The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-01-18
GEN. sULLy AND THE INDIANS
Opening Of HOstilities--- Devils Lake
.--Battle of WhitestOne Hills.

.--Battle OF WhiteStOne Hills.
In the spring of 1863, as our readers
are aware, the Indians Of Dakota per-
petrated such outrages on the frontier
and assumed such a hostile attitude,
even threatening to pillage Sioux City,
that Adjutant Gen. Baker of Iowa
determined to send troops to suppress
the outbreak. Accordingly, the 6ta
Iowa cavalry, commanded by Col. ID. s.
Wilson lin which the narrator was a
privateJ, being then under marching
orders for the south, were sent to
Sioux City to rendezvous until the
arrival of reinforcements. Here they
were joined by the I'd Nebraska, a
portion of the 9TH Iowa and two COM
panies of Dakota cavalry, the whole
forming brigade of 5000 men,
under the command of Brigadier Gen.
Alfred Sully. Preparations for the
summers campaign were commenced
Immediately, especially by the general,
who loaded the commissary wagons
with whisky to the exclusion Of neces-
sary provisions, not forgetting to take
along four squaws as his own personal
attendants. Finally start was effect
ed and the course of the Missouri fol-
lowed to the north. AT the mouth of
the Cheyenne an Indian was taken
prisoner, who gave intelligence of large
bodies of hostiles in the Jim River
country, Scouting parties corroborated
the Indians statements, but for some
reason never explained, the line of
march was hastily resumed anu CON
tlnued until Fort Berthold was reached
From thence The brigade headed for
DEVILS LAKE,
which was reached about August 1st
after much suffering by the trrops
from heat and by the commander and
his cronies from the i'll effects Of the
liquid contents of the commissary.
wagons. 1T Devil Lake d large i5s sc pen pen
toon bridge, which had been taken
along from Sioux City with great diff
.ficulty, was transformed into a boat
capable of carving 300 men. One
whole day was spent in exploring the
lake in this craft. Again the Indians
were discovered Id force upon the
islands, but Gen, Splly, no doubt deem
ing discretion the better part Of yalor
and knowing that every Indian killed
weakened the enemy's force and
brought the war nearer q termination,
ordered the trains repacked, and the
RETREAT TO THE SOUTH
began. The now weary troops plodded
along on the homeward journey, dis
.eontented and dispifited in that their,
mission to restore the blessings Of peace
was no nearer accomplishment for
their hundreds of miles Of weary
riding. When what is now Dickeyl
county was reached, fresh Indian
trail was crossed, and IN order to keen
up appearances four companies Of the
9th Iowa, under Major House, were
sent out on. a scout. Major House WAS
a true officer, however true to his
country, his duty and his epuiefs, -
and when, during the day, he enconn
tered about 5000 hostile Indians, he
returned their fire and pitched Id for
IA fight. Then ensued what is known as
THE BATTLE OF WHITESTONE EILLs,
which furnished the skeletons for the
recent Glendale mystery. Finding
himself hard pushed, Major House
drew off and sent to camp, fen miles
of, for reinforcements. Fearing that
the major might happen to kill an
Indian, Gen. Sully hurried to the scene,
arriving while the sun was yet two
hours high. Instead of terminating
the war right there and then, as he
might easily have done BY administer
ing a sound thrashing, the doughty
general conceived the idea of surround
ing the Indians and taking the entire
5000 prisoners, with force Of a Ike
number. AT this time the Indians
had assembled IN q gully, and BY Gen.
Sully's order were surrounded OH the
east by the 9Th Iowa, on the north BY
the 7th lowe and Dakota, on the west
by the I'd Nebraska, and on the south
by. d battery and q arescryeo Of 400 men.
In the meantime the Indians Had
finished packing their dogs and porjes,
had gllng their songs all Through. ala.
becominu tiastI of 4,,acfion. fred q