New Ulm review., 1913-09-10
Ives Tells Indian Story

Luther C. Ives, who will be re-
membered by our older residents as
one Of our brave defenders during
\ the Indian Massacre and who was
afterward a member of Co. 6, End
MINI. Cavalry, and was stationed in
1864 at Fort Rice below the present
site of Mandan, N. D., is rendering
valuable services in locating historic
grounds for the South Dakota His.
torical Society. Mr.. Ives' descrip-
tion of the battle, which was fought
July %, 1864, at the present site Of
the Diamond G Ranch, was recently
published in thssD Dickinson Press and
lis reproduced here because without
doubt it will prove interesting to
Review readers: 4
"After q two and a half days
march from near the T. S. Underhill
place south of Antelope. in q north
and westerly direction, the 2,2OO U.
S. volunteers Of mounted infantry
and cavalry reached the Kildeer coun-
try late the morning Of July 28th.
The Indians, numbering about 10000,
were formed, in their war paint and
feathers, in seim-circle, just back
of the oak thicket south of the pres
ent Diamond G buildings. The cav
alrymen formed in line back of Cros-
by butte, advancing from the north
and northeast. Fire was opened at
o'clock in the afternoon and con-
tinued until dark. The army had
eight cannon. Brackets battalion
and the 9th and 7th Iowa and Da-
kato cavalry took the brunt Of the
battle.
"The Indians were finally driven
up through the gap in northwes-
terly direction from the Diamond C
ranch. The soldiers did some heavy
charging along Dead Mans gulch,
but only two Of their number fell in
battle. It was estimated that 800
Indians fell.
'tOn the night Of the 28th the End
brigade rested on the fiat south Of
the Diamond C buildings, the pres
ent site Of large corn field. The
LIST brigade rested on the fiat below,
just northeast, and where MIR. Ives
definitely located the graves Of Geo.
w. Northrop, orderly sergeant, and
Private Austin.
"For the night of July 29th, 1864,
the U. S. army camped at the Craig
springs 6 miles east of the battle
field. Here two privates Of Co. D,
End MINI. cavalry, were killed by
Indians while on picket duty. As
near as Mr.. Ives can calculate, the
bodies of these men are resting on
the fiat miles west of the springs.
It will be impossible to mark the
exact spot. It was estimated that
500 Indians were crowding the pick
etmen that night, probably with a
view of causing stampede and get
ting horses. But in this they failed.
During the morning of the goth,
our calavrymen advanced some six
miles in weserly course from their
first camping spot, in an attempt to
again engage the Indians who had
retreated in that direction, but the
redskins could not be located. Re-
turning to the battlefield the soldiers
set fire to the 1900 or 1000 tepees.
This was about 10 o'clock the morn
ing of the 29th. Strange to say, on
the trip Wednesday, Messrs. Ives and
Fish found many of the ends Of
tepee poles that were not burned.
The yare in a fairly good state of
preservation. It is believed that
white cedar from the Black Hills
country was the timber used by In
dians in those days for tepee poles"
"The Kildeer battle was fought
just 40 years ago July 28th. The
Indians had a few guns and more
bows and arrows. They had the
advantage of knowing the country
"Mr. Ives visited the battle ground
three years ago but he was alone and
did not have an opportunity of locat-
ing things accurately as on the trip
this week. On Thursday, July 31st,
1913, he reside by the side of and
drank at the Craig springs: the same
as he and his comrades did 40 years
ago.
"The soldiers were out six days
from their base Of supplies south of
Antelope, the distance being record
ed in the government records as 80
miles each way.
'This was Sully's expedition,
guarding so emigrant wagons en-
route to Idaho. The march was con-
tinued westerly up Heart river and
on the 5th of August, 1864, the car
avan saw for the first time the Bad
Lands. The night of the 9Th they
:amped on the east bank of the Lit
lie Missouri river, some distance
south of the present site of Medora.
The Indians were continually harass-
ng the troops and stampeding the
lorses.
"At Sentinel Butte (some authori-
les say Flat Top Butte) occurred a
sharp encounter with the Indians, on
August 9th. A Black Foot Sioux
vas acting as guide for the army
md was wounded in the morning but
le would not give up and continued
o give advice during the day. It
vas here that Private L. c. Ives was
Wounded in the left leg toward night.
lis assailant Indian with many of
lis tribesmen fell on the hillside.
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