The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-03
THE WILDCHEYENNES
Gen. Brisbin Tells How Gen
Miles Tanned Them.
THEY MADE GOOD SOLDIERS.
How the Great Chief Crazy Horse Was
Brutaliy Murdered By United
States Soldiers.

by Miles of the Rosebud, Lame Deer, with
the remnant of his band, about 500, ned to
Short Pine hills and the country adjacent
to Slim Butts. Here they hid in the bad
lands and foiled every effort OF our troops
to find them. Colonel Lazelle was sent
out with an expedition and succeeded in
getting upon their trail but was out OF
provisions and came back. Captain Ed
ward Ball, Second cavalry, an old and ex-
perienced Indian campaigner, was sent
out with another expedition, but after
marching up and down for month came
back, not having seen an Indian / was
then Fort Elliott and Miles sent for me
to come to Fort Keogh, his headquarters,
if was able for field duty. On presenting
myself to him Buffalo Coat said: You
are sick and not fit to co. But / insisted
and he then said: II want you to form
an expedition, go after Lame Deer and fol-
low him until you get him."
How many troops can havs, gen
eral?" asked.
"All you want" he replied, ''oniy get
Lame Deer and take whatever you desire. +"
started with only four companies Of the
Second cavalry but told Miles to hold
plenty of troops in readiness to come at
my call. Four companies of infantry
under Colonel Lazelie were sent with
wagon train loaded with ratioEs to Cannon
Ball river TO wait for orders. We then got
upon Lame Deer's trail and followed il for
nine days. On the tenth day it began to
get fresh and on the fifteenth We were at
their heels. -Four more days and they
were dropping their tepee poles and eating
their ponies as we could tell by the bones
found in their camps-legs of colts gener-
ally knawed to the bone. But our own con-
dition was pitiabie. The men were half
dead for sleep. their horses were dropping
down every mile and the rations were Civ
ing out / told them they must eat mule
beef and picked out nine young mare mules
from the pack train to be killed when
starvation came. We were between the two
forks of the Powder river and Lame Deer
doubled back like fox. No sooner would
we arrive at the banks of one river than
we would find he had doubled back to the
other. At last from the top Of high
ridge ON the twenty-second day of our
chase by mere accident the scouts saw
him. They were coming north as we were
going south. To pour over the ridge and
take them was but the work of an
hour. They lost all their baggage,
and those who got away went straight
to Pine Ridge agency and gave themselves
up. This was in September, 1877, and laid
me up for q year. In October following,
Crazy Horses people, hearing of the fate
of Lame Deer's band, and that they had
given up the contest with the whites, went
in 10 Red Cloud agency, Nebraska, and
surrendered to the number of 500.
1t was in 1877 first became acquainted
with the Cheyennes at Fort keogh. was
there with Miles and had been there the
year before when he tried to get them to
come in during the winter of 1867.
Hump. chief and great friend of Miles,
was working on them, but they were wild
and suspicious. A small party came in
one evening Just as the sunset gun was
fired, and so frightened were the ponies at
the terrible noise some of them lay
down and rolled over on their
sides. The Indians were not much better
of than their ponies and many broke for
the hills in wild gallop and ran as if the
devil were after them. Some OF the pony
tracks were measured afterwards and 1t
was found a number of the wiry little
beasts had jumped twenty feet with
heavy Indian or big pack on their backs
Miles had. by coaxing and fighting, got
most of them into Fort Keegh in 1877 and
set them to farming on the Yellowstone
above the post. He took 200 ponies from
them, seld them for $2,224. and with the
money bought some cows and bulls for
them. Captain Ezra Ewes, Fifth infantry,
bought the cattle for the Indians in the
Galiatin valley. Thirty of the best warriors
he enlisted for scouts, and Miles took
these with him in his campaign against
Joseph, in the Nez Perces war. Theyswere
also employed in scouting against the Sioux
and made good soldiers. Chief White Bull,
OF the Cheyennes, publicly burned his tom
tom at keogh and announced his abandon
ment OF the Indians ways. He said he
would. for the future follow the white
mans road and engage in farming" 1t was
White Bull who communicated with Lame
Deer's band and gave Miles his first infor-
nation as to Lame Deer's whereabouts.
The buffalo were still plentiful and Miles
sent out the Indians under military protec-
ton to hunt. In the spring of 1875 Captain
Ewers became their father and superin-
tended their farming on the Yellowstone.
This year they raised 900 bushels of pota-
toes, $50 bushels of turnips, Is bushels OF
onions, 10 bushels of parsnips, i0of carrots,
80 OF roasting ears, 1900 squashes, LOCO
pumpkins and a large lot of smaller vegeta-
bles. such as lettuce. In the winter of
1878 they hunted buffalo and killed 800.
saving and tanning the robes. In the
spring fifty Indians. all Cheyennes, came
over from the Arapahoe agency and Joined
them. In 1879 they continued their farm
Ing and had good crops and gardens. They
were joined this year by Little Wolf and
his band of 40 Indians from the Indian
nation. These came up with Dull KNIFE as
far as Fort Robinson. 1t was this band
that surrendered to Lieutenant w. z.
Clark. In 1880 the Cheyennes were further
reinforced by the remainder of Dull Knife's
band from Pine Ridge agency, seventy-four
men, women and children. This wear
lss0) they became almost self-supporting
In 1881 they continued farming on the
Yellowstone and with good results raising
LOU bushels OF corn, 800 bushels of pota-
toes, as bushels of turnips, 10000 melons.
1900 squashes, 10000 pumpkins, and q
large amount of onions, beets, cabbages,
parSnlps, carrots, etc.
In this year (lSsD they ascertained they
could not live on the Yellowstone. and be-
gan to look for new location with view
10 permanent settlement A portion of
them selected Rosebud and another nor
ton (White Bulls bandl Tongue River
valley. above Punkin creek. In the spring
OF iss2 they removed from the Yellowstone
anu seventy-hve families settled on the
Rosebud at Muddy creek and built houses.
they had good crops, but they We're
badly damaged by grasshoppers this
year. White Bulls band at Otter Tail creek
ON the Tongue did hest. The cattle they
had were well taken care of and increased
rapidly In numbers. They got wagons and
delighted 10 break their ponies 10
harness. IL was one OF the funny sights
AZ Fort keogh in lssl-2 TO see dozen men.
women and children seated in a wagon
breaking ponies. Six, eight and sometimes
ten ponies wenld De put TO one wagon.
Then an unbroken cayuse would be har-
messed and put into the middle of the team
aud the string Strengthened out. An In
dian rode the lead horse, and at the word
go the Indians would al veil and the
team start at gallop. The unbroken
little brute would throw himself down and
be dragged along until he was ready ami
willing 10 join in the work OF pulling The
wagon. Sometimes a pony would be killed
Amid clouds of dust and peals of laughter
the wagon went on. The Indians de.