The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-17

He had his horse saddled at once,
ana accompanied by one soldier, in less
than ten minutes he was disappear
from our view as he dashed at a gallon
down the valley. l could not antici-
pate at that anxious moment the ter
rlole tragedy that awaited i'm the near
future these two enterprising and
splendid officers. 1 do not think that
Lieutenant Biddle drew rein until he
stood on the bank of the Missouri just
In time to hail the last regular steam
er going down the river that season
AS a result of taking advantage of
every possible chance and the enter
prise of the young officer, he sent word
back that night, and when we reached
the Missouri the next morning we
found the steamer tied up at the bank
awaiting US.
Early the next morning found us at
the bank of the river and I immedi-
ately crossed over the battalion of the
Second cavalry under Captain Tyler.
This was done for a double purpose;
one was that they might move along
the left bank and prevent the Nez Per-
ces from crossing at any of the fer
ries above. and the other that they
might continue on to the northwest
where I had been ordered to send a.
battalion of cavalry to escort General
Terry on his peace commission to meet
Sitting Bull with the Canadian officers
north of the Canadian line. The bal
ance of the command was moved up
the river a short distance above the
mouth of the Musselshell, and as all
information I had received I'D to that
time indicated that the Nez Perces
were still fifty or seventy-five miles
south of the Missouri. 1 decided to
move UP the south bank of that river
and intercept them.
A Steamer Departs Too Soon,
AS I could not detain the steamer
any great length of time, L gave per-
mission for it to continue it's journey
down the river. Captain Baldwin, one
of the most efficient of officers, who
had been worn down by hard service,
was by the advice of the surgeon in
structed to go down the river for rest
and also to hurry forward the steamer
with the supplies which had ordered
up before leaving the cantonment on
the Yellowstone.
AS our command was being prepared
to march to the west, and while the
steamer was but short distance
away, three men came down the river
in boat and announced the fact that
the Nez Perces had crossed the Mis-
souri, some sixty miles to the west of
us, at a point known as Cow island.
This was one of the occasions in mill
tary affairs when, acting upon the
best information obtainable you sud-
denly find yourself greatly embarrassed
by new information that is directly
contradictory.
The steamer was beyond hailing dis
lance, but as quick as thought Ser
geant McHugh, whose piece of artil-
lery was resting on the bank of the
river, was ordered to charge his gun,
train it down the river, and commence
firing shells as rapidly as possible. The
reVerberation of the cannon down be-
tween the high bluffs or sides of the
great canyon of that river, and the
bursting of shells in the air on the left
bank could be heard for several miles
down the Missouri, and / knew that if
those sounds reached the ears of that
thorough soldier, Baldwin, he would
turn back and move to the sound of
the guns.
1 was not mistaken in the man. In
the course of twenty or thirty minutes
the soldiers sung out Here she
comes" And a most welcome sight
it was to see the black column of smoke
as the steamer rounded the bend of
the river far below and came putting
and following up against the strong
current. When he arrived I told Cap
tain Baldwin that 1 was delighted to
see him, though when we parted 1 did
not expect to greet him so soon again.
and he replied that he knew some
thing was wanted or that there was a
fight, and that he wanted to be on
hand in either case