Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-12-12

lIOUl lIntDln anu tiDDh nun lno
Platte that he fully realized the
situation. Then he knew that an
effort was obe made to deprive
him and his people Of their coun-
try, and he hastily gathered his
forces for war. With true military
skill he determined to crush the
cOnyerging hostile columns in de-
tail before they could unite and
overwhelm him by their numbers.
GibbOn was first selected for as
sault, and Sitting Bul 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 a
body Of expert warriors and began
the attack on Gibbon by killing
three white soldiers. His object
was to draw General Gibbon into a
general engagement before Gener-
ais Crook and Terry could come
up and reinforce him. But Gen
cral Gibbon was as wary as he was
brave and with the consummate
skill OF a great military commander,
baflled Sitting Bull and held him
in his camps until Crook was near
at hand
Finding that he could donothing
with Gibbon, Sitting Bull hastily
marched TO tho head of the Rose
bud to meet Crook, who was alrea-
dy coming down that stream with
heavy force Of cavalry and infan-
try, and threatening to enclose the
Sioux between Gibbon and him
self. The battle of the 18th Of
June, 1876, is so well remembered,
and its results 50 well known. that
it needs no mention here. Sitting
Bull claimed that he defeated
Crook aud gained the first point IN
the campaign. However that may
be, Crook was checked, and so en-
numbered by wounded that ho was
obliged to fall back to his camp,
Goose creek, to await reinforce
ments.
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 General Terry had
planned the campaign SO as to have
Gibbon and Custer attack simul-
taneously. But Custer, with his
usual impctuosity, rushed away to
the attack before GibbOn could
come up, and fought the fatal bat
tie on the 2jth Of June, lS1i.
Sitting Bull had gained the see
ond point in the campaign, and
there was now no force left for him
to encounter but General Gibbons
little column. Gibbon, who had
been very sick, was following the
column on steamboat, and was
confined to his bed; but when he
heard there was a probability Of 20
battle, the gallant old soldier left
his bed and, mountinga horse, hur-
ricd forward TO the head Of the
column. had been commanding
the column Ia his absence, aud be
now ordered Us to push on with all
haste 20 Clusters battlefield.
Sitting Bull has seen enough Of
Gibbons tactics to convince him
that he had in this general an en-
tircly different kind Of man than
Custer to cope with. Without
waiting for our arrival he abandon
ed the camp, leaving it standing,
and Aed toward the Big Horn
mountains. We soon found Gus
ter's dead and Reno closely be
Siegcd on hill near by. The con-
dition of Rcno's command and the
burial Of Clusters dead occupied
the attention Of Gibbon two days,
and by that time Sisiiug Bull was
too far away to be ovcrtakcn.
OF the subsequent campaigns
against Sitting Ball, under Gen
cral Miles, and the stubborn reSis-
tance with which he contested every
inch Of ground, the country is fully
informed. Long and fierce waged
the battle, and the old chief hung
on to his beautiful valleys with a
death grip; but at last he was driv-
en- ont and, sorrowfully gathering
his people about him, left the graves
of his dead and the home of his
forefathers to flee across the Miss.
ouri into British America.