The National tribune., 1910-03-31
THE 11TH OHIO CAV.
Years of Hard Service on the Plains.
The Fight on the observation-disclosures
ing NOtabIes Thru the Indian Ccun-

| ing NOtabieS Thru the Indian Ccun-
try.
Editor National Tribune: Seeing a
short sketch of the 11th Ohio Cav, we
desire to make few corrections or ad-
ditional statements. In 1861 the lst
battalion of the 9Th Ohio Cav was de-
tached from the regiment at Benton
Barracks, and sent to Fort Laramie to
relieve the I'd L. S. Dragons, which
were sent south. This battalion was
commanded by Maj. Wm. A. Collins,
OF Hillsboro, o. Very soon Mai. Col
Inns discovered his battalion was I'M
able to cope with, the willy red man"
and he got permission from the War
department to recruit second bat
TALON for this especial service which
ne did, and the two battalions were or
SaniZed and called the 11th Ohio Cav
Mag. Collins received Colonel's COM
mission. Soon thereafter there were
zoo recruits secured for this regiment.
and on the arrival of the recruits at
regimental headquarters. Fort Laramie,
they were organized into two new COM
panies, X and l.. The 1st battalion was
mustered out at the expiration of its
term of service. The orher companies
were retained until the close Of the
war or until relieved in 1866 The reg
lment was commanded successfully by
Col. Collins, Maj. Mackey and Maj.
Evans
The regiment established Fort Col
Inns, Colo, Fort Halleck, Wyo., and
Fort Connor, Mont, and guarded the
overland stage route from Eenyer TO
salt Lake City. 1t was with zen. Con
nor on his famous expedition in 1865
against Red Cloud and Sitting Bull in
the Powder River and Big Horn coun-
try. The regiment had numerous fights
with the Indians, the most noted of
which was on the Rosebud, q tributary
Of Tongue River, and not far from
where Gen. Clusters massacre took
place later. This battle was fought by
Gen. Connor's command on that expe-
dition, and the command consisted of
two companies of the I'd Cal. Cav two
companies of the 7th Iowa Cav, two
companies of the 18th Ohio Cav, one
company of Pawnee Indian Scouts.
commanded by the noted Capt. North,
and one company of Winebago Indian
ScoutS-about 500 in all
The Indian forces, commanded by
Sitting Bull and Red Cloud, were said
to be of 5000 warriors. Gen. Connors
command marched all night and at
tackled the village just at daybreak, de-
featinG the Indians, capturing and
burning the village and capturing
about 600 head of horses, mules and
ponies, the most of which were stolen
from the stage company and emigrants
two killed and several wounded. The
Indian loss was supposed to be about
100. This expedition of Connor's was
the expedition with which Col. Cole
with two regiments of Missouri cavalry
was to form junction with Connor on
the Yellowstone; but Col. Coles COM
mand failed to connect. and retreated
from the country in disorder. After
this expedition Red Cloud and Sitting
Bull signed a Ssace treaty at Tort
Laramie, and remaifIed peaceabIe for
short time.
The regiment did very strenuous SER
vice, three and four men being placed
at stage stations to protect them, and
it was not unusual for war party of
Indians TO dash in, kill the soldiers
burn the station and drive of the stock.
The writer, member of Co. X, had
the honor of commanding the escort to
Speaker ColfaX, eX-Gov. Bowles, of Illi-
nois, and Richardson, of the New York
Tribune, and another reporter of a
Chicago paper. This was during the
time of the Indian troubles, and the
stages were only run thru with escorts
travelling by night only. This was
Speaker COlfax's overland trip from the
Missouri River to San Francisco in.
1865, / think. The regiment was re-
lieved by the 9Th U. S. Cav in June
1866, and was mustered out at Colum-
bus. o., Aug. IA, 1S66-P. w. Brown,
Second Lieutenant, 18th Ohio Cav,
Runnells, Iowa.