The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-14
BoIsn. Idaho. Dec. 9th, 1884.

the mouth Of Tongue river, on the Vel
lowstone, where Fort Keogh now stands
There he dwelt in winter with l2,00C
Sioux, including assimllated tribes who
acknowledged HIM as their leader.
The change IN this section of country
since 1876 is incredible Then not a
white man coul venture down the Vel
lowstone without incurring almost
certain destruction. Even large bodies
Of men were unable to penetrate far
from the Missouri river | remember
very well in the winter of 1876 of learn
ing 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 800 men to rescue
them. Even this force would have been
insufficient had Sitting Bull chosen to
resist the invasion of his country.
This mare: began at Fors Ellis in the
dead of winter The besieged men were
not reached until March 6, 1876. found
them in a desperate condition, six having
been killed outright, eigh: wounded and
the whole company on the point of star
yation Sitting Bull then had camp OF
eighty lodges at the mouth of Little
Horn, near where Fort Custer is now
located, but his great camp was on the
Tongue river, and was assured it con-
tanned over II 600 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 expedition-the taking away of the
white men from the Indian county.
The Fort Pease Adventures had been
closely besieged for over two months,
and at the the time Of our arrival not
man could venture safely outside the
gates Of the fort. Every Ten days Sitting
Ball would detail 500 warriors to fight
tn white When they were tired out
he would send 800 fresh warriors 30 re-
lieve them. 1t was rerorted that he had
500 warriors at the mouth Of the Little
Horn and 800 at Tongue river, all I'M
der his command, and ready to obey his
orders at moments notice. From this
it will be seen how easily he could have
defeated our small force had he been SO
minded but he did not then wish to
fight any more than he does now. When
we got near Pease's lotion ON the Vel
lowstone, he came over with a 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. He followed close
behind us to see that we were going off
his lands, and seemed perfectly satified
to have rs go away in peace. That Sit
ting Bull fought the whites and made
much trouble aitt rward was perfectly
natural. In doing 50 he only discharged
his duty to his people and did what any
other brave would have done IN his
place.
It was in the winter of 1876 that the
Government determined to drive Sitting
Bull out of the Yellowstone valley and
to appropriate it to our own people.
had not yet arrived at my post when
heard that the expedition was to be
made against Sitting Bull and war waged |
along the Yellowstone river. / did not
believe it, but upon approaching Ellis
learned that Gi5bon was already there |
with column Of infantry, and had
orders for me to turn back with the cav
airy and 90 at once to attack Sitting Bull |
and his people. After the magnanimous
conduct Of the old chief, l did not, of I
course, relish these orders, but had no al
tentative but obey them joined my
column to General Gibbons and under
his command marched down the Yellow /
stone valley over the very route had
Just come, never hating until we arrived /
1t Fort Pease, at the mouth of the BIZ
Horn river.
Sitting Bull was astonished Blu, not sur
prised, for he was to wary warrior to
be caught mapping. He hastily moved
his camp at the mouth Of Little Bic
Horn over to the Rosebud, and ultimate
y consolidated it with the great camp on
rongue river He did not at first seem
o understand our object in coming back
20 suddenly into his country, and merely
watched our movements: 1t was not tili
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
deprive him and his people OF their
country, and he hastily gathered his
orces for war. With true military skill
le determined to crush the conyerging
hostile columns in detail biore they
ould unite and Cverwhelm him by their
numbers Gibbon was first selected for
ssauIt, and Sitting Bull came to the
Mouth of the Rosebud and waited for
i'm. Ending that I'D would not cross
he deeo river with bis whole force. Sit
ing Bull crossed d body Of expert war
Iors and began the attack on Gibbon ly
illing three white soldiers. His object
'as 70 draw General tiibbon into gen
raj engagement before generals Crock
al Terry could come up and reinforce
i'm. But General Gifbon was as wary
J he was brave, and with the CONSUME
late skill Of great commander. haf1led
ttiag Ball and held him in his camps
ntil Crook was near al hand
Finding that lie ooula do nothing with :
ibbon, Sitting Bull hastily marched t. d
e hea Of the Rosebud 10 meet Crook =
no was already coming down that