Morris tribune., 1901-02-23
+" Little Bat .
AND THE
Sibley Fight.

| may be all right, but there are others,
remarked dark, swarthy, stout mar
in this city yesterday. He was Frank
Grouard, ex-chief of scouts of the
United States army, the hero Of hun
dred Indian fights and hairbreadth
escapes. There is nothing romantic in
the appearance Of this big, brawny
man, his black hair now well streaked
with silver, but his exploits are liber,
ally blazoned on the army reports by
| Crook and Sheridan. Born on an is
land in the south Pacific in 1850, the
son of missionary, through stress Of
circumstance at the age Of 5 he was
left to shift for himself. Doing chores
about the California mining camps and
driving an ore wagon were his training
for carrying mail over lonely star
route. He was captured as youth
by Indians and adopted as a son by
the famous Sioux chief Crazy Horse,
living five years in Indian camps, eat
ing his meat without salt, forgetting
the taste of bread, and intrusted with
the mysteries of medicine making" by
Sitting Bull This school Injured him
to hardship and eventually led him to
meet and overcome dangers that few
men have experienced.
When he saw the telegram in the
newspaper of yesterday relating the
tragedy at Crawford, Neb., that sound
ed taps" for Baptiste Gaunier, better
known as the famous scout Little Bat
he quite forgot the overhanging won
der of the elevated road and the tall
buildings to tell his regret at the pass
ing of one who had shared with him
many perils. did you ever hear of the
Sibley fght?' he asked. IF you have
not, John Finerty can tell you one live
ly side of it. Little Bat might have
told you some more about it, and
might say something myself. Yes, we
were all in it up to our chins, and as
an all round close shave think all &C.
counts agree that it was about the linn
it. The idea of a man living on diet
of that kind and then getting killed in
saloon fight! 1t seems tough: Poor
Little Bat! Bad whisky was worse
medicine than Sitting Bull ever made
in all his years of deviltry.
"But you want me to tell about the
Sibley fight, do you? 1t was about "a
years ago last July, just about week
before the battle that wiped out Gen
General Crook assigned Little Bat and
myself to go north on the Tongue river
and meet body of friendly Crows that
were joining us to fight against the
Sioux. Much to my regret, Lieutenant
F. w. Sibley and "a picked men of the
Second cavalry were detailed as, an es-
cort. The men were splendid fellows,
but all more or less new in Indian fight
ing. We had been moving north two
days when in the dawn Of the third
morning discovered the Sioux moving
toward the Tongue river thicker than
buffaloes in the valley of the Platte.
1 called Bat softly, and when ne saw
the great painted procession stealing
over the plains he said, My God, we
are gomez
81 waited until saw them strike our
trail Immediately the discoverer be-
gan circling his horse and waving his
blanket, and about ten minutes later
every Indian in that section knew that
white men were somewhere about. |
thought we might possibly get away
from them by getting up into the
mountains. I told Bat to follow me
with the men as fast as he could, my
idea being to get beyond where the
Twin creek trail crossed our own in
the mountains. knowing that the In
dams would naturally make run to
cut us off at that point. l suppose |
length got tired waiting at the trail |
and went back for the sol |
diers. Imagine my surprise when l |
learned that the party had stopped to |
make coffee. Lieutenant Sibley admit |
ted his inexperience in a running fight |
and had yielded to the importunings of |
his men, who wanted breakfast. l told |
him the chances were that none of us
would eat any more between that time
and kingdom come. as the Indians
we're probably waiting for us at the
point we should have passed long ago.
made wide detour from the trail as
.
we toiled up the mountain. Very for
for they were ambushed for
Is at the crossing Of the trails between
:wO high tree crowned buttes. If we
lad passed through that natural gate,
lone of us would have been left to tell
bout it. AS we passed up the noun
ain to the left they got on to our
urves. and about 200 did some wild
arget practice in our direction. Strange
0 say. not man was hit. Correspond
mt John Finertys horse was shot and
e came up and joined me in leading
he line. The horses were inclined to
at the first fire, so at the be-
inning of the thick timber l. ordered .
be stock tied in bunch. The Indians
ried tn every way to draw our fire.