The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-06-25

th0 clOuA. "
attack against them " Lied
The first of these, COMMANDED b,
General Gibbon, advanced from For
Ellis, near Bozeman, eastward. TIL
second, under General Crook, start
ed from the south; and the third
under General Alfred H. Terry, tool
the field from Fort Yankton Will
this last was Clusters cavalry from
Fort Lincoln. On June 81, 1876
Gibbons command united with tha
of Terry at the confluence of the Big
Horn river with the Yellowstone.
Plan of Campaign
On June 81, after joining Terry's
command, General Gibbon held 6
conference with General Terry and
Colonel Custer, as a result of which
the following plan was decided upon
General Gibbon was to lead his com
mand across the Yellowstone near
the mouth of the Big Horn, march
for the mouth of the Little Big Horn
and thence up the latter, with the I'M
derstanding that he should reach the
Little Big Horn June 26. Custer,
with the whole of the Seventh cav
airy, should proceed up the Rosebud
unlll uS doCCi tolhOo LILO I'LL CSllOh VI
the trail of the Indians which had
been found and reported by Major
Reno's scouts. If this trail led to
the Little Big Horn, it should not be
followed, but Custer should keep still
further south before turning toward
the river, in order to intercept the
Indians should they try to slip be-
tween him and the mountains, and
also, by longer march, give time
for General Gibbons command to
come up.
In accordance with this plan Cen
eral Gibbons column reached and
crossed Tullock's creek on the after
noon of June "a. He was proceed
ing according to schedule the follow
ing day, June %, when Custer, anx-
ious to gain a brilliant victory him
self, and not waiting for Gibbons
command, forced his way to the Lit
tie Big Horn and was wiped out by
forces of Sioux and
Chyennes.
Sioux Are Subdued
The Custer battle. while an over
victory for the Sioux ma
ton, was the last great stand. of that
tribe. Before the campaign against
them was over and they were forced
back on their reservation, there we're
several lesser engagements with them
but General Gibbon did not happen
to come in contact with any hostiles |
and soon was ordered to return to |
Fort Shaw with his command.
But scarcely we're the Sioux sub
iugated than tidings came of the up
-isinp of the NeZ Perces in Idaho |
like the Sioux, the Nez Perces had |
been driven to desperation by the bad
aith of the Indian department, and
hey took the war path. General
Howard, commander of the depart
nent of the Columbia, hurried to
IDAHO and tried to pacify Chief Jo-
eph and his tribe, but in vain. How
I'D then dispatched two troops of
avalry to capture some of the Nez
'erces who had killed white settlers.
1t White Bird canyon the cavalry
nen met the Indians and a battle
astfng an hour ensued, after which
he soldiers we're driven back in a
unning fight for 16 miles Thirty /.
hree enlisted men and one officer !
yere killed. General Howard then !
ook command personally and in l
reased the force of white troops.
everai small battles we're fought I
1ithout decisive results. I
Gibbon Takes Field Again K
The Nez Perces then headed north {
ito Montana. General Howard sent I
ord to General Gibbon at Fort Shaw '
rging him to order all OF his troops t
ito the field to stop the Indians ?