped near its mouth. Soon after
ward part of Terry's command moved
down to the mouth of Rosebud and made
that place supply depot. Lieut.. Josiah
Chance, who was quartermaster at the
Powder river depot, was ordered to move
his supplies to the new station. This
officer did not have transportation
enough and had to leave 900 pounds
of corn and some oats.
But few days after his departure the
Sioux camp, on its way down from the
Little Horn, crossed Powder river near
its mouth, and finding the corn, packed
it of, and for three days all Of the squaws
in camp were busy parching it for food.
Right after the lieutenant had arrived at
the camp on Rosebud with his train, he
took the steamer Far West and came
back down the river for his forage. He
found the Sioux in possession of the
camp, but after lively skirmish recap
tured it, and succeeded in getting away
with the oats only.
Just after this the steamer \ ellowstone
owned principally by DIR. Lamme, OF
Boseman, with stores for the Montana
settlements, came up and reported hav-
ing run the gauntlet of large body Of
Indians, at Coulston Rapids, forty miles
below Powder river, in which one man
was killed and another wounded, and the
pilot house, which was sheathed with
boiler iron, was dented by bullets all
over its surface.
When the news of the Custer defeat
reached Sheridan, he instantly took
measures to strengthen the armies. To
Gen. Crook he sent ten companies Of the
5th cavalry and some infantry; and all of
the 5th Infantry and some of the 10th
helped to swell the skeleton Of Terry's
army; and troops from the southern and
eastern states, we're placed at the different
Sioux agencies.
At about the lst of August Gen. Crook,
with 1900 fighting men and large pack
train, left the new fort on Powder river
for another campaign through the Indian
country. His counse lay along the Big
Horn range to Goose creek, down which
stream he went, to its junction with
Tongue river, and down that to the trail
of the Sioux, made by them when leav-
ing the Little Horn, and followed it to
Rosebud; meeting at the latter place with
Terry's command.
Side by side the two armies marched
till Powder river was reached and there
separated, Terry turning to the left
towards the Yellowstone and Crook going
ahead on the Indian trail, which he fol-
lowed to the Little Missouri, where it
split into several parts. The Indians not
being able to kill meat in sufficient
quantities for such large body, for there
must have been from $4,000 to $1,000 Of
men, women and children in the camp
had to separate into small parties
to hunt.
Gen. Crook, without definite object
struck out into the bad lands and when
on the divide between the Little Mis-.
souri, and Heart rivers, he turned to the
right and made direct for the Black Hills
His course for $50 miles ran through q
barren country, without game and but
little water and that strongly impregnat
ed with sulphur and alkalies and in the
very hot weather experienced, the mer
suffered greatly with dysentery and SUI
stroke. Several died on the trip and one
sergeant becoming crazy, wandered st
and was never again heard from. Man,
of the horses and mules gave up ane
were left on the trail; to be afterwarf
picked up by parties from the Hills who
went out for that purpose.
When within sixty miles of the Hill
Frank Gruard and a party of scout
brought in the information, that twent.
miles ahead, at Slim Buttes, there was I
Sioux camp of thirty lodges. Capt. Mill
with $50 men made night ride and a
daylight attacked the camp and in fev
moments had possession of it. The In
dams, leaving eight of their number dea'
in camp, retreated to ravines near b.
and all but one little party escaped; thi
party hid in the head of wash couli
and being discovered, were surrounde'
by soldiers. The Indians were com
pletslv hidden and sergeant, in tryin
to get a shot at them, received bulle
in his brain. After half an hour spen
in futile attempts to get them out Of tn
hole, they agreed, through an interprete
to surrender, and the captives; two wal
riors, three squaws and two pappoose
we're kept with the command till it a
rived at Fort Laramie, from which plat
they were sent to Red Cloud agency an
given their liberty.
One man was killed in this fight an
an officer and two men wounded.
Crook laid in camp near the mimi
settlements of the Black Hills for sever
days, to allow his sick and nearly starve
men to recuperate and to rest the stos
then went across the Hills and to FO
Laramie.
Gen. Terry after leaving Crook wei
down Powder river and across the Ye
, lowstone. He, after a few days scou
found the trail of Sitting Bull and b
Uncapapas, and followed 1t till he owe
took that noted chief, who would n
s stand for fight but kept on the mo-
continually. After few skirmishe
which were of little importance, Ge
J. Terry changed his course and went
the agencies on the Missouri river, al
took from the Sioux at these points :
of the arms and ponies that could
found. While Crook and Terry had be,
marching and hunting Indians OVERLAP,
Gen. Miles, with the 9Th Infantry "
patroling the river from the Rosebud
the Missouri in a steamboat. He four
l 3Fk Al 4