Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-12-16

The troops returned the fire when the
Indians fled. There we're no casualties
It was on Aug. %, near the mouth
of the Yellowstone river that one sol
der of company C, Sixth United States
infantry Lieut.. Nelson Bronson in
command, was killed in an Indian at
tack upon the guard on the steamers
Josephine and Benton
Miles was well established for the
winter at the Tongue river cantonment
in early October. Materials and sup
plies, unloaded at the mouth of Glen
dive creek. were later transported to
the post On Oct. 10, companies H, G
and K of the 22d United States in
fantry, and company G of the 18th
United States infantry, Capt G. w.
Miner of the 22d, escorting 40 wagons.
were attacked by from 400 to 600 In
dians while in night camp near the
mouth of Glendive creek.
Three soldiers were wounded on Oct
Is, on Clear creek, in a skirmish with
companies G and H, and detachments
of companies I and K, 22d United
States infantry, and companies c and
&c, 18th United States infantry, Lieut..
E. S. Otis of the 22d, commanding.
1900 Indians Surrender
Learning that Sitting Bull was IN
the region north of the Yellowstone
river, Colonel Miles, commanding the
Fifth infantry, marched to Cedar creek,
arriving on Oct. 81. After parleying
with Sitting Bull, Miles instituted an
attack which extended for a consider
able number of miles, resulting in two
soldiers wounded and five Indians
killed. Later, on Oct q, Miles sue
ceeded in forcing the surrender of
more than 1900 Indians, principally
Sioux, in the region of the Big Dry.
Sitting Bull, however, cunning and
{ Ill - Ii to
white soldiers and men, gave up sew
eral of his chiefs as hostages, and
moved to the region north of the Mis-
souri, river. Miles, adopting the plan of
forcing the Indians to capitulate by
the conducting of a vigorous military
campaign regardless of the season of
the year, decided in early November to
continue the pursuit of the willy medi-
cine man and his reduced following |
Lieutenant Baldwins diary extend |
ing from Nov. to Dec. 81, constitutes |
daily record of one of the most re-
markable records of a winter military |
campaign. 1t Is a record of bold dar- |
ing suffering of hardshipS, successes |
and defeats by the wintry elements, |
and perseverance in going forward I'M |
der the most severe and extremely /
difficult circumstances.
The bugler sounded the reveille at
3 o'clock on the morning of Nov. 6.
An hour and half later the command
moved down and crossed the Yellow
stone river. Colonel Miles and his
staff followed at 8 O'Clock. Snow COW
cred the ground. 1t was pleasant over
head but "the snow makes it slushy
cold for the past three days which
has delayed our starting before" wrote
Baldwin.
The command consisted of company
A, Capt. j. S. Casey, commanding:
B, Capt. A. S. Bennett; COM
Oany c., Capt. Edmund Butler; COM
0any D, Lieut.. Robert Mcdonald;
company E, Second Lieut.. j. W. Pope;
company F, Capt. Simon Snyder; COM
1any G., Second Lieut.. D. A Rousseau;
company H, Lieut.. James H. Written; :
company l. Capt. Wyllys Lyman; COM ;,
)any K, Lieut.. Mason Carter. =
A total of 434 rifles were included d
n the equipment. Twenty of the men c
we're mounted. Seven scouts were in Il
luded in the personnel There were 6
% Six-mule teams and ambulanceS. Ia
The command was rationed for 30 /
lays, providing half pound of bacon y
Der day for each man. There were
O,OO0 rations of fresh beef on hoof
nd full forage for 30 days for all =
ntmals, along with $50 rounds of am =
nunition per man. The first days 3
march covered about 10 miles when =
amp was made on Sunday creek where :,
here was good grass, water and plenty :. =
wood After leaving the Yellow y y
tone this morning our line OF march =,
~ across the plain for three miles y
7hen 1t ran down into and among the
ranches Of Sunday creek W
There was no election in camp on y,
low z, writes Baldwin. The days -
larch started at s O'Clock in the morn :. :,
lg, being up Sunday creek valley y, "
n wagons to get along-had a good :,
cal of trouble-slipper underfoot W
nd very pleasant overhead" The COM
land camped a little below the forks &c
Sunday creek where there was loS
lenty of grass, water and timber 70
rift wood, but only a small amount ro
standing timber. The march was Sa
ow and tedious. Considerable riding w
as done, everything doing nicely so oil
rough and rolling and ae
IDLY cut up by ravtneS-viStted the w
cket line-distance 10 to IL miles" OF
Jme buffalo were seen. OF
The sum shone brightly on Nov. g. wi
it'll the snow having nearly disap-
Jared, but the wind was cold and til
w. Buffalo were sighted again along &C
It'll many bands of antelope. la
It is at this point in the Baldwin tri
airy that the writer takes occasion mi
comment upon the effect which the
sather, or possibly the marching con- tn
tons. exerted on Colonel Miles, who, Zig
ter IN the diary Baldwin also takes cir
casion to criticize. fir
General Very Cross" tn,
General CAdiles) very cross this fro