Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-12

were exasperatingly slow In rising. Gen
eral Crook sent his half-brced scouts TO
the Indian camp to hurry them up. The
Snakes. to their credit be II said. responded
with some degree OF artial alacr,ty,
but the Crows seemed to act very reluct-
antly. 1t was evident that both tribes had
a very wholesome respect for Sioux
proves"
Indians in the Fight.
During the height Of the battle. as the
weight Of fighting began to shift from the
front OF Colonel Mills, division to the left
where Colonies Royal and Henry led their
men. the historian describes the charge Of
the Indians, constituting the only action IN
which the allies fighting qualities were dis
played: Just then a tremendous yell arose
behind us. and along through the intervals
Of our battalions, came the tumultous array
Of the Crow and Shoshone Indians. rallied
and led back to action by Major George
NJ. Randall and Lieutenant John G. Bourke
OF General Crooks staff. Orderly Sergeant
John Van Moll Of Troop A. Mills battalion.
a brave and gigantic soldier. who was sub
sequently basely murdered by a drunken
mutineer Of his company, dashed forward
on foot with them. The two bodies Of saw
ages. all stripped to the breech-cl0ut. moe
assins and war bonnet. came together in
the trough of the valley, the Sioux having
descended to meet our allies with right good
will. All, except Sergeant Van Mol, were
mounted. Then began a most exciting en-
counter. The wild foemen, covering them
selves with their horses, while going at fun
speed, blazcd away rapidly. Our men did
not fire because it would have been sure
death to some of the friendly Indians, who
were barely distlnguishable by a red badge
which they carried. Horses fell dead by
the score-they were heaped there when
the fight closed-but, strange TO relate, the
casualties among the warriors, including
both sides, did not certainly exceed five and
twenty. The whooping was persistent, but
the Indian voice is less hoarse than that
Of the Caucasian, and has a sort of a
wolfish bark to It. Finally the Sioux on the
right, hearing the yelpjng and firing OF
the rival tribes, came up in great numbers,
and our Indians, carefully picking up their
wounded. and making their uninjured horses
carry double. began to draw off in good
order. Sergeant Van Mol was left alone
on foot. A dozen Sioux dashed at him
Major Randall and Lieutenant Bourke, whc
had probably not noticed him in the general
melee, but who, in the crisis, recognized his
stature and his danger, turned their horses
TO rush to his rescue. They called on the
, Indians to follow them. One small, mis-.
shapen Crow warrior, mounted or a flee
r pony, outstripped all others. He dashed
boldly in among the Sioux, against whom
( Van Mol was dauntlessly defending him.
self, seized the big sergeant by the Shout
der, and motioned him to jump UP behind
a The Sioux were too astonished to realize
I what had been done until they saw tn,
long-legged sergeant mounted behind tn,
I little Crow, known as Humpy, dash II
safety to our lines. The whole lin,
[ eheered Humpy and Van Moil."
4 No mention is made by Colonel Finerty
G OF Indians rescuing Colonel Henry whei
T that officer was desperately wounded
When Colonel Henry, bleeding ard ex
e hausted, fell from his horse, his men CAV
n ground and the Sioux charged furiously
r fighting over the wounded officers body
g but the soldiers rallied, drove back tn
e Indians and rescued the wounded colone
from a perilous position. The author con
d versed with Colonel Henry after his re
moval from the firing line, and would hav
IS known and given due credit to the India
allies had they been participants in tn
struggle to save the officers life. In sum
ming up Indian valor displayed by tn
is Crows and Shoshones in the battle of tn
n Rosebud, Colonel Ffnerty declares the
he were "Braggarts In peace and laggards /
< uyar'S