Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-12-06

May. 1877, when the troops were or
dered to go south, where, in the vicinity
OF Tongue river, Lame Deer had estab-
lished a camp and refused to come IN
and surrender. Lame Deer was a willy
chief, says Sullivan. After the skirmish
that was Of rather short duration, com
pared with the Wolf mountain fight that
lasted the better part Of three days, Lame
Deer approached Miles with a flag of
truce, when an incident occurred that
nearly cost Miles life. A pistol was fired,
the ball passing between Miles body and
his saddle. A soldier riding him the
general saw the gun play and immer
diately took aim and sent a bullet
through Lame Deer's body. That ended
the hostilities. The Indian camp was
entered and everything from tepees TO
the personal belongings of the previous
occupants burned.
1t was in the battle with Chief Joseph
and his band of Nez Perces that Sullivan
saw action that is indelibly imprinted
on his mind. He was detailed again with
the artillery. Napoleon guns, 20 Founders
and the 3%-pounder Hotchkiss were is
sued to them.
We left Fort Keogh and went north to
the Missouri river. A steamboat was
passing that Miles signaled to stop. The
skipper paid no attention to the signal
and proceeded on his journey. A well
directed hot fired by the artillery di-
vision operated to change the Shippers
mind and he came back and ferried
the troops across the river" said Sulli-
van. THE Nez Perces had crossed the
stream at Cow island two days before.
Reaching the Little Rockies, Miles called
a halt, ordered the troops to dismount
and prepare for eventualities. A Chey-
enne scout had come in and reported the
presence of the indians west by north
10 H. a.-4+ - H. 49, n--ra - 1890
ascertained that Chief Joseph was camped
OF Snake creek, in a horseshoe bend
where the creek curved, giving him an
excellent vantage point for protection.
We went into the battle on the full run
The Hotchkiss piece was first taken along.
The Napoleon Il was brought up the
next day. 1t was a bitter fight. Two
companies of the Second cavalry were on
the right. Two companies of the Fifth
infantry occupied the center, the latter
charging Immediately into the thick of
the battle. The cavalry succeeded in
capturing the horses of the Nez Perces.
The Indians were determined and showed
muchafight; it was hot for quite q while.
The engagement lasted for the better
part of three days. We lost Is men, as
| remember.
Two Officers Killed
Captain Hale n Lieut.. j. w. Biddle
were killed at the first onslaught. Cap
tains Moyland and Godfrey were wound
ed shortly afterward. We lost about all
OF our first sergeants, so eager were they
all to get into the thick of the fight.
Finally, we smoked Chief Joseph out.
He came to Miles to plead for his people
who were beginning to scatter. Gen.
Q. 0. Howard came up after the battle
was over. On the fourth day we started
back toward the Missouri river taking
Chief Joseph and his band along. Ar
irving at Fort Keogh, the Nez Perces
chief was sent on to Fort Buford and
later found a temporary asylum in the
Indian territory. Later, he and his peo-
pie were sent back to Idaho"
Sullivan was u a young man just
past his majority when on Oct. 8, 1871,
Mrs. OEeary's COW kicked over the Ian
tern that set fire to Chicago and prac-
tically wiped it out at that time. He
was working for It. F. Wheeler. proprietor
OF a hide and leather store at No. 6 North
LaSalle. The night before a fire de
stroyed q lumber yard in Canal street.
Two years following the fire he was en-
ployed in Chicago to go to st. Joseph.
Later he went to Kansas City. where en-
listments were sought for the Indian
wars when he went down to Fort Leav-
enworth and enlisted.