Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-02-02
MORE Asou1 THE FIND.

Further Explanations Regarding the Dis
covery Of Remains in Dickey County.
There has recently been much specu.
lation in public prints as to the identity
OF number Of skeletons found in
Dickey county, Dakota, and various
theories have been advanced. Mr.. G.
w. irish of Iowa City, brother of the
Dubuque educator, and who is person
ally conversant with much of that Sec
tion of the country, writes as follows to
the Chicago Times. The 9Th Iowa cavalry
to which reference is made, was com.
posed largely of DubuQuers:
Much has been said lately about find
ing the remains Of twenty to twenty-five
men, together with bones of horses, frag.
msnts of clothing, buttons, etc., at some
spot in Dickey county, Dakota. Some
Of the officers who took part in the In
dian war under Gen. Suliy have enter
tanned various suppositions in regard to
these remains, believing them to be one
of squad of the Sixth Iowa cavalry
which WIS sent out on detached service
and never heard from afterward, 1t being
supposed that they we're entrapped BY
the willy Sioux and the whole party mur-
dered.
Ipropose to account for the remains
found in Dickey county by much more
probable theory. I think there is no
doubt that they are the bones of the poor
fellows who were killed in the action be.
tween the army of Gen. Sully and the
Sioux Indians, fought September 5, 1858.
and known as "The Battle of the White
stone Hills" The fight took place in
the bluffs and hills on the west side of
the james river, near to some small lake
or water holes, and. as near as I can make
out from data at hand, the locality
is in township 133 north
range 81 west, and about on sections 26,
q, 81 and IS. The battle field may have
been more to the northward than these
sections named, but it may be known by
the trail made by the troops at the time,
which must still be seen and also by the
group of small lakes q few miles to the
west and southwest. find that the town
of Glendale is in township 100 north,
range IS west. and about in section 26;
so that if l am right as to its location it
is from Ellendale about twenty-five
miles northwesterly to the battle field
have no doubt that I am right about
this, and have compared my own obser-
| vaGlOAb WILL tuo very c4ACt AuOWteU&e
of Capt. Benjamin King. of this place
who was an officer in the Sixth lowe
cavalry, and took part in the en-.
gagemcnt. Capt. Kings recollection OF
the number killed, about twenty, and ali
other facts which I have gathered
proves conclusively that the parties VII,
found these remains were standing upor
the battlefield of the Whitestone hills.
There is no doubt that as soon as Sui
ly's troops we're at safe distance partie
Of indiana repaired to the place, an.
after disinterring tho bodies Of the slain
proceeded to mutilate them as kind o
revenge for the death of their relative
in the same fight. This accounts for tn,
bones and other relics being found upol
the surface. Due regard for the memor,
of these poor fellows would require thei
remains being properly re-interred and
monument erected to their memory, ant
to mark the spot upon which the fgh
occurred.