Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-04
tCopyright 1881


cold. A mist lowered over the surface of the
earth and wisps of cloud fioated scross the face
and SUBMITS of the buttes, sometimes hiding
them entirely from our view. Well out OF the
slopes. crouching behind their improvised
riAe-pits. our pickets could be seen warilv
watching for the first appearance of the
Sioux. Between them and our lines. Sc
eurely hoppled and carefully guarded we're
the herds of cavalry horses and pack
mules-gaunt. attenuated skeletons barely able
TO stagger. In the ravines the men were early
astir. and the smoke from a dozen tnv fires
mingled with the mists and told of preparations
Tor breakfast-such as II was. Fat, grass-fed
pony. even Indian-cured buffalo beef was
far better than the tough and stringy horse
meat we had been living on for several DAYS. so
that We were much better off than we had been.
and there was still left little coffee and sugar.
Word had been passed from troop to troop at
the first gray of dawn to get breakfast and be
ready as soon as possible
READY FOR WHAT?
OF course we knew that another fight was to be
expected. but it would have to be defensive on
our part We had not horse in the whole bril-
gade that could make a quarter of a mile at the
trot. Up on the Yellowstone. twenty
days before. we had got enough
forage from Gen. Terrys quartermaster
TO give each horse about four quarts apiece on
two occasions. but from that time to this they
had had nothing but what they could pick up.
and you can fancy what that amounted to
when / tell you that far and near the In
dams had secured the country, burning off
that were only ended by the drenching
rains of September. We cOuld not
use them to attack and pursue. for the
Indian ponies. who could thrive and grow fat
and hearty on the cottonwood boughs in the
Little Missouri and the Grand river bottoms.
could run all around our WORKOUT chargers.
On the other hand we knew that Crazy Horse
and his band had been so badly wOrsted in their
senseless assault of the previous evening that
they would be unlikely to make another attack
Oh Crooks ugly force. Ready for WHAT
the question.
ORDERS ARE ORDERS.
Eagerly slipping our tins of steaming coffee.
and wringing the rain out of our dripping
blankets. and worn old SLOUGH hats, we
huddled about Our fire discussing the
situation. Guards and sentries had been
posted all through the captured village to pre-
vent the men from plundering various lodges.
General Crook had decided that such light
and valuable trophies as they could carry
should go to Llajor Mills battalion-the
original captOrs. but as neither horses nor
mules could bear amy weight the men were
not to be allowed To take the fine buffalo
robes the stacks of beaver skins that Law
about IN such prOfUsIOn- 1t was not long
before We found out what to he done.
A staff officer came to me with orders from
General Crook to take such men rs | needed
and burn every lodge. every scrap of Indian
property. every robe. skin or peitry TO BE-
found Ill the village. Similar orders. | was
told. had been sent to Major Powell. of the 4th
Infantry. and he and | were to work in con-
cert. Orders were orders. Everything out
side the teepes was soaking wet and those
aboriginal dwelling places themselves
were dripping on the outer surface. but in
side them were combustibles innumerable.
md IN, boIf
around in
CLOUDS OF BLISDISG SMOKE.
and an atmosphere heavily charged with all
manner Of Odors except those of Araby. the
blest. Officers and men. impartialy. were
visited by both smoke and SMELL and blinked
their smarting eyelids. aud held their
noses. and blasphemed the whole Sioux
nation with heartiness and unanimitv that
really lifted the command above the contem-
Platon of the trials and discomfOrts of the
past week. Powell and trudged around from
one lodge to another. cheerfully ordering on
more hides and horrors at every fire. and vet
ruefully figuring up the thousands of dollars
those furs were worth-could We only get them
70 market
COSCEALISG THE GRAVES.
Over in the next ravine to the north of that
where fifth cavalry headquarters had biyou-
acked. our dead were sOIemnly. but with scant
ceremony. being buried deep. Presently We saw
the third and second cavalry mOuntIng-then
General Crook and his staff and escort
and then our cavalry brigade commander. Gen.
Merritt. with his party. rode across the main
ravlne and out TO the south. The infantry. in
long columns of twOs. went swinging after
them troop or two of horsemen deployed
as skirmishers to clear the way. and full resi-
ment rode squarely over the grave where our
hero was buried"
BACK TO THE HILLS.
You wonder at this, no doubt. but twas the
only way TO save the poor remains from mutt
latOn- A scalp is a scalp in Indian eyes. and it
makes no difference whether he wins it in
square fight or by murder in cold blood:
whether it Is a soldiers or a helpless chiid's:
whether he news il off with dripping knife
IN the face of his foe or tears il
from the skull of a buried corpse. Crook
had determined to destroy everything about
the village: to leave behind the Indians dead
and all the Indian women and children. ex-
eept the squaws and papOOses of the four
bucks We had dragged out of the hole in
the hillside. and to go on his way to the
Black Hills. 1t was the only thing left for
him to do. and he well knew that the mo
ment he was gone the surrounding warriors
like many wolves-their nearest kin
would rush in to find the graves of our dead
and dig out the bodies to scalp and hideously
mutlate them Even that satisfaction was to
be denied the braves" of Crazy Horse in this
instance. and the last resting place of orr
fallen was skillfully concealed by the crunch
ing hoOfs OF hundreds Of troop horses.
,Cpham's battalion Is TO stay and cover the
withdrawal, said a staff officer 10 me as was
making my way back through the thick smoke
10 rejoin regimental headquarters. and it oc-
CURED to me right there that Upham was
BOOKED FOR LIVELY TIME.
Sure enough. No sooner did it become ap-
parent to the Indians. crOwding all around us
on the heights. that Crooks army was march
ing away than down they came to the
burning village. They paid 10 attention
To the long columns crawling snake-like
away to the south-the pack trains with
their guards. the cavalry and infantry
administers thrown well ont on both sides
and marching by the flank" With one
accord they came sweeping down from
north and west. yelling rage and defiance
and blazing away at the long lines of cav
airy skIrml-hers. dismounted 10 stand them
OF. Al last all the pack-trains all the sur
geons with their wounded on tdrOis all the
guarding infantry. and half the cavalry
were clear of the thick black smoke and
slowly marching under the low-hanpinp
clouds ON their southwark wav. Then
slowly and sullenly the covering battalIons
Mason son the west. and Van yleits II think
on the north. fell back to the outskirts of the
ruined prairie city. mounted under cover of The
smoke and rapidly crossed our ravine, and then
came Cphams turn.
IN DANGEROUS POSITION.