The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-19
CRUELTY ALMOST BEYOND BELIEF
Extracts From a Newspaper Publish
ed By the Gen. Custer Expe-
dition in 1864.

relic myself, but felt little bit timid
about going after one
CUT NOSE-JACK."
Among the Indians who had been hung
remembered the face of one as "Cut-Nose
Jack. who had been a familiar figure in
81. Anthony in early days. Many a time
had he been fed by my mother. Now, as
saw that all the crosses and beads had
peen taken, my courage began to rise, and
1 determined TO nave something to take
along as reminder of the occasion
Jumped into the trench, whipped out my
Jack knife, and went for the scalp Of
"Cut-Nose Jack But my knife was very
dull, and l had to saw and slash with all
my might before l secured the trophy
After the punishment Of the reds by the
wholesale hanging at Mankato, which oc-
Cured in the year 1862, the people of the
Northwest had year of comparative
quiet, but in 1864 the reds again became ac-
tive and dangerous, and in common with
many other men in Minneapolis, l joined
the great Northwest Indian expedition I'M
der Gen. Sully, and we ventured forth in
the hopes of conquering the Sioux India S
the Sitting Bull crowd-for all time to
come. Although we were not successful to
any such degree. had quite a little
fun with them and kept them running many
a long mile.
During this campaign there were two
young fellows, members of Company l.,
NlSColisll ' OIuIlteeTS WHO uIlueT the lfm
name OF Vinegar & Goodwin published a
little newspaper for the boys en- route
The paper was christened The Frontier
Scout, and was but a single sheet, of a
width of three columns, but it wa 6If-
hclently large to contain all the news each
week, and what more could be asked? The
boys NAG curious arrangement for press
which l am not printer enough to describe
to you, and they carried the type and press
along with them all through the campaign.
l have just one copy of this little sheet still
in my possession, and prize it as great
curiosity. 1t is dated Fort Union d. T.
Aug. II, 1864, and it contains complete ac-
count, or summary, of the hardest work of
that years campaign.
A UNIQUE NEWSPAPER.
Following is the story of the Indian bat
ties engaged in by Gen. Suliys command
in 1864, told by the frontier scout:
Since Tuesday the monotony of quiet
garrison life has been broken. The whistle
of the steamer, the shouting Of men, the
passage of boats the fordng of men and
animals belonging to the Northwestern In
dian expedition has furnished a sight never
before witnessed on these shores
The expedition Left Sioux City on the
4th of June, travelled 4s3 miles up the Mis-
souri,, laid out and commence
ed Fort Rice, and left there
on the 10Th day of July. On the Gath
reached point on the Heart river nearly
due west and 112 miles distant from Fort
Rice. Here a fortified camp was formed
the supply wagons of the command and the
emigrant train of 260 wagons (Which the
expedition was expected to protect We're
corralled. and the larger part of the COM
mand started on the 18th with two DAYS
cooked raticns in haversacks and four in
light wagons. On the 2Sth they came IN
sight of the main camp of the reds at
about 10 a. m. Here the Indians had col
lected all their available warriors num-
berlnG from 1000 to 900 lodges, in the full
confidence of whipping the whites. Their
position was chosen with great skill and
judgment. on the sides of Il lofty ridge fill
ed with pinnacles, ravnes, and almost i'm
penetrable thickets. In front the
ground was broken rolling
prairie; in the rear of the ridge
1--WE found the next day. was part of the
Manuals Terres of the Little Missouri eros
Nentres, a succession of pinnacles, ravines
butes and mounds of almost every conceiv-
able size and shape, where no living being
unacquainted with the paths could follow
who was.
Our forces were mostly dismounted and
thrown forward deployed as shrmshers
one-fourth of each dismounted company
leading the horses of the others. These led
horses, with the train, followed near the
center of the line Of battle. Heavy reserves
of cavalry were held on either flank and
the batteries, with three companies of
cavalry as support, marched near the
center.
These Indians. who are wild and I'M
tanned. swarmed every side on their
fleet little ponies in their gaudy ornaments
and paint, with shield and lance. as well
as more formidable weapons. dashing
wildly together, or dispersed on signals
from their chiefs. But the whistle of the
long range rifle. an the fate of many of
their number taught them that the white
a f1r prin TO l,a
had yet sold them.
Time and time again was the eagle
plumed baton of the chief waved as a sig
nal for concentration. Then a dash would
be made that was followed by an equally
rapid retreat which they would be severely
punished having inflicted little injury.
one large party passed around under the
cover of high ground and made dash on
the train in the rear. A piece of artillery
under command of Lieut. Whipple. and
a company of cavalry were instantly
ordered in motion, and the first Shell
fired killed five men and ponies, three of
whom were literally torn to pieces. The
right flank being threatened by a large
body of Indians. Maj. Bracket was order
ed to charge with his battalion, which he
did in good style, pursuing them about
one and a half miles, and dispensing them
with the loss of two men killed, seven
wounded. and Is horses shot, leaving q
Indians dead on the ground, II of whom
were killed by the sabre alone. Space will
not permit me to mention the noteworthy
incidents of the battle, but all the troops
acted we'll without sign of fiinching, and
at sunset not solitary Indian could be
seen on the field of Tah-kah-o-ku-ty.
Our loss was two killed and nine wound
ed. OF the Indian loss 1t is impossible
to speak with confidence, as, according to
Indian custom, they were seen to endanger
their own lives and throw away all they
had for the sake of carrying off the dead,
but $50 is probably moderate estimate
of the number killed, and to this the ar
tillery contributed largely.
AT clock the next morning we We're
up and in pursuit, but we were stopped by
the Manvais Terre, of which l have spoken.
We then returned to their camp and spent
the entire day in destroying it-tine lodges
il skins, parfleches filled with buffalo
meat, brass kettles. mess and household
furniture We're all piled their own lodge
poles and destroyed by fire, the destruc-
ton was only completed in the evening
by setting fire to the woods and consuming
all in a general confiagraton.
I'VE again reached corral on Hart
river on the 21st Of July. having Travelled
15O miles. fought a battle and DESTROYED
large camp in six days. On the Sd of
August took Of IN, a