The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-17
A CAMPAIGN With CROOK
Fighting Indians in the Seventies
Under ''0ld Grey Fox"
"Reminiscences of n Sergeant on the
Local Police Force-A Wearisome
Chase in Pursuit of the Hand
which Massacred Custer's Force
Frank Gourard, the Veteran Scout.

TITS all right for you fellows to say that
fighting Indians is child's play. but wait
Until you have had some experience in
that line first" said an old sergeant on the
Metropolitan police force the other night,
when the subject Of the recent Choctaw
troubles out in the Indian Territory had
been going the rounds.
During the seventies l enlisted and
was sent to Fort Laramie, expecting, as
did all rockies in those days, 10 kill an
Indian within day or 50 after my ar
rival. But such was not the case. for 1
was detailed with the rest of my com
Pany OF the Fourteenth Infantry TO guard
supply trains going from Laramie to Fort
Robinson. a new fort then, named in honor
Of Lieutenant Robinson, of my regiment
who had been killed near there by band
Of Sioux. It was not the sort Of work we
had expected. and it grew very monotonous.
Great was our relief when We heard
that orders had been issued for US 10 pro-
coed to Fort Douglas, Utah, and there re-
lieye the Fourth Infantry. The fort was
an old-fashioned affair, being built entirely
Of wood, but We set to work with a viii
and soon had stone placed in its stead
Everything was moving nicely. and as we
were right near Salt Lake City, the fell
lows had just got acquainted, when hurry
orders were received for Companies c, b,
and F. OF the Fourteenth, to pack up and
make ready to join General Crook. who had
just been repuisei by a large band Of
Sioux on the Rose Bud River. in the Big
Horn country.
Ordered 10 Join Crook
1.-THE orders said we were to Join Crook,
who was then fitting out large expedi-
ton. which was called the Black Hill ex-
petition, at the foot of the Big Horn
Mountains, on Goose Creek. Everything
was excitement at the post At last. when
the appointed hour for moving drew near
and the last good-byes TO those remaining
in the old fort had been said we marched
gayly down TO Salt Lake to the Union
Pacific depot. The railroad carried us as
far. as Medicine Station. and from there
we started on foot for Fort Fetterman, on
the Platte River, crossing that stream
which was unusually high, in an old fiat
boat which swsmped three times. carrying
two OF the men and number Of live stock
with her.
I'VE had seen no signs of Indians yet,
ms they had all gone north to unite and
make their final stand. At last We ran
across Crooks command at the foot Of
Cloudy Peak, and there we first saw the
man whose name was at that time on The
lips Of every settler In that country
General Crook-or old Grey Fox as we
had heard him called by the Indians about
the post. He was an unassuming man.
nothing vain or naughty in his make up
In fact In those days we did not have
that kind Of men in the West His dress
was more like that OF a packer instead OF
a general in the army. When on the
march he wore canvas suit with n far-
fridge belt containing 100 rounds OF am
munition. plain sombrero-we had no
regular field hat-his face covered with
q thick beard, and a fine Springfield rife
swung across the pommei of his saddle
you could always see him riding at