New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13

best possible guide be had to lead the way TO Gus.
ters position If any director was needed put tne
indicated exactly where the troops ana the am
munition should have gon" Under rules governing
together me nioi o ncer should give the neces.
sarv orders Major Reno was. therefore, the re-
sponsble commander at that point .u. po,,,.
command remained they could hear the firing going
on further down the valley between custer men
and The Indians for a long tiSle The Indians dsap-
peared from that front after having chased Major
Rcno's troops of the valley ana up on the piuiis
Cantain Weir with his troops, moved short dis
and seeing great commotion and smoke and dust In
IN. valley reported that he could go no further
That may have been the time when one troop I'M
der d gallant officer might not have been able 10
gone one of the scouts. Herendeen. and thirteen
men who with Reno. and who We're left In the
timber from which Reno retreated after tie In
dians had zone down the valley. walked across the
plain forded the river, and rejoned their command
pn he hill These two movements indicate that
there we're no Indians in this vicinity during the
time the firing was going on that Is mentioned by
Godfrey down the Valley OF the Little Big Horn'
whore the real battle was being fought
In A succeeding chapter reference is made to the
fact that "A detachment of the I'D Infantry. In the
summer OF 1871 was ordered Ito proceed by forced
marches to Bismarck OAK. and from there by
railroad rapidly possible TO the city OF Chica-
90 where they arrived in time help restore
order and suppress the riots that at that time we're
threatening life and property in that city"
General Miles wildly describes the engagement
in which the Nez Perces were surprised attacked
and captured after s,eathy night marches In de-
scribing the situation after the first charge Gen.
eral Miles who In command. says:
The Indians occupied crescent shaped ravine.
and il was apparent that their position could only
be forced by "A charge or siege. Inc hrst could
not be accomplished without too great sacrthce.
while the latter, in my Judgment, would be almost
sure to result satisfactorily.
NV one concern then was whether the Sioux In
IA vi
Bull north OF the Canadian boundary line. some
INV miles distant and TO whom the few Indians
who had been able to escape from the village had
fed might not come to the assistance OF the Neg
perces | afterward learned however that when
the Nez Perces messengers reached the camp OF
Sitting Bull instead OF coming TO the assistance OF
the besicged. the whole camp. numbering between
| 900 and 1000 Indians who evidently had not for
gotten their experiences CURING tue autumn a'o
winter Immediately moved forty miles farther
Still as | did not know this fact until several
weeks later was bound 70 make provision 70
meet this large body OF Indians should they ado
vance to the assistance Of the Nez Perces
General Miles summarizes the results OF six years
OF Indian campaigning between the years 1874 ana
1880 and says "A belt Of country extending from
the Rio Grande the Mexican boundary on the south
10 the Canadian boundary on the north. and averaS-
ing some 400 miles in width from cas-, to west was re-
deemed from a Wild state and IL controi o' sa'As'
tribes and given 10 civilization
This vast country over which in 1874 roameo po"'
arful hands of Indian warriors and countless hu'ho
OF wild game. was in SIX years oy '''e n.y. ~ 49,. -.
tho rn,,ed states Army freed for all time from tne
desoating influence OF the savage ana MADE nao,..
,bs FOR civilized man. And these results are que
rho heroic services. the splendid fortitude anu eou
w. IA noble sacrifices OF men like Lewis. custer.
as Co., Hale Bennett Keogh. Yates. Tom"
cms,er Crittendon Bdd.e. Mckinney and hundreds
=, ,srs oficers and soldiers. who placed themselves
between war and peace between danger and security.
the newly constructed railways ana protect'
20, tho towns as they the plains. They freely
"croa ,heir lives and actually cleared this vast re.
zion during that brief time. giving 1t 10 civilization
Torever II Is 10 hoped that the services and sac
riices Of these men VIII al least De femshocieu ~
he people who occupy this country and enjoy its
benefits. -, 49,.
THE smoke Of the Indian villages has been replaced
v the founders and furnace fires OF civilization. The
signal lights no longer hash from the hills. but In
their places the headlight OF the locomotive and the
electric light dlspe the shadow OF town and plain
and n.umlne the pathway OF progress and ctviltaA-
ton"