Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-04-06

atiu his Ddilu VI &HcftIiIlcS anu LOOK
Place on What Is Now Known as Lam
Deer Creek on Tongue River Reserve
Lame Deer, long associated with his
torical events connected with the sub
DUNG of the Sioux and Cheyenne In
dians in early days, will have a semi
centennial OF its own to observe this
summer. Fifty years ago next May the
Sioux chief, Lame Deer, from whom
this settlement and the creek which
flows through 1t were named, was
killed in a battle with white soldiers
under Gen. Nelson A.. Miles about a
mile above the present townsite.
The day after the surrender Of the
Two Moons band Of Cheyennes to Gen.
eral Miles at Fort Keogh on April 80,
1878, as a result Of the campaign to sub
due the plains tribes following the Gus
ter battle in 1876, 80 of the warriors en-
listed as scouts n reported to General
Miles that some Indians. presumably hos
tiles. were chasing buffalo on the upper
Rosebud. General Miles Immediately set
out up Tongue river with four troops of
cavalry. four Of infantry. n a company
Of mounted scouts.
After marching three days up the
Tongue river, the soldiers abandoned
their wagons, loaded their supplies on
pack mules and crossed over to the Rose
bud. When they arrived at a point be-
low the painted rocks" O few miles
north of the mouth Of Lame Deer creek
they met some Of the Cheyenne scouts
who reported that a large body of Indi-
ans farther up the Rosebud had been
seen bringing in buffalo to their camp.
which was on the stream now known as
the Lame Deer.
Starting at / o'clock in the morning so
as to make a surprise attack at daylight.
the troops moved up the valley. About
five miles above the mouth of the Lame
Deer, or just above the present site OF
h Cheyenne Indian fairgrounds they
came upon a large Indian village.
Indians Tell Story
According to the story which has been
told by the old Indians who took part in
the engagement, and substantiated by
reports from white soldiers. Lame Deer
who was a hostile Sioux chief. was in
command Of the camp and made signs
to talk with General Miles. AS he came
forward to shake hands, the old chief
laid down his gun, although the scouts
noticed that he cooked the weapon as he
placed 1t On the ground. A young man
who is said to have been a nephew OF
Lame Deer, came forward with the chief,
but refused to lay down his weapon.
General Miles interpreter told White
Bull, n of the Cheyenne scouts, to take
the weapon from the young man. White
Bull and one of the soldiers tried to dc
this. and in the scuffle that followed the
gun was discharged, the ball passing
through White Bulls coat. At this Lame
Deer picked up his rifle and fired at Gen.
araI Mf1pc ufhn d0dnad ~, tfpeo m q upfr
being hit, his orderly, who was immedi-
ately behind him, being killed.
Fighting broke out at once between
the soldiers and the hostile Indians. The
women and children OF the camp fled to
the hills and the warriors soon followed
Lame Deer was killed in the fight. Five
Sioux men and n women, and two sol
diers were also killed. Some of the Sioux
returned to the place where the soldiers
had left their pack mules and captured
several of the animals loaded with am
munition, and killed one OF the mer
who had been left to guard the pack
train.
Escape to Hills
Thu hostile Indians escaped to the hills
and the soldiers destroyed the village anc
retraced their steps down the Rosebud
Later the Sioux returned to the battle
ground and buried their leader In a nat
ural cave high up on the hillside over
looking the Lame Deer valley. This cave
is located under a tall rock which ha,
since been known as Lame Deer's
Tomb"
The site OF the battle was called Lame
Deer's Camp" after that. When an Indian
agency and trading post was later es-
tablished there the settlement became
known as Lame Deer. The creek which
flows through the battle-ground was also
named Lame Deer creek.
Although continuous settlements IL
the Lame Deer valley date from the es.
t~ablishment of a military post severa
years later, this location had been fol
many years a favorite camping grounc
of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians or
their buffalo hunt into the upper Rose
u country. Several Indians are still
living on the Tongue River reservation
who were present at the battle as scouts
Most OF the Sioux who were with LAM
Deer were later settled on the Standing
Rock reservation in North Dakota.