The Dickinson press., 1888-05-19
ARRIVAL OF GEN. SULLY.
Three Days Fighting With the Indians
They Loose 200 in killel-Our Loss
But , Killed and 1G Wounded.

tn the Northwestern Indian EXpedi.
tion has furnished IL sight never he
fore witnessed OH these shores.
The expedition left Sioux City Oh
thc 4th uf June. Travelled 4S3 miles up
the Missouri. laid out and commenced
Fort Rice and left there on the 18Th
of July. On the oath reached point
on the Heart River nearly due west
and llO miles distant from Fort Rice.
Here IL fortified camp was formed; the
supply wagons of the command and
the emigrant train OF 2So wagons
(Which the expedition was expected
to protecU were corralled, and the
larger part of the command started
ON the Goth with two days cooked
r,tions in haversacks and four i'll
light wagons. On the 2Sth, i'll lat. A
deg. 50 min. lon. l03 they came in
sight of the main camp ut about 10
\. NJ. Here the Indians had collected
all their available warriors. number
ing from loco TO 1900 lodges, in the
full confidence OF whipping the whites.
Their position WAS chosen with great
Skill and judgment Oh the sides OF
lofty ridge filled with pinnacleS. Ia
vines. and almost imrenetrable thick
cts; in front the ground was u broken,
rolling prairie; III the rear of the ridge
1--WE found the next ,lay) was part oi
the Manvais r,rres of the Little Mis-
souri, Gros Nentres. Il succession "1
pinMlrlrs, r;lvimeS, hutteS and mounds
,,t almost every conceivable size and
shape, where nv living being unac-
q,l,inted with the paths could follow
one who was.
Our forces were mostly diSmouhted
and thrown forward deploycd AS Skin
nlshtrs. one-fulrth of each dismount-
ed company leading the horses of the
others. These led horses, with the
train, followed near the centre OF the
line of battle. Heavy reserves OF
cavalry were held on either flank, and
the batteries with three companies oi
cavalry ;ls support, marched near tll
centre. These Indians, who are Wild
and untamed, swarmed on every side
ON their fleet little ponies i'll their
y,udv ornaments and paint. with
shield and lance rs we'll rs more for
ul,lablc weapons. dashed wildly to-
sethrr ur dispersed on signals from
their chiefs. But the whistle OF the
long range rifle and the fate OF many
OF their number taught them that the
white man had u weapon far superior
to amy lie had yet sold to them.
Time and time again was the eagle
| plumed baton OF the chief waved as Il
signal fora concentration; then dash
would lac made that was followed hy
an equally rapid retreat in which TIL
would he severely punished, hlvln.,
inflicted but little injury. One ltrs'
party passed around cover of hisll
y,ound and made Il dash on the train
in the rear. 4 piece of artillery under
command of Lieut.. Whipple and a
company of cavalry were instantly
ordered i'm motion, and the first shell
tired killed 5 men and ponies, 3 OF
whom were Utterly torn in pieces
The right flank heim. threatened hy i
large body of Indians, MAJOR Bracket,
Wis Olitele't w tllttl ~ WIN Hi' '".''
lion which he did lin good style, pui
s'liny them about ~ miles and dis
prlsny them with IL loss OF mrl
killed. I wounded and Is horses sh",
leaving 81 Indians dead OH the ground
II of whom were killed by tho sabre
ilune. Space will not permit me t.
mention the noteworthy incidents o1
the battle; but all the troops acte'
we'll without - sign of fllnching, an
at sunset no, solitary Indian coult
be seen on the field OF Tah.kah.o-ku-t,
Our loss was 2killed and wounded
OF the Indian loss it is impossible t.
speak with confidence, as accordin.
to Indian custom they were seen t,
rndanger their own lives and throw
away all they had for the sake of car
rying off the dead; but $50 is pronahl,
Il moderate estimate of the numbe
killed, and to this the artillery con
tributed largely.
AT O'clock the mex morning W.
were up aud in pursuit, but were stop
ped hy the Manvais Terrcs of whicl
have just spoken. We then returned
TO their camp and spent the entire d,,
in destroying it--ilIe lodges of skins
paltleclIes 1Glled with dried buffalo
meat, brass kettles, mess and house
hold furniture were all piled on thei
own lodge poles and destroyed by fire
the destruction was only completed il
the evening 10y setting fire to thu
woods and consuming I'LL in 4 genera
roniagration.
We again reached our corral ol
L. q I,,l, l.,
IN. travelled 1870 miles, fought lattl
nd destroyed IL large camp in 81,
days. On the Bird Of August we tool
up our line of march in a north
westerly direction. On the 9th ",
reached another portion of M;nvAi
Tcrres of the Little Missouri. Fron
the edge of he high table land whcr
we first came upon the Manvais Tel
res the scene utterly beggars descril
lion; it is only such scene as can "a
realized in some wild distorted night
mare dream; pinnacles, tnrrets, pyra
mids. mounds and huttes of ever
! possible shape. size, description an
color from gray to bright red an
from to 500 feet high piled in inco
reivable confusion 10y nature in on
vi !lef very WllueSt freaks.
! 1t seemed as though no sane MT
would attempt passage through, ye
by dint of numbers and hard work "
succeeded in diggin. our way throns
bud places to the river: a distance u
II miles. The next day we onl
moved three miles up the river-heav
= forces being ut work to dig Il road on
, On the h we crossed the river IN
.,nr road for several miles WIS the III
ell of Il stream 50 narrow that Oll
{. one wagon could pass at time, an
the sides in places many hundred f"'
=. high. Disinounted men We're deploye
along the heights and to take posses
ION of all commanding points. Hen
II the Indians soon appeared in gre;
/ numbers bnt only to lind themselvt
,afll"d and driven back like II swarl
: of mosquitoes, and all points fro'
mich they calculated to fire upon til