Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-12-20

tained during the silent march.
Reaching Oak creek twen'y.four miles
out a. 4:3O n. M, without further incl
dent than the occasional up-euing OF
piece Of artillery, the fret sensation
was experienced.
ANXIOUS MOMENTS.
The courier who was to meet us with
advicer of the disposition of the Indian
police was not on hand. What did Il
mean? II he had been iu uterfered with,
1t meant that the hostiles were ap-
prised Of our movements.
What should be done? A hurried
consultation of officers and the whisp-
cred command. forward, march," in
dicated the determination to push on
to Grand river. Perhaps sfter all the
courier was only late, or We were not
expected go early. We would certain
ly meet him tn Q few MINUTES. Mi e
aft. mile the battalion moved on, bnt
no courier appeare 4. 1t was dawn, 1t
was daylight. II was sunrise, Ii was
only three miles to Bulls camp, still
no courier. His nonappesrsnce was
omiuous. The arrest was to be m ,de
At the earliest dawn; We should have
had some report long ago. A cold,
sleetiDg rain had set in and each SOL
dier wrapped his cape around him and
wondered If that courier would never
come. Suddenly over tie brow Of =
hill came al Indian wearing white
scarf, the badge which the police were
to wear that the troop. might di.tiu-
guish them from the enemy.
HIS aIpesrsUce wss a great relief,
aud the officers rode forward to the
head Of the column to hesr his report,
with perfect confidence that it would
be a story OF the peacesh,e arrest Of
Sitting Bull. The story he told WIS
this:
'IAN THE ONLY POLICEMAN ALIVE.
We attempted to take Bull at dawn
but there were too many for US. We
killed Bull but bis friends have killed
Us all. There were Q hundred aud
twenty Of Bulls men,"
The new was far from reassuring.
The problem was, what should be
done? Sitting Bull was dead. Next
to his capture alive, that was the
object Of the expedition. There were
more Indians than soldier. The po.
lice wer dead-nothing could be done
for them. Could anything be accom-
plished which woul warrant the com.
manding officer In sending his men
against superior numbers with good
probability. or at least n marked pos
sibility, of sharing Custers's fate?
The hesitation was momentary.
Another policeman, Iron Star, dashed
/ up aud reported q dozen police, stiil
alive, were surrounded and fighting
desperately, with -cant ammunition.
Bullet holes in his clothing testitic 1
to the fire under which he had made
his escape.
Every officer at once declared that
those brave fellows must be relieved.
Whatever the dangers, 1t would be
cowardice to allow them to be butch.
cred without 40 effort to save them.
But Captain Fechet had anticipated
the conclusions of his officers, and the
order had been given to remove over
coats, draw carbines, form troop.
abreast in columns Of fours and I'D.
vance at . gAllop.
1t was Ave minutes Of seven when
the fiIst courier reached the command,
and thirty minutes later the troops
were on the brow OF the h''l overlook
ing the hostile c.mp, where the battle
was raging between Sitting Bulls fol.
lowers and Indian police. A shor,
detour gave Capt. Fechet command Of
two most prominent emtnenccs, and
selling these he mounted the Hotch
kiss gun on one and the Gatling gun
upon the other. Directly in front was
Sitting Bulls camp, immediately on
the left the Grand river valley. both
controlled by the srtillery. IL IVES
about . Thousand yards from our pod.
tion on the crest OF the hill to where
the hostiles lay 10 the woods. No
sooner had our troops appeared IN
sight than the enemy turned their a.
tention TO us. leaving the police for the
time unmolssted.
II was scarcely two minutes from
the tIme our forces appeared on che
hill before the artillery had opt ned
firs and the Hotch kiss was dropping
shells among the Indians In the tim
Der. Meantime troop r had been dis.
mounted, snd let BY Lieuts. slocum
and StsIe. were advancing slowly and
cautiously down the hill directly TO-
ward the camp, keeplne up . contin'
uai and heavy carblns nfs. Trsop @,
under Lieut.. CUwdsr, a'so dismount-
Cd. were Q few hundred yasds on The
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