Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-07
AFTER SITTING BULL.
Bloodless Battles of the Rosebud and
the Little Big Horn.
THE GATHERING OF THE FORCES.
Of 10 the Yellowstone to Fight Ten
Thousand Indians.
BUFFALO BILL ALWAYS IN THE LEAD
WRITTEN roR THE p1srArcH.1

Bonnet anu raced LneIn DdCh W buciI IcSer-
walton. That night we slept under the stars
with no interposing canvas, along the banks
of White river, and early next day were of
on our long, long march to reinforce Gen
eral Crook. Orders carried us around BY
way of Forts Laramie and Fetterman,
where we were Joined by many an old
comrsde Fastening from the East. So, too,
were we Joined at the latter station by a
''raft" of recruits, new horses and old in
fantry campaigners-aIl en- route to the Big
Horn Mountains.
One incident happened on the way up
from Fetterman that is worth telling. Eight
companies of the Fifth Cavalry started out
on their northward march from that point,
and we knew two more, E and F, were
hurrying forward by forced marches in
hopes of catching US. Two days we logged
along through the bare. desolate, dusty
''Bad Lands" and were all camped at night
and sleeping soundly under the yigilant
protection of our guards, when was sud-
denly aroused by hearing General Merritt's
voice close at hand, and rolling out of my
blankets jumped up and asked if any
thing was wanted. He always slept like a
weasel-with one eye and both ears open.
THE OFFICERS CALL.
"I'm sure,"- said he, that heard
trumpet calls way off here to the south
west" It was dark as Erebus and still as a
churchyard as together we CROPPED our way
out on the prairie, taking the old chief
trumpeter with US. 1t was just possible
that ''E' and "F''' troops might have done
such rapid marching as to have reached our
neighborhood, and it being too dark to see
a trail they were sounding their trumpets in
hopes OF gaining reply. For a few min
utes we listened intently, and then faint,
far and soft there came floating to us
through the darkness the stirring notes of
"Oficer's Call" In an instant our
trumpeter had sounded the answering call,
and in half an hour, guided by this inter
terchange of signals, our comrades grouped
their way to the warmth and welcome of our
tiny camp fires. From that hour to this
"Oficer's Call' has been the hailing signal
of the Fifth Cavalry-and it has been used
in some wildly exciting scenes. Notably,
three years after, when the captain of this
same "F" troop, wounded, with half of his
men dead or wounded around him and all
his horses shot down, completely sur
rounded by savage Indians, was rescued by
this same gallant Colonel commanding and
through the medium of the same old call.
Two days more and we were out OF the
beastly alkali country and jogging along a
rolling, well-watered tract that grew more
beautiful with every mile that drew us
nearer to the foot hills of the Big Horn
Mountains, now looming to our left front,
with the snow-capped "Cloud Peak" high
est of all. Cody and some of the young
officers were chasing small herds of buffalo
on our tanks, and every man and horse was
rejoicing in the change of scene. Another
two days and we had rounded the shoulder
of the great range, and rode buoyantly down
into the beautiful valley. where lay the
welcoming camp of Crook.
OFF TO THE FRONT.
In telling of the chase that began almost
on the morrow, shall draw on old note
books and letter written years ago. It
must be remembered that now the whole
country was swalming with triumphant
bands of Indians-Sioux and their allies.
Everything seemed afre to the northwest,
where Custer had met his fate, but now
Crook had two regiments of cavalry and IA
companies of infantry, also some 400 Crow
Indians as scouts, and he believed he could
launch out and whip the Indians we'll, or at
least drive them before him against the COL
umn of General Terry, who was coming up
the Yellowstone with a similar force. The
two commands were not 150 miles apart
when, on the 9th of August, we pushed out
to wind up the campaign in one crushing
blow" but communication between the two
was impossible-the whole face of the earth
was covered with the hostiles, watching
every move.
However, we set forth blithely enough,
and as We rode away in the August sun
shine down the pretty valley of Prairie
Dog creek L was. mainly interested in study
ing our Grow allies, who logged alongside
on their active ponies and seemed equally
interested in making friends with the Fifth.
had been detailed to act as Adjutant of
the regiment for the campaign, and it en-
abled me to ride well ahead and take notes
and make typographical sketches in nv
field book, all of which became valuable be-
fore many years rolled by.
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL.
Gradually we were drawing nearer the
Dele Agie, as the Crows call Tongue river.
The morning has passed without notable in
cident. We miss our pet scouts Cody and
his "pardner," +" Buffalo Chips" as faithful
fellow as ever lived, and Bills most loyal
follower. They are to the front with
Gruard and the now far out half breed
scouts at Crooks headquarters, while on
this first days march we of the Fifth are
rear guard. Our pack mules amble briskly
alongside, and toward noon we plunge into
the foaming torrent of the Tongue, ford it
breast high, and then the order comes to
bivouac where we are while the scouts 90
they go only with strong backing, and here
we spend the night.
;All the next day we march on down the
winding canyon of the Tongue. Bluffs 600
feet high on either side. We ford the stream
13 times, and at 2 P. NJ. get orders to halt.
unsaddle, Craze and wait. Camp fires
bacon, beans, hard tack, coffee and pipes
speedily follow. Then another night of
placid sleep under the broad canopy of
heaven.
Next day we Climb westward, up, up, up,
the ascent seems interminable. Once in
awhile we catch glimpse of smoke masses
overhead and drifting across the face of dis
tant ridges. At last we see knots OF horse
men gathering on high crest a mile in
'front.' Halt" is sounded, and I go forward
to see the sights.
A WORLD AFIRE.
We have paused at the very summit of
the great "divide" between the valleys of
the Tongue and Rosebud. The view is
glorious. We look right down into the
y
SIX miles away. From every valley north
and west great clouds of smoke roll sky
ward. The Indians have set the whole
country afre and yet not Sioux is in sight.
Then we slid somehow down into the
valley, and after three hours marching got
orders to go into bivouac. Not blade of
grass for our horses. Everything burned or
eaten off, ''The whole Sioux nation camped
here not two weeks ago." says one of our
scouts as he dismounts. I've been nigh
onto ten miles down stream and could not
reach the end of the village" The ground
is strewn with old lodge poles and with
relics of Indian occupancy too unmistak-
able to be pleasant.
The next two days we march northward
through thick smoke that blinds our eyes,
but the scouts say great band of Sioux are
only few miles ahead Then comes the
11th of August, gloriously bright day.
We of the Fifth are marching down the left
bank of the Rosebud, for the valley has
opened out and there is abundant room on
both sides of the stream. The battalion of