The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-07-01

Fetterman, an active and dashing
officer with a fine war record, was
ordered to relieve the wood train,
which had been attacked two miles
from the fort and had formed a COR
raj of the wagons for defense. He
left the post with a detachment of
cavalry and mounted infantry, num-
bering 40 men. with orders to rescue
the wood party and drive the Indians
across Lodge Trail creek. At the
same time Colonel Darlington, with
rs mounted infantry, crossed Piney
creek, hoping to outflank the Sioux
as they retreated. Fetterman at
tackled the reds and relieved the
wood train, and then chased the
Sioux four miles, but the Indians, be-
ing heavily reinforced at that point,
turned and charged his command.
The cavalry suddenly gave way, leav-
ing Colonel Fetterman, with Cap
tain Brown, Lieutenant Wands and
IA men to face a war party of Sioux
more than 100 strong. They stood
the Indians off till Darlington ar
rived, but Lieutenant Brown, a SER
geant and several men were killed.
At this time Red Cloud, supreme
chief of the Sioux, took personal
command of the siege of the fort. On
December 81 a train numbering 80
men, with escorts and drivers, start
ed for the pine woods after timber.
A few hours later the watchers in the
fort saw a signal from their lookout
Sullivant Hill, which read many
Indians on wood road-train corral
ed and fighting against heavy odds"
once 80 men were detailed to go
to the rescue, with Colonel Fetterman
and Captain F. H. Brown, the regi-
mental quartermaster, in command.
Lieutenant Grummond also volun-
teered to accompany the relief party
and he was placed in charge of the
detachment. Two civilian
frontiersmen-Fisher and Wheatly-
who happened to be in the post and
who we're armed with the then newly
invented Henry Repeating rifle, Of
their services and were accept
ed as members of the party. Fifty
Of the soldiers were armed with
repeating carbines, which
we're new and had just recently been
received at the post. The other 80
soldiers had Springfield muzzle-load-
ng rifles.
Colonel Fetterman marched his
command rapidly upon the Montana
Dad, crossed southwest to cut off the
indians who had corraled and were
at bay the train of timber
AS Fetterman's command
cached the foothills leading to the
rest of Sullivant hill, Indians ap-
oo,1l -. It, f,1-+ ooI fIonlz C0l
orming his men as skirmishers, he
moved UP the hill to the ridge above
he creek, the Sioux keeping just out
# range and slowly retiring.
Hear Roar of Battle
The picket on Sullivant Hill then
ignalled that the Indians had left
he wood train, and that the latter
vas moving toward the pine timber.
and his men we're cen to
dvance, cross the apex of the ridge
nd disappear down its further side. :
n a few minutes dropping shots were
card, and then a scattering fire =
7hich grew until it developed into a :
teady roa of musketry, telling to
he anxious listeners at the fort the
ale of desperate fighting beyond the ,
idge. The assistant post surgeon
18th one man galloped nearly seven
lilies to the wood train, and finding
hat in good order, started for the :
where Fetterman's command ;
ad disappeared. He found it occu-
led by the Indians, so he returned !
nd reported at the post. Captain .
en- Eyck, with rs men-all that 9
ould safely be spared from the fort :
then started for the ridge to help =
etterman. Ii
By this time the firing had slack :
ned. Soon it stopped completely, .
nd as Captain Ten Eyck topped the
.dge, he saw the valley beyond fill :
! with Indians, dashing about OF y
orseback, or dismounted, b~randish- :
Ig their weapons and haunting his =
en- and daring them to come down y
I'D fight. Ten Eyck saw that his :.
nall command could not cope with ?
lie horde of Indians, so he held his =
and sent back to the post for !.
howitzer. But the Indians evident -
feared a flank attack from the fort :.
began to withdraw. =
Whole Command Wiped Out II
Then Captain Ten Eyck rode down o
to the valley to a little ridge. AS n
ey reached the top of this ridge, a
ey came upon a sickening sight. IL
ere, within a space less than so b.
ct square, lay the bodies of Colonel O.
etterman, Captain Brown and IS re
listed men. Each body was strip fl
ID naked, scalped and hacked; the S.
ulls beaten in with war clubs and h
g bodies mutilated horribly and ii
most beyond recognition. 10
There vas no evidence of a great ii
no indication of a protract- fl
defense. Few empty shells lay on bt
e ground. The truth was plain. W
Command had, after a
ming fight, run out of ammuni- W
IN. The Indians, aware of this, dc
d suddenly hurled themselves in a 81
nse mass upon the retreating m
riding them down, shooting, Cs
caring and clubbing them to death. ia
was almost a replica of the Custer or
hit, which was to follow a decade tn
er. OK
Lieutenant Grummond be
a dozen enlisted men, who had tn
en- with Fetterman, were missing. co
rkness vas falling and it was i'm ed
scihla IN search for than that dow ar