The National tribune., 1899-11-02
SYNOPSIS.

After three years brilliant service IN Ii'
South. the Minnesota companies Teft
reorganizeI rs Brackets lHd'pt BAT
tailor. The battalion took part IN Gen zen
Sully's Sioux campaign of 1864. A1tel
Wintering at Fort Ridgely, Mimi, tht
command joins the expedition of 1869 arc
begins its march into the Sioux country.
June 1S.-We are at yellow Medicine
Greek. near Fort Suly, resting for day
or two. We have been mustered for pay
Sol Doolittle and | went hunting. We
secured a nice buck antelope and caught
a fire mess of trout in the creek. We
live high; our COW is doing well, and Is
getting use TO campaigning, marching
along, and carrying her pack of cooking
uten lis. We march from 20 to so miles
a day We get up early, and generally
get 10 camp and fix up by noon.
June 25.-We are camped. at La Cha-
pelIe Creek. not far from where we camped
last year. We saw some Indian signs
to-dav We found where quite large body
had camped lately, and from indications
Judged that they left in a hurry. The
trail leads north. A detail of 200 men
has heen sent out with our Indian scouts
to follow up the trail and report to Gen.
Sully
June 30.-We have arrived at Fort Sully,
and are camped on same side of the river,
a little below the fort. Our scouting party
has returned, and report that they followed
the Indian trail some 100 miles north, and
that the band scattered i'll all directions
when they learned that the troops were IN
pursuit Our men did not see any In
dians.
July 4.-Still in camp near Fort Sully.
We have been paid off. Quite party Of
us secured permission and went up to the
fort and celebrated little.
July 1.-On the march again, going
north. We are camped at Cheyenne
River near our last years camp. where
our typographical engineer, Capt. Field
Ing. was killed. Quite party of us went
oyer and visited his grave and found the
coyotes had been digging around some.
We protected the grave still more by piling
large mounds of @nigger-heads" on top.
We also planted some flowers over it.
ON THE MARCH.
July 12.-We have reached Lone Lake,
and are camped on the same spot We occu-
pied last year. Near by we found the
grave Of our man who was buried here
last year. The grave had been opened
by the Indians, who had taken the body
out, no doubt for the purpose of robbing it
OF the blanket and clothing, and left it
exposed. The bones of the comrade We're
scattered all around, picked clean by wolves
and foxes. Wegathered them up carefully,
reinterred them, and protected the grave by
building large mound of "nigger-heads'
over il.
July 15.-We have reached Fort Rice,
and are camped on opposite side, little
below the fort The camp is good. We
have plenty of water, wood, and grass.
Some rain has fallen lately, but weather
is fine now. The last troops-a part of
9th and 7th Iowa Cav. consolidated-have
Joined us, and complete this command.
We are camped in regular brigade forma-
ton, and have all told about 1,SOO men,
a very light train, and are unencumbered
by any civilian emigrants or miners; but
there is a party ef about 20 Englishmen
who will accompany us. They are noble
men and retired officers, with their ser
wants, cooks, walters, etc. They have
their own outfits-wagons, teams, tents,
provisions, and riding horses, arms, and
equipments, and have some very fine i'm
ported hunting horses. and one, Capt.
Furgerson, has fine pack OF hounds,
some trailers, also, smooth coated and
shaggy grayhounds. This party is to
accompany us partly for observation, and
to enjoy the opportunity of hunting big
game, such as buffalo, elk, deer, and ante
lope.
They are Jolly crowd, quite patronizing
and liberal to those of us Doolittle and ]
included) who have learned some of the
habits of the Indians, and had been privi-
legged to accompany the scouts and advance
OF our expedition the year previous.
July 23.-We have started northeast
toward Devils Lake, where the hostiles
are reported to be in force. All our baggage
sick and worn out men and horses have
been lett behind. We are in the lightest
marching order possible. Our men and
horses are in splendid trim, and we feel in
excellent spirits.
SHOOTING BUFFALO.
July 28.-We are camped on the Chey.
enne River of the North, tributary of the
Red River Of the North, and are not far
from Devils Lake. Buffalo, elk and
antelope are found in vast num-
bers. The English party and some OF
our men are having all the sport they
want, If sport it can be called To ride a
fleet and surefooted horse right in the
midst of an excited and fleeing herd. and
shooting the half-crazy animals, like com
mon cattle, at a range so close that the
hair of the animals is often singed.
We live almost entirely on game, anC
yet hundreds of animals are not touched
after they drop, but just shot down for til,
fun of killing.
Aug. 3.-We are camped on the south
side Of DEVILS Lake, large body of sal
and brackish water. There is no timber
on this side. There are quite a numbel
OF islands, covered with timber, and som,
timber is in sight on the north shore.
We found no Indians; they have left
and our scouts report that they are moving
north and west toward Turtle Mountains
close to the British line. Maj. Won Min.
den, our Typographical Engineer. with ;
strong escort accompanied by the Eng
hsh party and some agents Of the Smith
sonlan Institute, are TO start on an exnlor
Ing trip around Devils Lake. will ac
company this party.
Aug. 1--we have returned from a yer,
Interesting trip. We saw lots of stranp,
sights and curiosities, and found an outle
OF Devils Lake. This we followed som
distance, and found a good many recently
occupied Indian camps, but no Indians
Nxl -