Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-03-19

was spilled, and all we had for break
fast was bareback and water.
One of the horses Of the guard had
been left behind when we moved Out
of range. With one OF the troopers
went back to get the animal and had
barely pulled up the picket pin when
the animal leaped into the air and fell
dead, bullet from the other side
having gone through his brain.
next went to high bluff from which
could be seen the country for eight or
ten miles up and down the river
With the aid of my glasses l was able
to notice that numbers Of Indians
We're crossing and approaching our
position from both directions. A re-
port Of this was at once sent TO Gen
eral Custer and he made his DISPOSE
ton accordingly. To the west were
hills, which in possession of the hos
tiles would render our position in the
bottom very unsafe one. Our
squadron commander was directed to
occupy this hill with about a third of
a troop, dismounted. I was ordered
and go in charge of this detachment
We went as rapidly as possible, and
leaving our horses at the foot of the
hill scrambled to the top through a
narrow ravine. There were about
twenty men with me.
AS our party reached the top, spread
out before US was a plateau probably
a mile or more in extent and not a
hundred yards away. Riding in our
direction was what looked like the
whole Sioux Nation to the few of us.
There were probably hundred
dressed in their war toggery of paint,
feathers, horns, etc. We saw them
before they saw us, and hurriedly
forming line opened fire. One vol
ley caused them to stop; several
ponies were seen to fall, but l do not
know if any of the warriors we're hit
At any rate we saw several ponies an
instant after scurrying back with two
riders each Our one volley caused
them to turn, some to the right and
some to the left, but close behind
them was another lot of about the
same number. Our men had barely
time to slip a fresh cartridge into
their carbines when the second line
was where the first was checked.
The second onslaught turned out as
did the first. Our men lying down on
the slope, with only their heads above
the summit. The fourth charge of
the Indians came closer than any of
the others, and to me it seemed as if
some of them had gotten between us
and the river, and would work to our
rear. I arose and started to the left
to see if this was the case, and had
taken but a few steps, my right side
toward the hostiles, when bullet hit
my left leg midway between the hip
and the knee, and just missing the
femoral artery, went clear through
the leg, badly shattering the bone. I
fell on my left side and rolled down
the hill quite distance. This put
me out of business, and I told the
sergeant (HalD to take charge of the
detachment. Hall was an old soldier
and very capable one.
AS soon as the firing on us was
heard in the valley below, the balance
OF our squadron, under Captain Yates,
hurried to our relief, and upon their
appearance the Indians withdrew
They were pursued up the valley a
distance, but were not overtakel, as
their ponies were in a much better
condition than were our horses. Not
one OF the men with me was hit, but
three or four had holes in their hats
and one had his hat rim shot away.
While We were having orr little
fight there were more things doing in
another part of the field. A party OF
Indians, who had crossed below us
moved forward and were met by
Captain French In the fight that en-
sued several of the Indians were seer
to fall, but were carried off the field
by their comrades. Another party o1
warriors attacked the center of ou1
position. They were driven off by
Captain Tom Custer. In this affair
Lieutenant Ketcham, Twenty-secont
Infantry, the assistant adjutant gen
eral Of the expedition, had his horse
shot under him. General Clusters
horse was also shot in this affair.
The pursuit continued about eight
miles up the valley, where the indians
again crossed the river at the place
where they had come over in thu
morning. - -.
/ When the charge of the main body
OF our men was about to begin, The
a w.,