The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-03-16


try old-tlme army officers wy come t.
Washington 10 live over the day.
that they spent in training and in fight.
ing on the plains
The Oldest man present at the meet
ing will be Brig. Gen. Arson Mills
This American soldier, now on the re-
tired list, is lightweight years old. He
drives motorcar almost daily on the
streets of Washington, and he shows
every evidence Of having kept his
youth.
Last year Mt the Indian society
meeting Gen. Charles King of Milwau-
kee read paper on the Sioux cam
palgns Of 1876, He paid tribute
to the fighting qualities of General
Mills. Since then the records have
been turned to and one or two Of the
fighting experiences Of this almost non
agenarian general have been plucked
therefrom. Prior to giving them it
might be said that General Mills was
farm boy for he was born on farm
in Boone county, Indiana, in 1894,
It was Just before Sitting Bull and
his men had killed off Custer and his
troopers in the Big Horn country that
Capt, Arson Mills in command Of
one squadron Of the Third cavalry,
met the Sioux in a fight on the Rose
bud. Mills and his squadron We're
near the Rosebud river early one
morning when a scout--a half-breed
Indlan-came into the camp, with his
pony on a dead run, shouting: "The
Sioux are just ahead"
How Mills Charged the Bluffs.
Mills command was part of the
force of General Crook, who was op,
Grating against the Indians in that SEQ,
ton Of the country. Immediately after
the coming of the scout Crooks adju>
tant dashed up to Mills with the or.
der from his chief to Charge the
bluffs on the center"
OF what followed General Forsythe
says this: Captain Mills gave but
two commands. Right into linen and
as his four splendid troops Of cavalry
promptly swung into battalion front,
he raised himself in his stirrups and
shouted: Charge . Every trooper in
ranks drove home his spurs, and the
superb body of troops swept up the
steep slope in a mad rush for the de-
Gant Sioux, who as the men came
galloping on, opened OH them with
their rifles, sending down men here
and there, but not in the least check
ing the weight Of the charge; for as
they gained the crest In splendid
alignment and saw the Sioux drawn up
to meet them 200 yards away, the
whole command burst into a trench
dous cheer, and, breaking into a dead
run. made straight for them; but be-
fore they were within fifty yards OF
the Indians the Sioux broke wildly and
fled down the opposite slopes in every
direction. The battle Of the Rosebud
was on"
His Attack on American Horse.
Crooks men were nearly starving,
and in September, toward the end of
the summers campaign, Captain Mills
was ordered to Deadwood to get pro-
visions-as another writer has PUT it,
"any kind Of provisions, for Gods
sakew
Mills did not expect to meet Indians
on that march to the Black Hills coun-
try, but he was prepared to meet
them as a good soldier always Is
prepared, ana he was ready to take
the offensive at a moments notice.
When he was near Slim Buttes he
came upon an Indian village under the
command of the great Sioux chief,
American Horse. Mills did not wait
for the order to attack, but attacked
at once
American Horse had following
great in number but Mills surprised
him and routed him, capturing the viii
lage and a large supply Of much-need-
ed provisions. American Horse took
TO the hills with his men and found
position that was impregnable to such
a small force as that at Mills com
mand The captain gathered the pro-
visions together, felt out the indian
chiefs position and dispatched q
courier to Crook for rc-enforcements.
In the meantime American Horse
managed to get courier to his fell
low chief, Crazy Horse, who with his
band rode rapidly toward Slim
Buttes.
On that day Crazy Horse thought he
would have only the small squadron Of
Mills to meet. Re-enforcements had
come, however, and Mills led them
into the fight and won IT, Arson
Mills has been called THE American
soldier who was never known to
wait"