Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-22

'CfaEIOrADy the name Ol brdcheLt duo
some half-breed Indian scouts to re-
sconnoiter the adjacent country on the
left flank of the moving army.
{. Their, exciting adventure, and Lieu
tenant Freeman's tragic death, is de-
tailed by Mr.. Bracket in the follow
ing narrative: i eve left the main
column 4of Sibley's moving army,
struck oR to the south, and went to
range Of hills about five miles from
our wagon train. After getting there
we struck parallel course in the
same direction our main command
was taking. ~
1--WE followed along to the left of
the mains body; passed over a range
of bluffs,s4 chased three antelopes
around a lake: and succeeded in kill
ing one of them on it's southern shore;
being separated from our scouts,
while following the wounded animal
that We succeeded;in killing.
r. 9'As we were coming down toward
the lake and while the lieutenant was
creeping up toward the antelope, I
saw our scouts on the opposite side Of
the water and the train in sight on
the side of a hill several miles distant.
AFTER killing the antelope, instead
of taking our course back, we had a
curiosity to go around the lake to
where we saw our scouts. We saw
cherry bushes newly cut and piled UP
in a singular way. set out to tear
them down.
'Lieutenant Freeman persisted in
saying they were Indian signs, and
that Indians were near us. We cooked
our rifles, and made around a clump
of bushes, so as not to put ourselves
in too exposed condition; and took
"a course, as we supposed, toward our
train. Between one and two o'clock
we discovered three objects a long
distance off, between us and the
trains course, making toward it.
Their action, as we came nearer, con-
WINGED us that they were our scouts,
and we continued our course toward
them as they crept around the side of
a bluff; one leading and the other
two riding their horses.
GAS we approached them, I saw one
of them rise his head above knoll
and recognized him as one of our
scouts named Chaska. He had
straw hat on, and beckoned us to
come to them. His companions were
Sioux scouts; both Of whom had
government horses, and were armed
with guns and revo1vers. l asked
them where General Sibley was. They
pointed to hill three miles distant
from where we stood, in the direction
the train had passed. ill.,,
! ,,t'sI saw a large body of men on the
bluff, about two hundred in number.
whom I judged were our soldiers in
camp, looking upon us. We all start
ed direct for them. About the time
we started we saw what we supposed
to be guard of cavalry move out to-
ward us. The scouts turned aside to
water their horses at a little lake, I
and as ours had previously been
Watered we did not go with them. Al
4. 81 remarked to Lieutenant Freeman
that the cavalry escort, as we sup
posed they We're, must have turned
back, as they had disappeared and
were out Of sight We were soon
surprised BY seeing fifteen mounted
Indians charging upon us with a flag
Of truce, and as we whirled our
horses around they fired volley up
on us. yelled to the scouts that
they were Indians, az we galloped our
horses back In their direction; riding
about three rods apart. When we got
within twenty rods Of the scouts one
Indian rode up to Lieutenant Free
man ana shot an arrow through his