Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-20

the Indians hGu burned every oldoe ol buffalo grass. Not a tent had we in the entire command; not a change of clothing. and-since we crossed the Little Missouri and struck the head waters of Heart river-not full stom- ach.
 Rations were -well-nigh exhausted. We were living on Quarter portions" of bacon, hardtack and sugarless coffee.
 It was the summer of the terrible Custer massacre (1S76), and night and day we were pursuing the Sioux, hop ing to overtake and punish them. But they seemed to have scattered over tho face of the earth.
 Sitting Bull, with a great following, had crossed the Yellowstone and gone north. Crazy Horse, a brilliant and daring leader, with a host of Ogallallos and Brules at his back, was known to have made for the fastnesses of the Bad Lands of western Dakota.
 Thither Gen. Crook was now leading us-a column strong in numbers, for we had some forty companies of regu- lars, as well as goodly force of scouts, packers and others.
 Our command consisted of the entire third cavalry, most of the fifth, bat talion-four troops-of the second cav airy, and a detachment of infantry chosen from three regiments. We had men enough to overcome all the Indians in Dakota; but with starving horses and half starving soldiers little can be done in the way of aggressive warfare.
 Our rations practically gave out on the 9th of September. For several days we lived on horse meat. The choice was between that or our boots, and as we had been scouting, tramping and campaigning ever since the spring, boots were worn as thin as our beasts
 About seven o'clock in the morning of September 9th the news flew down the column like flash: "Sioux village big one-ffteen miles aheady' Col. Mills, then a senior captain serv- ing with the third cavalry, had been sent forward by Gen. Crook two nights before with orders to push through to the Black Hills with his command-one hundred and fifty picked horses and men and a pack train-load up with all the provisions he could buy, and hasten back to meet us. This very morning at daybrealx he had dashed into the vil- lage which his scouts had "located' during the night and was now ''hang- ing on" to his prize until we could reach | him.
 Well, we got there-pushing ahead through mud, mist and rain. Being adjutant, I happened to ride at the ! head of column as we neared the scene, and so obtained a capital view and a | lasting impression of the situation.
 For the time being there was a lull in the fight. Forty-one big lodges were scattered about the ravines in a \ deep amphitheater of the craggy hills known as Slim Buttes. Mills had scat tered the Indians just at dawn, cap \ tured herd of four hundred ponies, \ found several Seventh cavalry horses, | one of Clusters beautiful sillzen guid- ons, Capt. Myles Keoghs gauntlets, and other trophies which proved that these fellows had been concerned in the massacre, and that they must be part of Crazy Horses big band. Therefore their friends could not be far away.
 Late that afternoon the whole party came-Crazy Horse with hundreds o1 his warriors-and a lively fight we had with them; but meantime occurred what seems to me perhaps the brnvest thing I ever saw in Indian warfare.
 Look out for that ravine!" said Col Mills to me as I was riding in among the lodges. "There's a wounded In dian in there, and he has killed one ot my men,"
 Sure enough! Out on the slopes neal the deep, brush-hidden depths of tn, little gorge cavalry soldier, Wenzel was toppled forward on his knees, stonC dead, and Sergt. Hass had just got a bullet through the arm. It was plain | that there must be more than one In dian in there for two quick shots sud denly rang out, and a coupte of scout. crossing tho lowlands near the mouth of the gully ducled thei~ heads anC ran for shelter.
 My orders required me to place the
 Fifth cavalry in position facing the
 bluffs to the southeas4 and south of the captured village. After this duty wa.
 performed, and had seen the variou.
 troop commanders and given them tho
 colone,'s instructions, l had leisure tc look about me. I did not dream what
 a living volcano there was at the heac . of ttat little ravine.
 had found a little patch of gras. l down in a sheltered nook, and hat
 there picketed my poor old troop horse
 ard was coming back afoot toward tn,
 big Hodge" of skins beside which tn, colonel had unsaddled, when I caugh tight of three or four scouts anC troopers crawling toward the openinf of the ravine, evidently bent on getting . a shot at the occupants.
 In a moment those fellows were flat i tened out on the ground like hunted squirrel on the trunk of a tree, and tn, moisture-laden air rang with shots al the lead whizzed over their heads.
 Everyone seemed to wake up all q
 once to the realization that there was
 nest of redskins up at the head of tho gully. Presently a concerted effor was made to fetch them out
 Half a dozen officers and severa dozen soldiers and scouts took par
 and, as though by common consent, tn, leadership devoived on one of tn
 handsomest. bravest, manifest cavalry
 men 1t was ever my lot to know-Phil, | Choice Perfumes Of All Kinda