Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-08-15
IN IL lV-~%@n1~ Xx7~1xo Came General George Crook on Tra1of N
W. iii X/ulSl0I - wv 6ke Crazy Horse and DmD Knife sioux and MV
Cheyenne War Chiefs Henry ". DAY.. w
q Veteran OF the 1870 E*pehton Ous Shrrn9 Account of final SMugaGm of the R0men

tacticians and drive us into the canyol
their chances of doing the exterml
mating would be equally good. The.
outnumbered us three or four TO one
but Crook matched his wits agains
those OF Crazy Horse and got us read,
for battle.
Friendly Foe In Advance
The battlefield was about $50 yard
wide and was bounded on One side b,
the river and on the other side by
line of bluffs that defined the valley
Crook arranged his forces in two col
umns. On the river side he placed thu
friendly Indians in advance, MOUNTED
on their ponies, and supported by tWt
companies of infantry and two troop
Of cavalry, dismounted. The secont
column, which paralleled the bluffs
consisted Of cavalry on their horses.
In approximately the center OF the
field, midway between the bluff on The
right and the stream on the left, wa
an upthrust ledge of rock, that would
accommodate about 80 men and give
them room to fight. There Crook
posted the IS Black Hills miners ano
about Is packers. of whom l was one
This ledge was IS feet high in places
1t afforded a perfect view OF the bat
tlefield and of the battle.
I have seen few more ~eXhilarating
sights in my time than the picture
that vantage point presented. 1t was
just past noon and the sun was out
On our left streamed our painted
Crow and Shoshone allies, naked ex-
cept for breech-clout and mOccasins,
singing the war song of the Abarokas
and ~gesticulating. Their ponies were
ccirltnH Op,nc with n1oitod r,onnC onH
tails adorned with eagle feathers, and
small bells, which tinkled like those
of an old-fashioned sleigh. Before
them they held shields of buffalo hide,
gaily ornamented with colored quilts
and feathers. On their glistening backs
were strapped bows and arrows in
quivers. Their lances, carried aloft,
sported eagle feathers. Rifles were
held in front across their elkhOrn sad
dies.
Cavalry at Right
On our right swept the cavalry un-
der Colonel Royal, and beyond them
some Shoshones under Chief Luishaw
were posted on the sides of the bluff
that dominated the approach of the
hostiles from downstream.
General Crook stood under a scrub
pine tree on the river bank waiting
LOT TIE dcJlOU 10 DeBlU.
Up the valley came the Sioux and
the Northern Cheyennes-a solid pha-
lanx from streams edge to bluffs.
no better riders. The chiefs rode in
front. From the forehead to the waist
line each warrior was painted with
stripes of black and red. Their gor-
geous headdresses famed the breeze
like the tails OF a boys kite. They
chanted a war song in unison and in
perfect time.
They attacked with great fury and
with the precision of trained cavalry.
The Sioux under Crazy Horse struck
to the right front of the ledge from
which I was firing over the heads OF
our forces. The Cheyennes under Dull
Knife struck our left column, which
was on the river side. At first they
shouted to our Indian allies, "You go
home! We want to kill only white
men!" But the S%hoshones and Grows
were loyal and they, with the sup
porting troops, were hotly engaged.
the Sioux on the right at
temnted to dash between our cavalry
and the bluffs and gain u rear.
Ledge is Surrounded
The shock of the first onrush sent
both of our columns back. The ledge
which the miners and we packers
nighttime was surrounded. The
hostiles charged it. We fired point
blank, but on they came. Several
reached the top Of the ledge and one
A scar owe my right eye, which is still
enables me to recall the Incl
dent the more distinctly.
The attack was progressing salts
f~actorily for Crazy Horse. His Sioux
we're working around the right flank
to u rear. Their object was to drive
us forward into the canyon ahead,
which would have been our death trap.
But Crook, who did not underestimate
Crazy Horse as a tactician, had an
ticipated this maneuver and had held
five troops of cavalry and two COM
of infantry in reserve. At the
right moment these charged the Sioux.
who, caught between two fires that
we're furnishing in their intensity, we're
driven back In some disorder. This re-
,reat exposed the flank Of the Chey-
snnes who also fell back.
But Crazy Horse was not beaten. He
sndeavOred to transform his enforced
retreat into a strategic one, designed
20 coax us on and box our pursuing
OONc ul tIlC CdllvUll. OCllCIdl SlOOh
Jaw the danger Of this, and the futility
pursuit in any event. He sent his
aide, Captain Bourke, with Trumpeter
Snow, forward to sound recall. While
Snow rode along the line of fire he
vas severely wounded and Bourke
saved him from capture.
Fight Was a Draw
That ended the fight. 1t had lasted
IN hour. 1t was a draw, neither side
being in a humor to continue the en-
yagement or to remain on the field.
Crazy Horse crossed the Rosebud and
'etreated over the ridge separating that
stream from the Little Big Horn river,
S miles away. In this valley he en-
,amped to nurse his wounded and re-
his ammunition. We retired
III base camp for the same pur-
)oSes, and to learn Of the ovements
II the cooperating forces under COM
nand Of General Gibbon and Colonel
Custer.
We had lost ten killed and 26
wounded. The losses of the Indians
we're not ascertained as according to
they carried their casualties
rom the field, with the exception Of
i dead who had fallen during the
artheSt advance into our lines. To
ecOver these bodies was too dangerous.
Some Rich Living
The first three weeks in camp we're
lneventful, and are remembered prin-
for our rich living for cam
)aignerS. The streams were filled with
3ck thu hills r1o~<;F,1 u,s%A 1,ffo1n