The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1922-07-28

l he tight III winch captain w
7. Fetterman and his command 0
eighty-one were wiped out to
man by Sioux and Cheyennes nea
Fort Phil Kearney, Wyoming,
few days before Christmas. 1866
was up to that time the'worst disas
ter that had befallen American sol
diers in the Indian wars, and the
only tragedy of the kind that over
Swallowed it in later years was the
Custer defeat. AS a result of tht
victory of the Sioux and Cheyenne
warriors over Fetterman, Rec
Cloud, a sub-chief. became the
Sioux nations leading war chief
AS the spring of 1867 passed, he
determined to clear the fine hunt
ing grounds of the Powder river
section of white invaders by cap
turing Fort Phil Kearney and ex-
terminating the white soldiers.
Early in the summer he assembled
and trained three thousand war
riors. the flower of the Sioux, who
were armed largely with Winches-
ter rifles, Spencer repeating car
bines and army muskets captured
from Fetterman's men.
Fort Phil Kearney had been in
state of siege before, but now it
was more closely invested than
ever. There was no relaxing in the
aggressiveness and watchfulness of
the Indians and the garrison was
constantly prepared for battle. At
tacks of all kinds were made with
increasing frequency. The letters
in those days from soldiers which
reached their friends in the east
described their perilous situation
and often contained the statement,
This may be my last letter" Ira
vel on the trail was abandoned.
AS his preparations for decisive
campaign drew to close, Red
Cloud decided upon a direct attack
upon the fort itself. He was tired
of skirmishing, of attacks on the
stock herds, attacking wagon trains
and that type of guerilla fighting.
He determined to externinate the
white soldiers in one sudden and
overwhelming attack. 1t appeared
a comparatively easy task with the
great number of well-armed war
riors he had available. and his CON
fidence was further increased by
the fact that he was able to as
sernble his braves in the positions
selected under the cover Of fire.
quent skirmishes, which made
scouting by the soldiers practically
While he was preparing to strike,
the post quartermaster contracted
with civilians for wood for the fort,
agreeing to furnish guard for the
camp. The contract
ors sent their wagons out July 31st,
and Captain James Powell, COM
c company, Twenty-sev-
enth Infantry, was detailed to act
is guard. Arriving at the wood
amp with his company, Powell
.ound the contractors had formed I
heir men into two parties. One |
lad headquarters on a treeless,
evel plain, where the mules were
,razed. The other camp was a
nile away in the timber. Powell
ent thirteen men to guard the L
wood camp, and detailed fourteen /
o escort the wood trains. With the t
emaining twenty-six men and his t
lieutenant, John c. Jenness, he es- /
ablished headquarters on the prai- Y
lie at the mule herders' camp. e
'repares Wagon-Box Corral and
fakes Ready to Meet Onslaught J
The wood contractors we're us t
lg wagons furnished by the quar- v
erlnaster, and as only the running T
ears were useful in hauling, the t
ragon-boxes were left at Powell's t.
amp on the open plain. Powell t
them end-to-end in an "