Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-11

command moved siKty-five miles westward
and established the stoOkads fort of Fort
Phil KearnOy, at the junctioa of the Big
and LittIs Pinsys. Two companies Of In
fahtry we're sent on to Tongue river and
built another Nstockade fort, known a. Fort
c. r. Smith.
Headquarters Of the expedition were es-
tablshed at Fort Phil Kearney. and around
this devoted fort Red Cloud csntered his
hOstIlities. though he was constantly har-
RAISING the lines OF communication east
ward to Powder river and westward to
Tongue river.
The first pitched battle between Red
Cloud and any considerable body OF troops
was at CraEy Woman creek, July 20, 1885.
Several soldiers were killed in this fight
and a considerable number Of indians. A
desultory warfare was kept up. in which
many Of the soldiers were killed, and in
the immediate vicinity Of Fort Phil eKar-
ney, the tragic affair Of the campaign Gull
minating In the massacre Of Colonel Fet-
Germans m Of eighty-three men.
Red Cloud was IN command Of this battle,
having about 6.oos indians with him.
During the winter of 1886 and 1867 the
command was constantly harrasssd and
many soldiers killed. Red Cloud estab-
lishsd his camp at the of the
PinsyA in the mountains, and made In
~cessAnt attacks against the troops at Forts
Phil KeSrney. Smith ana Reno.
New Guns Defeat Redskins.
He finally met his Waterloo on August
2, 1867. in the wag box fight, four miles
from Fort Phil Kearney. A company OF
the Twanty-ssventh infantry (the Second
battalion Of the Eightsenth) under com
mand Of Major Powell, whiIs guarding a
wood camp, was attacked by Red Cloud in
their camp. The Indians numbered about
5000, and 1t was their evident Intention to
wipe put this small company and then
burn the fort and massacre the troops
there. The command had just been
equipped with the new converted Spring
field bresch-loadinE rifles, Of which the
Indians were net familiar. The result was
that in an aI-day light only three Of the
soldiers were killed and several wounded.
but the Indian loss was between 800 and
loo.
This disaster to the Indians was a crush
ing blew to Red Cloud. His nephew and
many OF hts bravest warriors were killed
In the fight.
From that time, RED Clouds fortunes be-
gan to wane. He, however. kept up a
desultory warfare, but with greatly dtmin-
ished numbers. He reoouped his forces
again In 1883, and succeeded in driving the
troops out Of the country, from Tongue
river TO Powder river, ana burned their
abandoned forts.
The ogalallas began to lose faith in him.
and subsequently resumed their individual
tribal relations, Red Cloud had by this
time ceased TO be a great factor, and a
year later surrendered to the military
authorities and was established with his
band at the Pine Ridge agency. The In
dians were disarmed, but Red Cloud has
since remained there, broken In spirit but
still relsntlessly hostile to the whites.
Red Cloud was the last Of the great
Indian chieftains. He belongs I'm a class
with Black Hawk, Tecumseh. Logan and
Red Jacket. He was never civilized. He
fought his battles for his principles He
believes that he has been greatly wronged,
and many OF his old foes OF the wars Of
1865 viii subscribe to that belief.