The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-02
A RED NAPOLEON.
General Brisbin's "Reminiscences ofthe Cam
paigns Against Sitting Bull.

General Brisbin's "Reminiscences Ofthe Cam
paigns Against Sitting Bull.
Boise City Letter in New York Sun.
The visit of Sitting Bull, the great Sioux
chief, to the East has revived an interest in the
history of this Indian and his people. He Is, L
think, really remarkable man, and 1 shall be
glad to tell you something about him.
All the land bordering OF the Missouri river
| from Fort Benton to Buford, at the mouth of
| the Yellowstone and up that stream for 300
miles, was Sitting Bulls country. 1t was here.
| only eight years ago, that the Sioux chief
roamed at will, often penetrating as far east as
! the Black Hills in Dakota. The outside belt of
his hunting lands measured over 1000 miles in
circumference, and it was fully 700 miles across
them as the bird flies The great chief had his
principal village at the mouth of Tongue river,
on the Yellowstone, where Fort Keogh now
stands. There he dwelt in winter with 1900
| Sioux, including assimilated tribes who aeknowl
edged him as their leader.
The change in this section of country since
1876 is incredible. Then not white man could
venture down the Yellowstone without mourning
almost certain destruction. Even large bodies
| of men were unable to penetrate far from the
Missouri river. l remember very well in the
winter of 1876 of learning that Sitting Bull had
surrounded forty seven adventurous white men
| at Fort Pease, near the mouth of the Big Horn.
was sent by General Terry with a column of
troops to their relief 1t required force of 500
men to rescue them. Even this force would have
been insufficient had Sitting Bull chosen to resist
| the invasion of his country.
This march began at Fort Ellis in the dead of
until March g. 1876 l found them in dssper-
ate condition. six having been killed outright,
eight wounded, and the whole company on the
point of starvation Sitting Bull then had
/ camp of eighty lodges at the mouth of Little
Horn, near where Fort Custer now is located,
but his great camp on the Tongue river, and
| was assured it contained over IL, 900 souls.
The camp at Little Horn did not move, although
we passed within twenty miles of it. nor did
| Sitting Bull bring any force from Tongue river
! to oppose US. He seemed to know as well as
We did why we had invaded his country, and
desired the success of our expediton-the taking
away of the white men from the Indian country.
The Fort PeaSe adventures had been closely
besieged for over two months, and at the time of
our arrival not man could venture safely out
| side the gates of the fort. Every ten days Sit
ting Bull would detail 500 warriors to
| fight the whites. When these were tired out
he would send 500 fresh warriors to re-
lieve them. 1t was reported that he had 800
warriors at the mouth of Little Horn and 500 at
| Tongue river, all under his command and ready
to obey his orders at a moments notice. From
this it will he seen how easily he could have de-
feated our small force had he been SO minded;
but he dad not then wish to fight any more than
he does now. When we got near Pease's bottom,
on the Yellowstone he came over with small
body of warriors and quietly looked on while we
took the adventurous white men out of their
rude fort and sent them up the valley to their
homes in Montana. Hefollowed close behind US to
see that we were going off his lands, and seemed
perfectly satisfied to have us go away in peace
That Sitting Bull fought the whites and made
much trouble afterward perfectly natural.
In doing so he only discharged his duty to his
people and did what any brave man would have
done in his place.
1t was in the winter of 1876 that the govern
ment determined to drive Sitting Bull out of the
Yellowstone valley and to appropriate it to the
use of our own people. had not yet arrived at
4
be made against Sitting Bull and war waged all
along the Yellowstone river / did not believe
it. but on approaching Ellis learned that General
dibbon was already there with column of in
fantry and had orders for me to turn back with
the calvary and go at once to attack Sitting Bull
and his people. After the magnanimous conduct
of the old chief, did not, of course relish these
orders, but had no alternative but to obey them
joined my column to General Gibbons, and
under his command marched down the Yellow
stone valley over the very rote had just come,
never hating until we arrived at Fort Pease, at
the mouth of the Big Horn river.
Sitting Bull was astonlshed but not surprised
for he was too wary a warrior to be caught nap
ping He hastily moved his camp at the mouth
of Little Big Horn over to the Rosebud and uiti-
mately consolidated with it the great camp on
Tongue river. He did not at first seem to under
stand our object in coming back suddenly
into his country, and merely watched our move
meuts. 1t was not until he heard that Custer
was coming from Lincoln and Crook from the
Platte that he fully realized the situation Then
he knew that an effort was to be made to de-
prive him and his people of their coun-
try, and he hastily gathered his
forces for With true military
skill he determined to crush the converging hos
tile columns in detail before they could unite
and overwhelm him by their numbers. Gibbon
was first selected for assault and Sitting Bull
came to the mouth of the Rosebud and waited
for him. Finding that he would not cross the
deep river with his whole force Sitting Bull
crossed body of expert warriors and began the
attack on Gibbon by killing three white soldiers
His object to draw General Gibbon into a
general engagement before Generals Crook and
Terry could come up and reinforce him. But
General Gibbon was wary he was brave
and, with the consummate skill of a great mill.
tary commander, bafaed Sitting Bull and held
him in his camps until Crook was near at hand
Finding that he could do nothing with Gibbon
Sitting Bull hastily marched to the head of the
Rosebud to meet Crook, who WAS already com
ing down that stream with heavy force of cav
airy and infantry, and threatening to enclose
the Sioux between Gibbon and himself. The
battle of the 18th of June, 1876 is so well re-
membered, and its results SO we'll known. that
it needs no mention here Sitting Bull claimed
that he deieated Crook and gained the first
point in the campaign. However that may be,
Crook was checked and so eneumbered by
wounded that he was obliged to fall back to his
camp on Goose creek to await reenforeements
1t was expected Sitting Bull would return and
attack Gibbon but he saw war cloud rising in
the east, and waited for Custer. Custer was
warned by Gibbon not to be in too much haste
to attack the Sioux, and Gen. Terry had planned
the campaign as to have Gibbon and Custer
attack simultaneously. But Custer. with his
usual impetuosity, rushed away to the attack
before Gibbon could come up and fought the
fatal battle of the 18th of june 1876
Sitting Bull had gained the second point in
the campaign, and there was now no force left
for him to encounter but Gen. Gibbons little
column Gibbon, who had been very slek, was
following the column on a steamboat, and was
confined to his bed; but when he heard chat
there was probability of a battle. the gallant
old soldier left his bed, and, mounting a horse,
hurried forward to the head of the columns.
had been commanding the column in his alb
seuce, and he now ordered us to push on with
all haste to Clusters battlefield.
Sitting Bull had seen erYouoh of GihbonS Eaa-