The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
GEN. HENRY As an INDIAN FIGHTER
Remarkable March He Made with tho Ninth
Cavalry to Relieve Pine Ridge Agency.


In suppresslng that instruction. notably the
famous march made by him and detachment Of
the Ninth Cavalry To tho rclict Of the agency i'm
mediatcly following the bloody conflict between
hostile Sioux and the Seventh Cavalry at Wounded
Knee Creek on Dec. 20. 1890 In the afternoon OF
Dec "a Gen. uhcn Major Henry received orders
To move out at once from Pine Ridge Agency and
head off Big Foot. Sioux chief. and his follow
crs who had been taken prisoners some time be.
fore by detachment OF troops north Of the White
River but had made their escape, and were sup
posed 10 he heading toward the Bad Lands TO join
the hostlcs there.
The general" the service call meaning to
strike tents and pack mules and wagons
was sounded about in the after
noon. and shortly atterward boots and
saddles" rang out The lghthcarted troopers
Of the Ninth had become weary Of camp
and welcomed the prospect Of activity IN the field
Mai Henry with three troops and two IIotchkiss
guns called by the Indians the guns tina, shoot
to-day and Kill tomorrow" because OF the cNplo'
sivc shell OF the First Artillery. under Lieut.
Hayden, commenced the fifty mile march leaving
one troop behind 10 escort the wagon train.
The ride that frosty Christmas eve tried the
endurance 81 the troopers To Its utmost The cold
was 40 intense that water frozc solid in the can.
teens Notwithstanding the constant sinking. At
1 o'clock on the morning Of Christmas Day the
battalion reached Cottonwood Springs. at the
base Of the position Of the Indians in the Bad
Lands The troops then rode 10 Harvey Springs,
and from that point secuted the surrounding
country for several days " find Big Foofs Trail.
but II was ntGrward found that the willy chief had
passed u the eastward.
Meanwhile, farther south on the Pine Ridge
Reservation. exciting incidents were happening
4 hnf ~ Go, nj ~ al IN died.
by Major S. VI whlrsldc, left Pine Ridge Agency
on Dec 20 for the region east oi the agency 10
head OF lilg Foot In the event that he cyndcd the
troops un White River aud went In that direction.
The Seventh went into camp on Wounded Knee
Creek soon after dnrk on that day. and scouting
parties were Immediately cent out in various
directions In search Of the enemy
These failed 10 discover any trace ot the fleeing
Sioux until Sunday, Dec rs. when the camp 81
Big Foot was UNEXPECTEDLY discovered The
hoStilcs s'!fg "ndctcd without resistance That day
orders sent for the remainder Of the Seventh
Cavalry, under Brig Gen. James W FORSYTH to
proceed tn Wounded Knee and oin the rest Of the
regiment On Monday morning, Dec 20. while
dish rming big Foot and his followers a fight whs
prccip,atcd nv the c,hortntion 81 an Indian "medi
cine man resulting in one 81 the hlo"dest battles
IN border warfare
News ~ the battle soon reached the thousands
81 heretofore "frenilv' Indians cncampcd in the
vicinity 81 Pine Ri1G" agency, sixteen miles
away Mischief makers made them hlicvr that
tn. white truops had diSirmrd Big Foot and his
people c,m""ll"r them H. stand in n row had
then deliberately shot them down and trat the
frrnilc Indians a. the agency wuuld rec i've the
sHrlr treatment when the troops returned The
Indians were cNril",i ny these cNapgcrntiuns at
once d"rnci war nNin' AMI gs'hr-el IN threat
cning manner on tn" hills surrounding the agcnc".
Spics reported that th'v intended 10 hyrnrc the
50 C'n"i-slaurh'cf 81 Zig Foot and his followers
~ burning III" agency and killing all the whites
" this time tn" only n ops ~ the agency were
About ihrcr hunlr"d and MY infan'rrm"n.
consisted ~ only about seventh five men
Toward evening the s'ampcling Indians. mum
herring IN the neighhnrhopi nf one thn"snn nd rir ht
hundrrd warriors alone. cpmmrnCrt firing IN the
agency, and kept this IN for some time hu, made
no attempt 70 enter Their fir" was returned by
the Indian police aud '"w Of The soldiers who
defended the pulnt< ~ attqcf
Matters hal now hoe I'm" 80 serious that n cni-
ricr WAS sent with o-icrs fur the Ninth Cavalry
90 return a. sneclilv r"Ssihr from w itc River
II gcrrraNv feared that tho Indians would
attack nni enter th" agency un'"r c"v"r 81 da-'i
ness In chewing thi'. orl"r to return 'Nc Ninth
performed feat 81 long distance riding which
has rarely been surrnssrd nv ~ large body Of
rooms In less than fort" minutes after tho rnu.
ri"r had ridden n'" camp with news ~ the exciting
events har"ning further south. the squa irun
had commenced the iourncv through n country
filled with hnstu" Indians to Pine Ridge agency.
nr'rlv nftv mil"S away
III was now 10 o'clock At ni.rt" wrote their
commander in dcscr hing the ride The wind
was cold and IL hnwlcd out NJ thr canyons
and swruf ov"- ihr valley II carried with II the
WIS no noon The nirht was inkv dsrk; even The
patches ~ snow which lev hrrc End there IN tho
ground gave n" rrl'ef 10 10 eye. Nuf1"d in
their shaggy buffalo ov--coN's and hooded by
the -ro'enu. fur used nv our WrStrr. n .p'S
ito negro trrrOcrs lnnt"h like meaningless hun.
dl"s ths' had hren lied IN some ~Nv ~ N" h.c}s
of their horses. Through CANYONS VINCE black
walls Sc"-l"d I, ~ cnmrr 'ssi"- III the darkness
uf the night over bntc> Whose -'~'. 'r"r' 80 y""l
srar wounded 'S"n" sNI n,-,rirHrc c-r,,ks fhr
commend S,,.r ~ waco ht,h ,,".''d have killed
horses that bird "ot been nr'cHcd hv practice
"'o''i..: rr,ll =. rrn-t hit tho CHATTER Of the
hoo's r"d N" q" n'.irr ~ the carhnrs -s they
e, 0'"I ,hc roc'rrir 'rrrrinrs IT the saddles 81.
'..,,c = n.or o''"T a rrh 10 usual laugh md
rlrl ndi"l "'--s 81 III" d1rAcV tr"o"crs were not
C"r' 90 hr'- :" IN" march, Vow and 'h'n ccr1e
~ v" thew his crrrCv aud muscle ir'o dcSncf
a'- "Turt 10 keen the wagon train near us figures
hlurS and We knew not IT wh"t mo",rnt We might
he 'rra unor. tcCn-d'ngl" tho effort was made
10 roach the ageTcy hrfo,r hNvrrcak, in the horc
th-t darkness aud the Indians 81 acr>i,ion would
protect us f'Om a'tacl; in he meantime.
The rrwsrr"cr cor-rsrond"nis md n'hcr dwell
ers nj tho LITTLE agency hotel had lust finished
thrir hrcNtfrstS IN the r'ornirg 81 nc'. 80 when
cD'nroiinr nuts'd" drew the attention Of all
II was the arrival II the Niuth aud a. the colnrod
on the vaV tp their former camp south ~ the
agency, there general 'cc'inG of relief among
those who had since the previous afternoon cN.
rcr'cd nj every moment 10 hear the wnr.whonp
81 the Sioux rs thcv dashed on The agency When
few miles from tho agency the officers of the
Ninth. never dreaming that the hoStrs would
attack them Ur their wagon train So clos" tn the
agency, pushed ahead MOS" raridlv, leaving one
tr rop To rscor' tho wagon train. ltwr9 soon left
few miles hcl,iud. AMI was UNEXPECTEDLY at
tackled by the Sioux ~ ulain sight 81 the agency
One roorcr waS kill,d Currorrl wilson ~
the wr~nn trri" guard volunteered Al the risk
of his life 10 ride Ia the HEcrrr ~ ist.ucc
When he reached the cava'-y camp manv of
the ~ haus'cd irun '"rS were already asleep rsy.
inC thrown themselves mnNn the ground after
CARING for their horses. They were soon aroused
and in few moments were sgHin mounted and
gal'npinC 60 the rescue NJ the wagon train and
lis guard Sorr of the troopcrs did not even
wait 10 saddle their horSrs, 20 Quickly did they
resrord 10 t'c call for helm Nftcr sharp skir.
mish the hO' lies wee driven back and the WAGON
train moved into the AGENCY,
Thr' afternoon the Ninth was called 10 the
assistance II the Seventh, whirh had turned
from the Wounded kner battlefield nj ridnirhi
the nvht before, and had been sent 10 defend u
Catholic mission school north ~ the agency
which had been attacked by the hostile Sioux
The two regiments stood rhcir ground until dusk.
when they slowly fell back Ia the agency. The
Ninth hid ridden 100 miles in twenty two hours
and in that time had participated in two fights
with Indians
Sort OF Proprietor.
From tie Ul'hir ton Er,ninG Star.
The Stranppr who WINS travelling nm horseback