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AUGUST 9,1876.NO. 5.nd»mre-it186,h-ill.ad“gUseit-iteolrt.sr-alluredhei’siren ;iaedhen-odofis-mndinvee-biihes«es3%v-y-tieaelye-idasisi. ,of Powder river for the captured forage h»Tin( on board Col. Moore with threecompanies of the 6th Infantry end a twelve pound howitzer. On their arrival the same party of Indians opened fire on them but they soon took to the hills when Moore opened on them with shell. Dave Campbell, engineer of the boat, Tank Smith, a scout at Fort Buford, and another whose name we did not learn, concluded to get up a little fight on their own hook, and accordingly followed the Indians about two miles.Bight returned to gobble them and in afight which followed Yank Smith was killed and Dave Oampbell got away with the scalp of Gray Eagle, a good Indian said to he from Standing Rock. The danger the boys were.in was noticed from the boat and the howitzer was run ashore and brought to bear on the remaining seven Indians, and they skedadled. In the mean time Grant Marsh bad called for volunteers^ and, with eight, had gone to their rescue. They found Tank still alive, and rumor says the Indian also.; They didn’t call a council of physicians to see whether the Indian would live, but proceeded to carve him up into portable pieces, even before he had quit kicking. This was on the 2d. The Carroll passed down during the day arriving here Sunday morning. The Indians are still in the Big Horn Mountains, but are breaking into small parties and the Yellowstone country now seems to be alive with them. They are burning the grass in every direction, and burning the timber and drift wood along the river. The Durfee arrived at the mouth of the Rosebud on W ednesday last and is now past due ; the Josephine is also due.The Far West remains with Terry and has ere this crossed Terry’s command to the south, bank of the river and another great battle may have been fought as the command was expected to move on Monday. Terry’s command is generally in good heart but proposes to move carefully hereafter, and not get caught ia a trap. Terry has been largely reinforced and is believed to be strong enough to cope with almost any force the Indians can bring against him. Terry has received dispatches from Crook up to the 27th. Crook was moving a few miles every day, and his pickets were constantly meeting the Indians and firing at them, but no ODe had been injured. The pot to be built this fall was located at the mouth of Tongue river, but Gen. Forsythe discouraged construction until next spring. Accordingly the troops will build huts for winter quarters. The 5th Infantry will probably remain in the Indian country during the winter, the remainder of the troops coming in to the posts.The Silver Lake left with lumberwhich she will unload at Buford.#The Carroll and other boats will beloaded with subsistence stores and forage for the expedition, which will be pushed rapidly forward until the winter is provided for.STANDING BOCK.t*rtfti-IIrereEtreit18hhiftsirCol. Poland Reports the Situation in an Interesting and ReadableLetter—Indian Stories as to how Custer Fought And Fell.Headquarters U. S. Mil. Station, Standing Rock, D. T.,July 24, 1876.To the Adjutant General, Department of Dakota, St. Paul Minn:Sir : I respectively report the following as having been derived from seven Sioux Indians just returned from the hostile camp (July 21st), some of whom were engaged in the battle of June 28th with the Seventh Cavalry. Their account is as follows:“The hostiles ^fere celebrating theiri-idnoeI,ditsgreatest of religious festivals, the Sun , , , , , .Dance, when runners brought news of bacon and k^rdb^ead.the approach of cavalry. The dance was suspended and a general rush (mistaken by Custer perhaps for a retreat) for horses, equipments and arms. Major Reno first attacked the village at the south end and across the Little Big Horn. Their narrativp of Reno’s operations co-insides with the published account, bow he was quickly confronted, surrounded—how he dismounted, rallied in the timber, remounted, and cut his way back over the ford and up the bluffs with considerable loss, and the continuation of the fight for some little time, when runners, arrived from the north end of the village or camp with the news that the cavalry had attacked the north end of the same, three or four miles distant.4 . - ♦ ^ ,and moved around the flanks of his cavalry.They report that he (Custer) crossedthe river, but only succeeded in reaob-ing the edge of the Indian camp. After he was driven to the bluffs the fight lasted about ah hour, (Indians have nohours of the day and the time can only be given aproximately.)They report that a small number of cavalry broke through the line of Indians in their rear and escaped but were overtaken within a distance of five or Ikixmiles and killed. I infer from thisthat this body of retreating cavalrywas*probably led by the missing officers,and that they tried to escape only after (taster fell.The last man that was killed was killed by two sons of a Santee Indian, Red-top,” who was a leader in the Minnesota massacres of 1862-’68:After the battle the squaws entered the field to plunder and mutilate the dead. A general rejoicing was indulged in and a distribution of arms and ammunition hurriedly made. Then the attack on Major Reno was vigorously renewed. Up to this attack the Indians had Jost comparatively few men, butnow, they say, their most serious losstook place.They give no idea of numbers but they say there were a great many. Sitting Bull was neither killed nor personally engaged in the fight. He remained in the council tent directing operations. Crazy Horse (with a large band) and Black Moon were the principal leaders oh the 25th of June.Kill Eagle, chief of the Blackfeet, at the head of some twenty lodges, left this agency about the last of May. He was prominently engaged in the battle of June 25th and afterwards upbraiding Sitting Bull for not taking an active personal part in the engagement. Kill Eagle has sent me word that he was forced into the fight; that he desires to return to the agency, and,that he will return to the agency if he is killed for it. He is reported to be actually on the way back to go to his Ate (father), the agent, and make confession, to receive absolution for his defiant crime against the hand that has gratuitously fed him for three years. He is truly a shrewd chief,, who must have discovered that he who fights and runs away may hye to fightanother day.The Indians were not all engaged at any one time. Heavy reserves were held to repair losses and renew attacks successively. The fight continued untilthe third day when runners, kept purposely on the lookout, hurried into camp and reported a great body of troops (Gen. Terry’s column) advancing up the river. The lodges having been previously prepared for a move, a retreat in a southerly direction followed, towards and along the Rosebud mountains. They marched about fifty miles, went into camp and held a consultation, when it was determined to send into all the agencies reports of their success and to call upon them to come out and share the glories that there were to be expected in the future. Wherefore wemay expect an influx of overbearingand impudent Indians to urge, by force perhaps, an accession to Sitting Bull’s demands.There is a general gathering in all the hostile camps from each of the agencies on the Missouri river—Red Clouds and Spotted Tails, as also Northern Cheyennes and Arrapahoes, lila-ota, agreat many.They report, for the special benefit of their relatives here, that in the three fights they have had with the whites they have captured over four hundred stand of arms, carbines and rifles (revolvers not counted) and ammunition without end, and some sugar, coffee,They claim to have captured from the whites this summer over nine hundred horses and mules. I suppose this includes operations against soldiers, Crow Indians and Black Hills miners.The general outline of this Indian report coincides with the published reports. The first attack of Reno’s began well on in the day, say the Indians. They report about 300 hundred whites killed. They do not say how many Indians were killed.3»sseseeiThe Indians about Reno had not, before this, the slightest intimation of fighting at any other point. A force large enough to prevent Reno from assuming the offensive was left and the surplus available force flew to the other end of the camp where, finding the Indians then successfully driving Custer before them, instead of uniting with them, they seperated into two partiesA report from another source says the Indians obtained from Custer’s command 592 carbines and revolvers.I have since writing the above, heard the following from the returned hostiles: They communicated as a secret to theirparticular friends here the information that a large party of Sioux and Cheyennes were to leave the Rosebud mountains, or the hostile camp, for this agency, to intimidate and compel the Indians here to join Sitting Bull. If these refuse they are ordered to soldier them (beat them) and steal their ponies.Very Respectfully,J. S. Poland, ' Capt, 6th Infy, Bvt. Lt. Col. Com’d’g.
Newspaper Details
Bismarck Weekly Tribune
Bismarck, North Dakota, US
Wed, Aug 09, 1876
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Mitchell B.
CA 11 Jan 2022
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