The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-11
A SOLDIERS DIARY.
Scenes at the Disarmament of
Big FOOt's Band.
TRYING TO FIRE THE MISSION
How the 0pportune Arrival of the Ninth
Cavalry Saved the Seventh From
Utter Annihilation.

CAMP on BEAVER CREEK, near old Foru
Sheridan, Jan. g. 1901 From our Special
Correspondent in the Field II send you
the following as from the diary of one of
the gallant Seventh cavalry whose trusty
rife was used efficiently in avenging the
death of Custer in 1876:
December 2S, 1S90.-At 4:30 pm. Lieu,
tenant Nicholson, Seventh cavalry, arrived
at the agency, reporting that Major White.
sides had corralled Big Foot and his band,
and that he desired the assistance of the
Second battalion of mis- regiment to disarm
them. We went out on the jump, arrived
at camp on Wounded Knee creek at ~
| (midnight). The First battalion had a
chain guard around the Indian camp, the
men stationed at intervals of about eight
eight yards, an officer with each relief. The
night was passed quietly, sleeping with
our buffalo coats around US.
December 20, 1S90.-Reveille at 5 :45 am.
At S o'clock surrounded the Indians in the
| following order: G. troop mounted
On the east and on the east of the
square formed around the council of braves.
| The troops that formed the square (tha
square is around the counciD were K and
b, with A as reserve on the north. Bat
terry Captain Capron's) stationed on a
hill about $50 yards north of the Indian
camp a few yards TO the right was e
troop mounted. On the south across the
ravine was troop of scouts (Cheyennes)
mounted and deployed as skirmishers. In
| their rear was @ and ID troops mounted
and deployed as skirmisherS. The braves,
who formed the circle when called upon to
give up their arms, produced only two
guns. Major Whltesides, satisfied that they
had hidden their arms, ordered a search OF
their tepeeS, about eighty miscellaneous
makes of firearms being found, some OF
them being taken apart. Whilst the
search was in progress, the Indian
squaws were saddling up and tying
their children on their ponies. At the same
time, their medicine man was making the
Indians proof against the soldiers bullets.
After the searching party sure that they
had found all the secreted arms, they
started for the braves in council to search
them. The minute they began to disarm
the braves the medicine man stopped down
and gathering up dirt in each hand, threw
it into the air, then each brave pulled a
Winchester from beneath his blanket and
commenced rapid and indiscriminate fire.
The fight then commenced in dead earnest,
lasting about one and one-half hours. The
number of Indians killed Including bucks,
squaws and papooses) would not fall far
short of 300 as the supposed number Of
Big Foot's band numbered only 800 and
only squawS and two bucks escaped. These
two bucks were captured and being held by
C. troop when Two Strikes band rescued
them, the troop CO. being forced to retreat.
We took about twenty wounded squaws
into the agency. The number of soldiers
killed outright was twenty seven (includ-
ing Captain Wallace, A, L and 3 troops
losing the most. Our wounded numbered
thirty five, three dying from the effects Of
their wounds en- route to the agency. After
the battle we marched to Pine Ridge, arr
irving there about IL pm.
| Dec RI 1S9O-At rpVailla three tr0ona ~
the Ninth cavalry arrived in camp. Half
an hour later shoots and saddles was
sounded in their camp, their wagon train
having been attacked by the Indians three
miles north of the agency. Immediately
after the same call was sounded in our
camp foru to go out and assist the Ninth,
: The Indians were soon driven off and the
!, wagon train brought into camp. One of
, the Ninth cavalry was killed and one
wounded during the attack on the wagon
E, train Water call was sounded at am,
e shortly after we arrived in camp with the
h wagon train. While on our way to water
f "boots and saddles was again sounded,
n and we pulled out without watering our
horses.
. The Indians were setting fire to every
!, thing north of us. They tried to fire the
Catholic mission, a large brick buildine
/ about four miles north of the agency, bu1
a our arrival delayed the confederation
d About two miles north Of the mission tht
IS battle commenced and lasted until neal
It snndown. Firing was all at long range
p About o'clock the Indians had nearly sur
Ii rounded US and put for the arrival of the
g Ninth cavalry-God bless them-at tina
Il time, they would have cut US of from thu
agency and another Custer massacre re-en
g acted Shortly after the arrival of tn
t, Ninth. we began a retreat in order to reacl
le camp by nightfall. The retreat was mad
As in good order and without loss. We ar
+ rived at the agency at shutdown. AT 9:3
Va D. 10. we were aroused from our beds to for
~ tify a hill northeast of cur camp and south
u east of the agency, word having bee
u brought in by the scouts that the hostile
would raid our camp and the agency tina
s, night. The hill was fortified and a lo
* cabin standing on il used as a magazine
IN The men then returned to their tents a.
hour and half later, nothing more occur
NJ ing that night There were two scouts an
one soldier, private Francesshetti of {
~ troop Seventh cavalry, killed. This on
III soldier was the only loss sustained by {
Is troop in both fights. Six soldiers fror
ne both the Seventh and the Ninth. caviar
is were wounded. 1t is claimed that abou
two hundred indians were killed in thi
re action, most of the work in assisting th
,d ghost dancers to Messiah land being don
-. by the Hotchkiss guns.
- J. G. WARREN.