Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-05-04

General Nelson A. Miles Pursuit of SITTING Bull Darinq
Winter Of 1870 Was Hardship Soldiers and Horses

!. four horses It was in December. Tn
weather conditions were severe. tn,
/ country was absolutely unknown to any
white man. The snow was two fee
deep. Under the most favorable cir.
ctlnstances he said he could not hops
to find supplies in less than five days
The night preceding the march, the
obstacles TO be met and overcome. the
horrible fate that might overtake his
command on that perilous journey and
other elements we're considered which
wildly haunted Baldwin.
4 When he was given the command of
the battalion opposite the mouth OF
! Squaw creek. Miles taking command of
less number Of soldiers, it was q
question as to which would find the
hostiles first. Only one suggestion. or
implied order, was given by Miles to
] Baldwin
! NOV Baldwin, do the best you can.
am responsible for disaster, success
win be to your credit; you know what
my plans are and what we are here
for" said Miles In the earnest man
ner which was characteristic of him.
realized that he alone could be held
individually responsible for disaster,
and having located beyond doubt Sit
ting Bulls camp, he was bound to make
the effort to strike him, trusting to the
indomitable viii and intelligent in
genuity of the American soldier for
success. Not once on that march, ever
memorable to Baldwin, did he hear
soldier complain.
1t was on the morning Of December
Is, that Baldwin discovered the Indian
camp at the head Of the Red Water.
While many of his men were sick and
worn out, not one failed to Join in the
attack. Sufficient supplies to satisfy
the hunger Of every man in his COM
mand were secured, as well as an as
sured ration for the following day or
two.
Il have often been asked" writes
Baldwin further to his friend "how /,
used by men in an encounter with the
Indians. My answer has been, AL
ways ready; never send few men in at
a time; If the enemy show fight, get all
of my men and material into position.
sound the forward, never the retreat
SO long as the enemy is in sight, In
this engagement, as at Mcclellan
creek on the eighth of November, 1874,
my wagon train charged in just in rear
Of the front line, small guard pro- ]
tecting its rear"
Baldwin considered the trip under
the circumstances the most hazardous
and responsible undertaking of his life.
Not only was sure of encountering
an enemy (who was the least cause of
anxiety, but in a most treacherous
season, across an unknown country,
With command lily clothed even for
a campaign under the most favorable
auspices. You can well imagine that
my time-either day or night-was not ]
spent in sleep. There was not a night
hat I did not visit my pickets and men
a their tents at least once every two {
hours, fearing that they might freeze {
% death. Duty and loyalty to my
country and commanding officer were
ny incentives. From the day left the 8
Missouri river about the only subsist- S
nee my animals had consisted Of cot G
onwood limbs, which were gathered c
IND placed before them after arrivingl 1
n camp. The night preceding the day
he general left me at the mouth Of
squaw creek we did not sleep for q r
moment all night long, but lay awake a
considering the new movement" y
A blizzard enveloped the command !
n following the trail OF Sitting Bull. {
| blizzard is described as snow blind r
ng in every direction at the same Il
1oment of time" Such a storm on q O
Ugh divide, upon an open prairie coun- Il
", under what the Indians called the d
cold moon" or December, of the lat
Jude In which Montana is, is almost d
umanly unbearable. It was impossible c,
Dr. the soldiers to see any object more a
han 20 or 80 feet away at midday, yet F
he troops marched one whole day UNI 81
er such circumstances, not on q trail, d
ut in the direction In which they be- o.
eyed the Indians to have moved, or "a
here they we're located. The compass a.
as used TO guide them. 81
Lieut.. Frank d. Baldwin was a man m
tho possessed strong soldierly in lie
,incts. OF the highest and noblest s.
naracter we're his individual qualities. t.
ccepting the command of the bat al
llion, he bravely shouldered all the re
that went with 1t. His ii
BOD fortune in striking the trail and r
the camp Of Sitting Bull 81
as but an opportunity for him to dem in
lstrate his qualifications as soldier W
The Indian camp was demoralized Al
ltting Bull, quickly appraising his nj
osition, rallied his people and conduct al
I q mastery retreat under weather bs
,nditions that marked him as an adept th
that line Of military tactics. He
owed out OF range of the guns Of the th
bite soldiers, leaving behind much of WI
le food supplies he had gathered on ri
IS buffalo hunting expeditions, and su
any ponies Eventually, Sitting Bull re
ached the northern border when he wi
ossed into Canada. During the nearly hs
70 years Of his enforced exile, is
stern Montana was being rapidly set "A