Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-27
Copyright 1881

In previous article the forced march OF
Crooks column to the rescue osMajor Mills
surrounded battalion was described. and in
telling of the death OF Buffalo Chips"-BilI
COdy's old friend and ''partner"-allusion was
made to the general engagement which took
place on the afternoon Of September 9. 1876.
between General Crooks entire force and the
Sioux and Cheyennes under the Chief Crazy
Horse. Now comes a request that the combat
itself should be made the subject of this weeks
letter.
Look at the map Of Dakota and trace our
route. Pursuing the Indians from the Big
Horn mountains IN Wyoming had crossed
the Little Missouri near where the Northern
Pacific bridges it to-day; had followed eastward
to the south fork of Heart river and then. with
only two days rations left pushed southwark
by compass, through flooding rains, crossing
the north fork of the Cannon Ball, near Rainy
Butte, fOrding the north fork OF Grand river
with Pretty Stone Buttes Les Bellies PjeTTes)
10 miles away to the east. and eating our horses
to keep alive. Here it was that Crook sent
Major Mills with $50 picked men and horses
from the third cavalry to push forward to the
settlements in the Black Hills and return to
meet us with all the provisions he could buy
This was on the night of September I.
AT DAWN
on the 9th Mills had bounced upon and cap
tured the village of American Horse, a noted
Sioux chief. and was in turn surrounded by the
rallying rush of all Crazy Horses bands who
were IN scattered camps all the way over to-
ward the Little Missouri. just at the eastern
edge of what Is now called Burdick county,
Dakota. lie those strange. crag-topped up
heavals called Slim Buttes. and. nestled in a
beautiful amphltheater Just about the middle
OF their eastern slope. Law this village of the
ed VIII trnt Of no
battle and rich in furs. robes, and Indian
plumber of every description. The warriors
had made lively attempt to recapture it at
once. but Mills and his men had entrenched
themselves and hurried off couriers to Crook
with the news. then hung on to their prize
until he could come to the rescue. The fifth
cavalry was the first to reach the ground from
the north Just about the time that Crazy Horses
bands began to appear on the bluffs from the
west. Then came the battalions of the second
and third cavalry. the pack trains. and the
athletic battalOns of infsutry-a full regiment
made up of detachments from the fourth
ninth. and fourteenth commanded by Col
Alexander Chambers By 2 p. m. Crook had
all hls force-Perhaps 2. 400 men on the ground.
and by 2. m, Crazy Horse had mustered
hand after band. and with 900 warriors at his
back dashed into the attack hoping to recap
ture the village and the prisoners we had al
ready taken. or at least to run off the big herd
OF ponles-sOme 400 of them-that Mills had
''corralled" at daybreak.
IhAZ1 HohSE CAPTURED.
Earlier in the afternoon. however az told in
that previous letter, had had a lively ex-
Perience in capturing lot of Indians lurking
IN the head of a ravine at the southern edge of
the village. In this affair Buffalo Chips"
and third cavalry trooper were killed and
several of our men were seriously wounded
The Indians proved to be American Horse"
himself with several of his warriors; one
wretched, trembling old nag of squaw two
or three younger women. two young girls and
one little mite OF four-year-old child The
chief had received what was evidently NOR
tai wound. but was calm and conscious. Some
OF the soldiers gently carried him to the big
gest lodge in the village. and there our sur
geons did their best to save him. The other
Indians, surrounded by an interested throng of
troopers. were escorted to the presence of Gen
Crook. 1t was odd to see with what eaeerness
they seized and shook his hands and with
what piteous appeal they looked into his kindly
bearded face.
BEGGING FOR MERCY.
The old squaw, shaking as though with palsy
from fright and dread covered at his side
clinging to his left hand and looking fear
fully around her. His right hand was grasped
Dy her companions, one after anOther-even
the wondering little papoose. strapped on his
mothers back having his tiny fist placed by her
In the generals palm. before she could be salts
ned that her baby, too was to receive The
Big White Chiefs" protection. Had we fallen
alive into their hands those squaws would have
been the head devils in carrying out the most
hendlsh fortunes savage ingenuity could devise
until death came to our relief. and doubtless
while rejoicing in the fact. every one of them
thought US heap fools" that We did not make
war that way.
oCEEyLY sQUIw.
One young woman, the only beautiful Indian
squaw ever saw. stood calmly and unconcern-
edly looking on, and holding up her right hand
which had been pierced by a bullet, in order
10 check the flow of the blood rich color
mantled her cheeks through the dusky skin
and gazed at her in little wonderment
Neither pam. the imminent danger of her re-
cent experiences, nor loss of blood seemed to
have affected her in the least When our half
breed scOut-Frank CIR uard-tOld her and the
other women to follow him to the teepe where
the surgeons were at work, she strobe away
like queen.
CAPTAIN BoURKE's CHARGE
Five minutes after / heard frantic shrieks
and screams in childish treble, and turning in
surprise, saw the generals favorite aide-de-
camp Lieutenant Bourke. coming down the
slope with the fOur-year. old maiden in his arms
The mother was needed at the side of her dy-
ing chief. and with her full consent Bourke was
carrying away his little captive to give her
something to eat. Poor little heathen She
could attach only one significance to the fact
that big white soldier was bearing her away.
ne Was going to kill and eat her. Heavens,
How she screamed and scratched and fought.
scOThlhS al MS soothing words and signs. L
went along with the two and presently we were
far from the madding crowd" and down in an
other raylne where Crooks headduarters' marty
had unsaddled and there Bourke sat his little
prisoner down and said: Look out for her lust
minute old man. I've got something here
that VIII fetch her around in no time See if
II won't. Then he dove in his haversack and
lugged out big round ''hardtack'-the first
had seen IN four days. This ne spread thickIy
with layer of sweet. wild plum Jelly that he
produced from tin can, and my mouth wat
cred as he handed the toothsome dish to the
shrinking. struggling child. Instantly her cries
ceased; she wrlggled out of nv arms, seized
the blg round cracker" in both her brown
chubby fists, squatted in the mud. buried her
white teeth IN the red jelly, and. tapping her
little bare feet together in baby ecstasy
crunched through the tough biscuit and gazed
up al her captOr-smiling through her tears
ali her woes and fears forgotten.
PREPARING SUPPER
But the sight had made me hungry and re-
minded me that had not had bite since dawn
and only a chunk" of cold, leathery horse
meat then Fifty yards away on a little
bench" among the lodges the Headquarters on
the fifth cavalry had been established The
Northumberland commanding was standing
there, chatting with number of our officers
and our cook was busily at work over a little
IRE. fastening thither, found that some
1erked buffalo meat had been discovered in the