The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-07-11

| together they held the Indians of while
party carried Bostwick to camp. His
wounds disabled him for long time but
he eventually recovered.
One Indian must have been badly
wounded or killed by Bean and Yates
for next morning the party found a
bloody trail, where a body had been
dragged through asnow drift just beyond
where the Indians had been last seen.
Every night when coming into camp
the wagons were drawn into an oval
shape and chains were stretched between
them to stop the gaps and the stock were
tied inside. This night the corral had
been made too small and the oxen had to
be herded outside.
At about ten o'clock Dick Robinson,
one of the herders saw an Indian sneak
ing around and firing at him saw him
fall. At about eleven a mounted party
came quite near and fired into camp;
the bullets went high and did no dam
age. The horses were unaccustomed to
shooting and tried to stampede, but with
the aid of shovel handles were soon
soothed. As the Indians charged in, the
one who had been wounded earlier in
the evening commenced talking to draw
their attention. They rode to where he
lay, which place unbeknown to them
was near to rife pit, that had in it five
men who opened fire. None of the In
dams were killed outright but in the
morning several pools of blood were
found on the ground where they had
stood.
Several shots were fred into camp
from long range the next morning and
twenty men secuted around the outside
while the horses fed.
The expedition travelled ten miles this
day and made high camp just where
the country began to slope to the Rose
bud. Here three men were chosen to
make scout every morning before the
stock was turned out to feed. The names
of these men were Stewart Buchanan,
Harry Wilson and Yank Evarts. Next
morning their report was to the effect
that the Indian party had divided, some
going up the Rosebud and some going
down, and Buchanan gave as his opinion
that there would be no more fighting till
the main Indian camp came up, then
look out.
During the afternoon of the second
day from this the expedition came to
Rosebud and crossing made their camp
on bench about 400 yards from the
creek. Just above the camp was fresh
Indian trail thirty feet wide. This rather
stirred the i,oys up and even the dead
heads and coffee coolers of the party dug
rifle pits with vigor.
No Indians showed themselves during
the day, but just after dark groups of
them could be dimly seen in every di-
rection. One Of these were fired into by
some pickets, who only succeeded in
breaking horses leg.
At about eleven the Indians commenc-
ed hooting like owls and flock of geese
happening to fly over camp the Indians
changed their tune and made the night
hideous trying to initiate them.
Some of the horses had been picketed
outside of the corral and their owners
went after them, but the arrows flew 80
thick that they weakened and came back.
At about one in the morning a shot
was fred by an Indian near by and the
dogs of which there were three went out
barking; only one came back, and he
was shot through and the arrow was
sticking in him. As he slowly drew him
self over the breastworks hundred
shots must have been fired at him by
the Indians.
The dogs killed were eaten by the saw
ages during the night within seventy-five
yards of the corral.
Just after the dog episode there came
through the darkness the sonorous voice
of an Indian declaiming; when he ceased
a bell tinkled, then from every direction
came sheet of flame, then the hiss and
thud of bullets, then heavy report and
silence. Volleys came at intervals for
two hours and were always heralded by
the bell. When that sound was heard
all in the corral would lie down in their
rifle pits and as the bullets went high
they did no harm to life or limb, but
two canvass lodges which were put up at
either end of the corral were shot all to
pieces.
There had been a rife pit dug just at
the edge of the bench, about fifty yards
from the breastworks; it had been de-
serted by its occupant when the fight
commenced and had been taken posses-
sion of by an Indian, who must have had
muzzle loading rifle, for he fired very
slowly. His position commanded that
part of the corral where the horses were
tied and the Indian was wounding or
killing horse at every shirt. The rifle
men had tried in vain to dislodge him
and Cameron was called on to take q
shot at him with the big gun. He cut
the fuse short on shell and depressing
the piece fred. The Indian had put a
large piece of dry wood in front of him,
under which he had been firing, and
when the shell struck this it exploded
and the Indian must have been torn into
fragments for no more bullets came
from this place during the fight.
From the time the fight commenced
till now the Sioux had been constantly
screeching and bowling. When the
Big Horn gun went off every white man
! in the party yelled, and from this time
to the end of the trip the Indians fought
silently.
When morning broke the heaviest
. firing came from an ash grove at about
! l25 yards distance. Cameron gave it two
: quick doses of canister and no more
shots were fired from there.
As soon as it became light enough to
see their gunsights properly, the boys
did some fine shooting. Several Indians
} were hit in the forehead as they raised
to take aim, but becoming cautious the
reds would raise hand holding pistol
above the bank and shoot without aim;