Them —
CONTENTS
Captain’s Instructions to His “ Striker": “ If Any Man Calls You a 4 Dog Robber ’ You Have my Permission to Knock Him Down ’’—The Very Satisfactory Result—Causes of Desertion From the Regular Army— Ennui, Inaction, and Discontent, Owing to the Stagnation of Peace, Have More to do with It than Anything Else—Private McIntyrc's Reply to the Author When He Was Told to Keep His Place in the Ranks Until the Column Halted—An Unpremeditated Military Compliment—Characteristics and Qualities of the Different Elements That go to Make up the American Regular Army, etc.
CHAPTER II.
SANDY FORSYTH'S FAMOUS FIGHT.
Stories by the Camp Fires—A Fighting Parson—His Heroic Conduct at Crazy Woman's Fork, as Told by Colonel Baker—There is a Time for Praying—“There is also a Time for Fighting"—The Chaplain Takes His Choice — He Adopts Muscular Christianity—His Gallant March Through the Indian Lines—He Brings Succor to the Besieged—” Sandy ” Forsyth's Famous Fight on an Island Sandbar in the Republican River—How Fifty Brave Frontiersmen "Looked Through the Sights of Their Rifles"—The Outnumbering Force of Indians — A Terrible Situation—Forsyth Twice Wounded—Dr. Movers Mortally Hurt—A Tremendous Fusillade—Undaunted Bravery of Forsyth and His Command—Desperate and Gallant Charge of the Cheyenne Chief Roman Nose and the Flower of His Warriors on Forsyth’s Position—They are Bloodily Repulsed and Roman Nose Falls at the Head of HisBrave Warriors —Lieutenant Beecher Killed —Seven Days of Awful Privation—Scouts Succeed in Getting Through to Fort Wallace—Arrival of a Rescuing Party Under Colonel Carpenter, etc.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER III.
GENERAL CROOK’S CAREER.
His Birthplace and Education—Campaigning against the Indians long before the Civil War —His Career in the Union Army—Conduct at Cedar Creek and Elsewhere —His Promotion—Lieutenant-Colonel of the 23d Regular Infantry—Appointed to Command in Arizona— He Conquers the Apaches—Promoted Brigadier-General in the Regular Army— Appointed to the Department of the Platte— He is Again Victorious—Subsequent Actions—His Sudden and Lamented Death, while Major-General Commanding the Military Division of the Missouri, etc.
CHAPTER IV.
GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER.
His Native Place and Admission to West Point-Brilliant Career in the Army of the Potomac—He Leads Sixty Successful Charges—He Captures Innumerable Battle-Flags and Cannon—His Campaigns in Kansas and the Indian Territory—Brilliant Victory over Black Kettle on the Washita —The Tactics of the Little Big Horn Foreshadowed —Death of Major J. A. Elliott, Captain Lewis McLain Hamilton, and Several Soldiers.
APPENDIX
OFFICIAL REPORTS.
Echoes from the Little Big Horn—General Sheridan’s Report — Lieutenant De Rudio’s Interesting Statement—Extracts from the Journal of one of General Gibbon’s Officers — General Crook’s Account of Rosebud Fight—List of Killed and Wounded at Rosebud and Slim Buttes —Colonel Poland’s Indian Version of the Little Big Horn Disaster —List of the Killed and Wounded in that Conflict— Organization of the Different Military Columns, etc.
PART I.
THE BIG HORN AND YELLOWSTONE
EXPEDITION.
CHAPTER I.
BOUND FOR THE PLAINS.
In the beginning of May 1876, I was attached to the city department of the Chicago Times. One day Mr. Clinton Snowden, the city editor, said to me, "Mr. Storey wants a man to go out with the Big Horn and Yellowstone expedition, which is organizing under Generals Crook and Terry, in the departments of the Platte and Dakota. There is apt to be warm work out there with the Indians, so if you don't care to go, you needn't see Mr. Storey."
"I care to go, and I'll see Mr. Storey," was my answer.
The famous editor of the Chicago Times did not, at that period, show any significant indication of that " withering at the top" which subsequently obscured his wonderful faculties. He was a tall, well-built, white-haired, white-bearded, gray-eyed, exceedingly handsome man of sixty, or thereabout, with a courteous, but somewhat cynical, manner.
WAR-PATH AND BIVOUAC
"You are the young man Mr. Snowden mentioned for the Plains?" he asked, as soon as I had made my presence known by the usual half shy demonstrations, because everybody who did not know him well, and who had heard his reputation on the outside, approached the formidable Vermonter in somewhat gingerly fashion.'
I replied in the affirmative. "Well, how soon can you be ready?" he inquired.
"At any time it may please you to name," was my prompt reply.
"You should have your outfit first. Better get some of it here—perhaps all. You are going with Crook's column," said Mr. Storey, with his customary decisiveness and rapidity.
"I understood I was to go with Custer," I rejoined. " I know General Custer, but am not acquainted with General Crook."
"That will make no difference, whatever," said he. "Terry commands over Custer, and Crook, who knows more about the Indians, is likely to do the hard work. Custer is a brave soldier—none braver—but he has been out there some years already, and has not succeeded in bringing the Sioux to a decisive engagement. Crook did well in Arizona. However, it is settled that you go with Crook. Go to Mr. Patterson (the manager) and get what funds you may need for your outfit and other expenses. Report to me when you are ready."
It did not take me long to get ready. I called first upon General Sheridan and asked him for a letter of introduction
OR THE CONQUEST OF THE SIOUX
to General Crook, and also for a general letter to such officers as I might meet on the frontier.
The gallant General very promptly, and in a spirit of the most generous cordiality, acceded to my request. He gave me some advice, which I afterward found valuable, and wished me every success in my undertaking.
"I'll try and do your kindness no discredit, General," I ventured to remark, as I took my leave.
"I am fully confident of that, but let me warn you that you will find General Crook a hard campaigner," said he, laughingly.
My next care was to purchase arms and a riding outfit, and, having said farewell to friends and received the final instructions of Mr. Storey, who enjoined me to " spare no expense and use the wires freely, whenever practicable," I left Chicago to join General Crook's command on Saturday morning, May 6, 1876.
The rain fell in torrents, and the wind shrieked fiercely, as the train on the Northwestern road, well freighted with passengers, steamed out of the depot, bound for Omaha. I reached the latter city on Sunday morning, and found General Crook at his headquarters, busily engaged in reading reports from officers stationed on the Indian frontier. He was then a spare but athletic man of about forty, with fair hair, clipped close, and a blonde beard which seemed to part naturally at the point of the chin. His nose was long and aquiline, and his blue-gray eyes were bright and piercing. He looked,
