Post by herosrest on Jun 23, 2012 8:43:55 GMT -6
Lt. Col. George A. Custer understood the terrain marched to approach the big bend in Little Big Horn valley where Sitting Bull's hostile buffalo hunters camped on June 25th, 1876. It was known and published on July 4th, 1876, that Custer was shot in the bottom. (See Attachment 1 and finalé)
Little Sioux and Strikes Two, saw Custer's command being destroyed. Arikara and Sioux scouts who marched from Little Big Horn to Maj. Moore's depot at Powder River, believed that seven of their number were killed at Little Big Horn. Crow scouts including White Man Runs Him, Hairy Moccasin and Goes Ahead, left Gibbon and Terry to return to their families at Pryor's Forks with news that Half Yellow Face and White Swan were dead.
The Arikara scouts divided on Reno Hill, one party remained with their herd of stolen ponies, and moved upriver to water. A second party of scouts advanced towards Custer and the six scouts trapped in timber below the bluffs east of the river and retreated as the Sioux returned from Custer's fight to attack Reno's command. Those six scouts reached Reno's command during his withdrawl back to Reno Hill. The scouts who went to powder river believed the entire regiment and other scouts had been killed, as reported to Maj. Moore.
'The party of Strikes Two saw them and thought they were Dakotas and so rode on faster out of sight. They followed the old Custer trail slowly. In the morning they reached and crossed the Tongue River and found the place where the soldier had been clubbed to death. On the top of a range they went on and reached the Powder River camp.
Here they found the party led by Strikes Two and a company of infantry, with a wagon train. The commander was called Wearer-of-the-White-Hat, he was from Fort Buford. This officer had two interpreters, a half-breed Dakota called The Santee, and a Grosventre called Crow-Bear.
They told the officer through these interpreters all that they knew about the fight. The officer called the scouts all together and told them to bring in their horses. He picked out two of the best horses for the scouts who were to carry word to the officer who had gone up the Elk River on a steamboat to the mouth of the Big Horn River. He selected Foolish Bear and White Cloud to carry the orders. These two scouts swam the Yellowstone or Elk River and rode to the mouth of the Big Horn and after a time (several days), they came back and called for Strikes Two and Bull-in-the-Water to carry the mail to
Fort Buford'.
Little Sioux and Strikes Two, saw Custer's command being destroyed. Arikara and Sioux scouts who marched from Little Big Horn to Maj. Moore's depot at Powder River, believed that seven of their number were killed at Little Big Horn. Crow scouts including White Man Runs Him, Hairy Moccasin and Goes Ahead, left Gibbon and Terry to return to their families at Pryor's Forks with news that Half Yellow Face and White Swan were dead.
The Arikara scouts divided on Reno Hill, one party remained with their herd of stolen ponies, and moved upriver to water. A second party of scouts advanced towards Custer and the six scouts trapped in timber below the bluffs east of the river and retreated as the Sioux returned from Custer's fight to attack Reno's command. Those six scouts reached Reno's command during his withdrawl back to Reno Hill. The scouts who went to powder river believed the entire regiment and other scouts had been killed, as reported to Maj. Moore.
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'The party of Strikes Two saw them and thought they were Dakotas and so rode on faster out of sight. They followed the old Custer trail slowly. In the morning they reached and crossed the Tongue River and found the place where the soldier had been clubbed to death. On the top of a range they went on and reached the Powder River camp.
Here they found the party led by Strikes Two and a company of infantry, with a wagon train. The commander was called Wearer-of-the-White-Hat, he was from Fort Buford. This officer had two interpreters, a half-breed Dakota called The Santee, and a Grosventre called Crow-Bear.
They told the officer through these interpreters all that they knew about the fight. The officer called the scouts all together and told them to bring in their horses. He picked out two of the best horses for the scouts who were to carry word to the officer who had gone up the Elk River on a steamboat to the mouth of the Big Horn River. He selected Foolish Bear and White Cloud to carry the orders. These two scouts swam the Yellowstone or Elk River and rode to the mouth of the Big Horn and after a time (several days), they came back and called for Strikes Two and Bull-in-the-Water to carry the mail to
Fort Buford'.
(Supplementary Story by Red Bear, ND Historical Collections, vol6, p135)[/right
It is little known that some one half of the Arikara scouts who retreated from the valley fight onto bluffs east of the river, subsequently followed the ridge towards Custer. It is generally accepted that the Ree's took a powder
from the valley fight. Attempt to correct public opinion failed in the presentation and limited appeal of 'The Arikara Narrative of the Campaign Against the Hostile Dakotas, June 1876' by Orin G. Libby. which fell upon deaf ears in 1920. The translated narratives were related to Judge A. McG. Beede and the secretary of the North Dakota State Historical Society, in August, 1912, by nine survivors who met at Fort Berthold Reservation at Armstrong. The work is possibly unique to the annals of publishing.
The narratives obtained by O.G. Libby failed to impart the way of retreat from Little Big Horn valley towards Powder River. The true nature of the scouts battle is unlocked by Walter M. Camp interviewing the Aricaree scout Soldier, and from a press interview by William Cross published on July 4th, 1876. (Attachment 2)
These confirm that scouts followed after Custer from Reno Hill, that a herd of stolen ponies were taken for a drink near the sheep ranch, and that knowledge existed in July 1876 that Custer was shot in the bottom.
A straight-forward narrative is 'Continuation by Red Star, Boy Chief, and Strikes Two'; - 'We had no arrangement or order on the field. Strikes Two mentioned the plan first and pointed out the Sioux horses. It did not occur to them that it would make any difference what they did first as at this time there was only some light skirmishing going on. Custer's plan was for them to seize the Dakota horses across the river.
They crossed the river at a point where there was no regular ford and rode after the horses of the Dakotas. There was very little fighting on the line at this time and the village was just stirring.
As they headed the horses into a group, One Feather and Pta a te had a bunch nearer the ford and these horses were retaken by the Dakotas who had crossed the river lower down, below the timber where Young Hawk and his party were to hide.
They crossed the ridge just ahead of the Dakotas and got away with the horses. Little Sioux and Bull-in-the-Water helped to get the horses over the ridge. Here were all the remaining scouts who did not cross the river.
'1' The horses were headed into a ravine east of the ridge and the scouts changed horses. There were twenty-eight of these Dakota horses here.
As the scouts turned back to fight and rode up on the ridge, they saw that the line was broken and the soldiers were coming up the hill. The Dakotas were across the river already and coming right after the soldiers. Down the river they could see the smoke of much firing around the grove where Young Hawk and his party were hiding. At the Dakota camp they noticed that the riders were headed down stream.
Red Star saw Varnum, his orderly was with him, wounded in the ankle. Boy Chief rode down the hill toward the river, right among the Dakotas, to look for his brother, Red Bear, but he was driven back.'
The accepted view and understanding of the Ree scouts fight is a movement towards the pack train during retreat from the valley and subsequent withdrawl with a herd of ponies to Powder River. What actually took place is partly mentioned above, at '1'. Whilst four Ree scouts ran back the pony herd. those who remounted (see 2) turned back to fight and rode up on the ridge, they saw that the line was broken and the soldiers were coming up the hill. The Dakotas were across the river already and coming right after the soldiers. This was as or before Benteen's command arrived on Reno Hill.
2 - Strikes Two, Stabbed, Soldier, Boy Chief, Strikes-the-Lodge, Little Sioux, the two Dakota scouts. White Cloud and Ca-roo, the half-breed Dakota interpreter, E-esk, Bull, Bear-Waiting (Matoksha).
Four scouts were seen by Lt. Godfrey running back ponies, four is not the entire group of scouts.
Stabbed told scouts to take the herd of horses on while the rest of them keep the Dakotas off. So some of the scouts got ready to go on with the horses and did so believing that seven of them had been killed, including Boy Chief's brother - Red Bear. Boy Chief had gone back down to the river, right among the Dakotas, looking for his brother but was driven back.' Boy Chief was later part of the rear-guard who covered retreat of the pony herd towards Powder River. When the sun was just touching the hills, ten scouts who started back with the herd of horses were following the trail used earlier and were six miles from the lone tepee. Eleven scouts marched as a rear-guard to the withdrawal.
Later Supplementary Story of Little Sioux - 'the steamboat came in with the wounded. Until the boat came in seven scouts were missing, the three who were killed and the three with Young Hawk, besides the interpreter, Gerard'.
At Powder River on July 4th, the Ree's learnt that Young Hawk, Goose, Foolish Bear, and Forked Horn survived the battle. Those scouts at Powder river on July 4th, left Little Big Horn before Young Hawk, Goose, Foolish Bear, Forked Horn. Half Yellow Face and Goose reached Reno Hill.
Boy Chief rode down the hill toward the river, right among the Dakotas, to look for his brother, Red Bear, but he was driven back.' This occured either -
1 - before Sioux and Cheyennes in the valley moved to attack Custer, as Benteen arrived to Reno. Lt. DeRudio saw Company D approach Ford A. Benteen's orders from Custer directed him to the Big Village to support Reno's attack. At the time Trumpeter Martin was despatched with the 'Be quick' message, Custer expected that Benteen would fighting in the valley. Benteen was not ordered East of the river, was not ordered to Ford B, and was not ordered to join forces with Custer. He was ordered to support Reno, who did not know where Benteen was.
Reno testified during quite brilliant defence at the Reno Court of Inquiry, that he had known George Custer all through the war and had no confidence in his ability as a soldier. Reno stated also that after you go a few miles on the Little Big Horn, you find plenty of timber and that while ten men can be ordered to charge a million there is some discretion left in the hands of the commanding officer and offered a very brilliant illustration of that in the Battle of Balaclava? Where light a light cavalry brigade charged across an open valley against massed batteries of field artillery, and failed because their attack was not supported. Reno did not know at the time he crossed the river that Capt. Benteen was to his left, and stated that Benteen might have gone to the mouth of the Rosebud, for all he knew.
By his letter of July 4th 1876, Reno believed the expedition would not have been a failure had Gibbon and Terry used the Cavalry force at their disposal after hearing that Custer was killed with his command and others were still fighting. Had that been done, Reno felt the destruction of them was certain and the expedition would not have been a failure.
Reno traveled over Custer's trail, and it was evident his support was from Custer attacking the village in flank but the march had taken so long despite the trail showing that he had moved rapidly, that they were ready for him. This was repeated during the Reno Inquiry. Reno believed that Custer did charge, met a staggering fire and fell back followed closely by Indians, and without time to form any kind of a line.' Capt. Benteen noted of the fight that, 'what became of "C" Co. no one knows, they must have charged there below the village, gotten away, or have been killed in the bluffs on the village side of stream as very few of C Co. horses are found. Fortunately, his command were directed by scouts towards Reno Hill having arrived near the village at 2pm on the 25th.
From the valley timber and not more than 20 minuytes after Reno's retreat, Lt. DeRudio heard firing which indicated subsequently, that Custer was below Ford B. He went over the ground on the morning of the 27th with Benteen, and followed Custer's trail down a coulee to the ford and up over the bluff.
or
2 - As the Sioux moved from Custer's battleground towards Reno and Benteen's advance from Reno Hill. Scouts who travelled to Maj. Moore's depot at Powder River were unaware until July 4th when the Fa West arrived, that scouts trapped in the valley, and companies with Reno, Benteen, and McDougall had survived. Maj. Moore understood until then that the entire 7th Cavalry had perished.
See attachment 2
Soldier - (W.M. Camp); We drove the horses back and met the packs. I was still behind. When I got up to them, all of the Rees had picked fresh horses and changed, and Red Star was riding the big horse that Strikes Two wanted me to ride. I then picked a spotted one, and when I got saddled up, I followed back to bluff over river. Stab proposed that we follow the ridge toward where Custer had gone.
We did so. Sioux were coming and getting around us before we got to end of ridge. A group of soldiers stood on the ridge behind us. The party was Stab, Strikes Two, Boy Chief, Strike Lodge, Little Sioux, Soldier, Karu, Watoksha, Mahcpiya Sha, and Cross. The Sioux now attacked us and drove us and the soldiers and we went back beyond the lone tepee. Stab was riding one of the two captured mules, and his own horse was put in the captured herd.'
Strikes Two - (W.M. Camp); - While I stood on edge of bank clearing my gun, the soldiers began firing. I looked behind and saw three Rees coming: Boy Chief, Red Star, and Bull in Water. Some one turned and saw three more coming -- Little Sioux, One Feather, and The Whole Buffalo (Sioux).
The Sioux horses captured by Bloody Knife now stampeded and crossed the river, and we, I and above six, put in after them. My horse went in to his back, and I got my seat wet. Some of them ran back toward Sioux village, but we turned them and got the whole bunch together. I was driving twenty head and one suckling colt. Red Star had three, and Boy Chief (Black Calf) had five. Red Star was named White Calf then.
Of our party of seven, four were holding horses. While we were driving horses up hill from river, some soldiers passed by and fired on us by mistake (Custer's soldiers), and one of the captured horses was killed. We drove the horses up high bank on east side and Stabbed now joined us, making eight in the party, and soon Strike the Lodge and Assiniboine came up, making ten, and we drove horses back and got them in a good position. Here a soldier with stripes on his arms came along and asked, "How goes it?"
Little Sioux - (O.G. Libby; ND Historical Collections, vol6) When the four scouts met the others at the top of the hill some of them stayed behind to fight back the Dakotas. These were: Soldier, Little Sioux, Stabbed, Strikes-the-Lodge, Strikes Two, and Boy Chief.
The pack train had now arrived on the bluff where we were standing and looking into the valley. We called Varnum Pointed Face. A white soldier was on Bobtail Bull's horse, Bobtail Bull having been killed, and we took his horse and put him among the pack mules. We also found Little Brave's horse and tied him among the pack mules. Bobtail Bull's horse had blood marks down his legs and on hoofs and saddle, so we concluded Bobtail Bull was wounded and killed after fording the river - that is on east side.
Six of us left the bluff and went to where we could see the timber, and Young Hawk, Forked Horn, Foolish Red Bear, Goose, White Swan, and Half Yellow Face came out of the timber in the valley. From same point we could see that Custer was being defeated. (Note - Young Hawk's narrative)
We six went to where pack train was, and Stab and Soldier proposed that we water our horses, and the three Sioux scouts: Watokshu, White Cloud, and Karu [Caroo] joined us, making nine (He must have Karu confused with one of the other Sioux scouts), and we went to water horses. A Sioux interpreter (Billy Cross) went with us, making ten in all. We watered, and on way back we stopped to smoke.
I took a walk and saw seven men whom I supposed to be our scouts but found out they were Sioux who had surrounded the soldiers. Stab proposed that we hit for some timber and we did so, but found timber scattering and went on to a knoll and had a skirmish with pursuers. The Sioux interpreter (Billy Cross, White Man) went with us.
Soldiers on bluff were surrounded and fighting at same time, and all of us fought until sundown. After dark we could see flashes of guns. We got on horses and fired guns and made a bluff at a charge and then started for Rosebud.
Far West was built for Coulsons at Pittsburg in 1870. 190 feet long, 63 feet beam and draught loaded to 400 tons, was 4 feet, 6 inches, unloaded 20 inches. Power was by two fifteen-inch five-foot piston stroke engines, built by the Herbertson Engine Works of Brownsville, Pa., with three boilers and steam capstans, one on each side of the bow. During that tour of duty the Government paid $360 per day for her use.Thirty passengers could be accommodated in the cabin.
At Yankton, she loaded a full cargo of stores for Ft. Lincoln as soon as the ice went out, and left mid May under Grant Marsh, captain and pilot; Dave Campbell, pilot; Ben Thompson, mate; George Foulk and John Hardy, engineers; and Walter Burleigh, clerk; and reached the post on May 27th. Families of the absent troops hailed the break in monotony since departure of the column, and the day arrival was treated as a holiday. Wives of the officers made themselves at home on the boat as was customary at isolated frontier posts. Captain Marsh was busy discharging cargo but laid on luncheon for the ladies.
Forage, commissary goods, medical supplies, tents, tarpaulins, quartermaster's stores and ammunition were taken on board to about 200 tons, taking the boats draught to thirty inches.
Next morning Far West started up the river and at Ft. Buford sixty men of Company B, 6th inf; Capt. Stephen Baker, and Lt. John A. Carlin, came aboard as escort. The other three companies of the battalion under Maj. Moore, had already marched up the east bank of the Yellowstone for Stanley's Stockade and Far West followed. Moore sent despatches to Gen. Terry by courier finding him west of Little Missouri, several days march from the Yellowstone. Terry diverted up Beaver Creek to the mouth of the Powder and sent instruction that Far West meet him. She arrived 7th of June and met several skiffs carrying Maj. Brisbin, Capt. Clifford with despatches, and others of Gibbon's command.
George Herendeen — One of the Last of the Great Scouts. "That spring Gibbon had come from Fort Shaw and had organized at Fort Ellis. He had four troops of Seventh Infantry. He wanted me to go with him as scout, but as the Government had not made arrangements for pay, other than a teamster at $16 per month, I would not go. Paul McCormick and I built a boat and went down the river and found Gibbon at Fort Pease. Paul got a chance to take a message back to Bozeman and then he brought back some goods and started a canteen.
There were several boats at Pease that Gibbon was going to take, but I told him that I was one of the men to help build the fort and as I was the only one there the boats belonged to me and he could not have them. I told him I would take Captain Clifford and the boys down, as we could scout and cover more ground that way than on the land. (I did not work for Gibbon.)
We traveled down the Yellowstone pretty near the mouth of Powder river. One morning we took a boat to go down the river. Major Brisban, a soldier or two and a couple of Indians, were in the boat. He did not say what his object was but we soon found out that it was to see if there was a steamboat down the river, as it was about time that the forces were getting together. We run through the Wolf rapids and found a steamboat just landing. We went on the boat and found General Terry and staff. We learned that Custer was coming across from Fort Lincoln and was expected any day. Terry, the day before, had sent scouts out but they had been driven back and he was worried as to how he could get word to Gibbon.
He told me he would give me $300 if I would take a dispatch to Gibbon that night. I started out and got to the camp about three in the morning. Gibbon did not move. Terry steamed up to where Gibbon was, the next day. We then went to the mouth of the RoseBud. Custer's command came up on the opposite side and camped. That afternoon they had a council of war on the steamer Far West about the campaign.
Custer, Gibbon, Brisban and Terry were there. Custer sent for me to come across the river and see him. When I reached them they had a map lying on the table and as I stepped up Custer put his finger on the map and said: 'Do you know that place?' I told him I did and he replied : 'You are the man I want.' That evening we started for what was to be Custer's Battle Field. I knew all that section of the country like a book and was not long in leading him to the place concerning which he had asked me.
Next morning Terry and his staff escorted by two troops of cavalry, arrived in advance of the main column, camped twenty miles up the Powder. Terry sent couriers to Gibbon with orders to meet the boat, which steamed up to meet 15 miles below the mouth of Tongue River, where Gibbon, cavalry and 25 Crow scouts under Lt. J.H. Bradley, hailed. Terry left for Custer's camp, after instructing Captain Marsh to return to Stanley's Stockade and bring all the supplies there up to the Powder, where a new depot was to be established by Major Moore. On 15th of June, Captain Marsh had accomplished these transfers and held his boat ready at the Powder.
On June 11th, from camp in Powder River Valley, Maj. Reno with six troops and ten days' rations on pack mules, set out to reconnoiter south of the Yellowstone from the Powder to the Tongue. North of Yellowstone, Gibbon's men toiled back over their route road delayed by heavy rains, to prevent crossings. Custer with the remaining six troops of the 7th camped at Stanley's Stockade, and Terry made headquarters on Far West which became the center of activity of the whole campaign. Back and forth across its decks hurried officers and soldiers, Indian scouts and frontiersmen.
Morning of the 15th, Custer, with six troops and one Gatling gun, marched for the Tongue, leaving Maj. Moore at the Powder with the infantry and all the wagons. Custer took with him a train of pack mules loaded with provisions, the Far West carrying an ample reserve supply, followed with General Terry and staff on board. Laying there through the 17th, Crook was fight- ing on the Rosebud, though no one in Custer's camp knew of events which would affect their own fate. News from Reno came about sunset of the 19th.
Morning of the 29th, Muggins Taylor joined the Far West on his way to Ft. Ellis with despatches from Gibbon and confirmede news brought by Curley. Taylor could not have arrived before the morning of the 29th June, carying Gibbon's letter written after 3pm, 28th June.
According to J.M. Hanson (Conquest of the Missouri, 1910) - Toward evening of June 28th, Henry Bostwick and another scout from Terry arrived at the Far West after looking downriver of the mouth of the Little Horn. Bostwick returned to Terry and next morning two more scouts brought orders to make ready for the wounded. The deck was laid with 18 inches of fresh cut grass covered with tarpaulin and medicine chests set ready for use.
Night of the 29th, was dark and raining as Terry marched to the mouth of the rivers taking wounded aboard just before the sun rose and that afternoon tied up on the Yellowstone where Gibbon's wagon-train was parked. Next morning Muggins Taylor left for Ft. Ellis. The boat lay through July 1st and 2nd, waiting for the column which it carried over the river and furnished needed supplies. Capt. Baker's company of the 6th Infantry was put ashore also, Terry having determined to concentrate his available forces in the camp opposite the Big Horn. Maj. Moore evacuated the Powder River depot for the main camp. 17 dismounted troopers of the 7th Cavalry under Sgt. M.C. Caddle joined Far West helping with the wooding and other work.
Fourth of July. Private William George, of H Troop, shot through the left side on Reno's Hill died of his wounds. At Powder River the boat stopped to confirm news of battle to Major Moore's garrison, who had hardly believed Reno's scouts. Taking on private property of the officers killed at Little Big Horn, Far West passed the Josephine upward bound near Stanley's Stockade.
August 1st - In the afternoon the boat got under way for her 65 mile run. Before she left the troops on board were able to join their cheers to those of comrades on shore as they welcomed the steamer Carroll, bringing in Col. Elwell S. Otis and his six companies of the 22nd Infantry, the first of the promised reinforcements to arrive from the East. The Carroll brought information that when she had passed the mouth of the Powder two days before, she had been vigorously attacked from the hills by a considerable body of Indians.
To the surprise of everyone the forage was still there, though the sacks had all been removed and the grain, amounting to about seventy-five tons, scattered in a loose pile on the ground. It had not been expected that the Indians would remove it, for an Indian pony would no more eat oats than he would gravel, but it seemed strange that they had not prevented its recovery by burning it. Nevertheless, there it was, and the work of taking it on board began at once.
At some little distance from the river a circular ridge surrounded the landing, forming a strong defensive position, and upon arrival Major Moore ordered the troops to occupy it. They did so none too soon. Scarcely were they in position when a mass of Indians poured over the crest of the river bluffs who, lashing their ponies to a furious gallop, swept down on the ridge. Such a reckless approach was just what the soldiers wanted. Rushing out all of his troops, excepting ten men who were left to guard the steamer. Major Moore ordered them to lie down and conceal themselves, hoping to draw the hostiles within range. But unfortunately the crafty savages discovered the ruse in time to save themselves and, abating their speed, halted just beyond range of the infantry Springfields.
Major Moore now decided to treat them to a little surprise by bringing Lieutenant Woodruff's Napoleon gun into action. The piece was hauled up on the bank and while all hands on board suspended work to watch the result, it opened fire with spherical case percussion shell upon a party of warriors far off to the right, toward Powder River. As the roar of the discharge reverberated among the hills and the singing projectile circled down and burst in front of them, the Indians leaped to their ponies' backs and fled in wild terror, never stopping until they had put the bluffs between themselves and the steamer.
Firing rapidly, Woodruff ranged his piece toward the left with each successive shot, until the shells had searched every ravine in the bend between Powder River and Wolf Rapids and sent the skulking occupants scurrying out of range, followed by the laughter and cheers of soldiers and steamboat men. The Indians apparently having now been all driven out, the work of carrying the oats aboard was resumed and kept up for several hours.
But the air grew more and more sultry as the morning passed and by two o'clock in the afternoon, when most of the forage w'as on board, the men were thoroughly exhausted. All who could doso stopped work and sought shady places to rest until the air should grow cooler, and an almost unbroken silence settled over the boat. The Indians disappeared from ridges shimmering in the distance, the troops held the skirmish line, and the only sounds that broke the hush were slow, half smothered puffs of the exhaust-pipe and the occasional clatter of a grasshopper out on the sun-baked prairie.
Cont....The steam-boat took the scouts across the river, about twenty-four of them, and they went up the river and met the Crow Indians who had come together too late to help Custer at the mouth of the Rosebud. They recrossed the Elk River by steamboat and it went along with them up the river. They marched on the east side of the river and met some soldiers and later some other soldiers with Arapahoes." All of these were to meet and go with Custer against the Dakotas but it was now too late. As the Arapahoe Indians came near, the soldiers first took them for Dakotas and got ready to fight." The Arapahoes told the scouts that the whole plan had been made for a battle after all the soldiers had assembled, but Custer had fought too soon.
They met Crook August 10th. Terry's scouts brought information that Sioux were in front and while preparations for attack were being made, Crook's couriers arrived and announced it was Crook's force that confronted Terry.
Finalé - It is little wonder that no-one was willing to accept Peter Thompson's account the Custer and Curley were seen trying to get a message to Reno in the valley......... you could not dream this stuff up. Orin G. Libby took eight years to publish The Arikara Narratives......... He was a genius who produced work equal to that great bard of the plains, Bloody Tip (Inkpaduta) or Shake Spear.
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It is little known that some one half of the Arikara scouts who retreated from the valley fight onto bluffs east of the river, subsequently followed the ridge towards Custer. It is generally accepted that the Ree's took a powder
from the valley fight. Attempt to correct public opinion failed in the presentation and limited appeal of 'The Arikara Narrative of the Campaign Against the Hostile Dakotas, June 1876' by Orin G. Libby. which fell upon deaf ears in 1920. The translated narratives were related to Judge A. McG. Beede and the secretary of the North Dakota State Historical Society, in August, 1912, by nine survivors who met at Fort Berthold Reservation at Armstrong. The work is possibly unique to the annals of publishing.The narratives obtained by O.G. Libby failed to impart the way of retreat from Little Big Horn valley towards Powder River. The true nature of the scouts battle is unlocked by Walter M. Camp interviewing the Aricaree scout Soldier, and from a press interview by William Cross published on July 4th, 1876. (Attachment 2)
These confirm that scouts followed after Custer from Reno Hill, that a herd of stolen ponies were taken for a drink near the sheep ranch, and that knowledge existed in July 1876 that Custer was shot in the bottom.
A straight-forward narrative is 'Continuation by Red Star, Boy Chief, and Strikes Two'; - 'We had no arrangement or order on the field. Strikes Two mentioned the plan first and pointed out the Sioux horses. It did not occur to them that it would make any difference what they did first as at this time there was only some light skirmishing going on. Custer's plan was for them to seize the Dakota horses across the river.
They crossed the river at a point where there was no regular ford and rode after the horses of the Dakotas. There was very little fighting on the line at this time and the village was just stirring.
As they headed the horses into a group, One Feather and Pta a te had a bunch nearer the ford and these horses were retaken by the Dakotas who had crossed the river lower down, below the timber where Young Hawk and his party were to hide.
They crossed the ridge just ahead of the Dakotas and got away with the horses. Little Sioux and Bull-in-the-Water helped to get the horses over the ridge. Here were all the remaining scouts who did not cross the river.
'1' The horses were headed into a ravine east of the ridge and the scouts changed horses. There were twenty-eight of these Dakota horses here.
As the scouts turned back to fight and rode up on the ridge, they saw that the line was broken and the soldiers were coming up the hill. The Dakotas were across the river already and coming right after the soldiers. Down the river they could see the smoke of much firing around the grove where Young Hawk and his party were hiding. At the Dakota camp they noticed that the riders were headed down stream.
Red Star saw Varnum, his orderly was with him, wounded in the ankle. Boy Chief rode down the hill toward the river, right among the Dakotas, to look for his brother, Red Bear, but he was driven back.'
The accepted view and understanding of the Ree scouts fight is a movement towards the pack train during retreat from the valley and subsequent withdrawl with a herd of ponies to Powder River. What actually took place is partly mentioned above, at '1'. Whilst four Ree scouts ran back the pony herd. those who remounted (see 2) turned back to fight and rode up on the ridge, they saw that the line was broken and the soldiers were coming up the hill. The Dakotas were across the river already and coming right after the soldiers. This was as or before Benteen's command arrived on Reno Hill.
2 - Strikes Two, Stabbed, Soldier, Boy Chief, Strikes-the-Lodge, Little Sioux, the two Dakota scouts. White Cloud and Ca-roo, the half-breed Dakota interpreter, E-esk, Bull, Bear-Waiting (Matoksha).
Four scouts were seen by Lt. Godfrey running back ponies, four is not the entire group of scouts.
Stabbed told scouts to take the herd of horses on while the rest of them keep the Dakotas off. So some of the scouts got ready to go on with the horses and did so believing that seven of them had been killed, including Boy Chief's brother - Red Bear. Boy Chief had gone back down to the river, right among the Dakotas, looking for his brother but was driven back.' Boy Chief was later part of the rear-guard who covered retreat of the pony herd towards Powder River. When the sun was just touching the hills, ten scouts who started back with the herd of horses were following the trail used earlier and were six miles from the lone tepee. Eleven scouts marched as a rear-guard to the withdrawal.
Later Supplementary Story of Little Sioux - 'the steamboat came in with the wounded. Until the boat came in seven scouts were missing, the three who were killed and the three with Young Hawk, besides the interpreter, Gerard'.
At Powder River on July 4th, the Ree's learnt that Young Hawk, Goose, Foolish Bear, and Forked Horn survived the battle. Those scouts at Powder river on July 4th, left Little Big Horn before Young Hawk, Goose, Foolish Bear, Forked Horn. Half Yellow Face and Goose reached Reno Hill.
Boy Chief rode down the hill toward the river, right among the Dakotas, to look for his brother, Red Bear, but he was driven back.' This occured either -
1 - before Sioux and Cheyennes in the valley moved to attack Custer, as Benteen arrived to Reno. Lt. DeRudio saw Company D approach Ford A. Benteen's orders from Custer directed him to the Big Village to support Reno's attack. At the time Trumpeter Martin was despatched with the 'Be quick' message, Custer expected that Benteen would fighting in the valley. Benteen was not ordered East of the river, was not ordered to Ford B, and was not ordered to join forces with Custer. He was ordered to support Reno, who did not know where Benteen was.
Reno testified during quite brilliant defence at the Reno Court of Inquiry, that he had known George Custer all through the war and had no confidence in his ability as a soldier. Reno stated also that after you go a few miles on the Little Big Horn, you find plenty of timber and that while ten men can be ordered to charge a million there is some discretion left in the hands of the commanding officer and offered a very brilliant illustration of that in the Battle of Balaclava? Where light a light cavalry brigade charged across an open valley against massed batteries of field artillery, and failed because their attack was not supported. Reno did not know at the time he crossed the river that Capt. Benteen was to his left, and stated that Benteen might have gone to the mouth of the Rosebud, for all he knew.
By his letter of July 4th 1876, Reno believed the expedition would not have been a failure had Gibbon and Terry used the Cavalry force at their disposal after hearing that Custer was killed with his command and others were still fighting. Had that been done, Reno felt the destruction of them was certain and the expedition would not have been a failure.
Reno traveled over Custer's trail, and it was evident his support was from Custer attacking the village in flank but the march had taken so long despite the trail showing that he had moved rapidly, that they were ready for him. This was repeated during the Reno Inquiry. Reno believed that Custer did charge, met a staggering fire and fell back followed closely by Indians, and without time to form any kind of a line.' Capt. Benteen noted of the fight that, 'what became of "C" Co. no one knows, they must have charged there below the village, gotten away, or have been killed in the bluffs on the village side of stream as very few of C Co. horses are found. Fortunately, his command were directed by scouts towards Reno Hill having arrived near the village at 2pm on the 25th.
From the valley timber and not more than 20 minuytes after Reno's retreat, Lt. DeRudio heard firing which indicated subsequently, that Custer was below Ford B. He went over the ground on the morning of the 27th with Benteen, and followed Custer's trail down a coulee to the ford and up over the bluff.
or
2 - As the Sioux moved from Custer's battleground towards Reno and Benteen's advance from Reno Hill. Scouts who travelled to Maj. Moore's depot at Powder River were unaware until July 4th when the Fa West arrived, that scouts trapped in the valley, and companies with Reno, Benteen, and McDougall had survived. Maj. Moore understood until then that the entire 7th Cavalry had perished.
See attachment 2
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Soldier - (W.M. Camp); We drove the horses back and met the packs. I was still behind. When I got up to them, all of the Rees had picked fresh horses and changed, and Red Star was riding the big horse that Strikes Two wanted me to ride. I then picked a spotted one, and when I got saddled up, I followed back to bluff over river. Stab proposed that we follow the ridge toward where Custer had gone.
We did so. Sioux were coming and getting around us before we got to end of ridge. A group of soldiers stood on the ridge behind us. The party was Stab, Strikes Two, Boy Chief, Strike Lodge, Little Sioux, Soldier, Karu, Watoksha, Mahcpiya Sha, and Cross. The Sioux now attacked us and drove us and the soldiers and we went back beyond the lone tepee. Stab was riding one of the two captured mules, and his own horse was put in the captured herd.'
Strikes Two - (W.M. Camp); - While I stood on edge of bank clearing my gun, the soldiers began firing. I looked behind and saw three Rees coming: Boy Chief, Red Star, and Bull in Water. Some one turned and saw three more coming -- Little Sioux, One Feather, and The Whole Buffalo (Sioux).
The Sioux horses captured by Bloody Knife now stampeded and crossed the river, and we, I and above six, put in after them. My horse went in to his back, and I got my seat wet. Some of them ran back toward Sioux village, but we turned them and got the whole bunch together. I was driving twenty head and one suckling colt. Red Star had three, and Boy Chief (Black Calf) had five. Red Star was named White Calf then.
Of our party of seven, four were holding horses. While we were driving horses up hill from river, some soldiers passed by and fired on us by mistake (Custer's soldiers), and one of the captured horses was killed. We drove the horses up high bank on east side and Stabbed now joined us, making eight in the party, and soon Strike the Lodge and Assiniboine came up, making ten, and we drove horses back and got them in a good position. Here a soldier with stripes on his arms came along and asked, "How goes it?"
Little Sioux - (O.G. Libby; ND Historical Collections, vol6) When the four scouts met the others at the top of the hill some of them stayed behind to fight back the Dakotas. These were: Soldier, Little Sioux, Stabbed, Strikes-the-Lodge, Strikes Two, and Boy Chief.
The pack train had now arrived on the bluff where we were standing and looking into the valley. We called Varnum Pointed Face. A white soldier was on Bobtail Bull's horse, Bobtail Bull having been killed, and we took his horse and put him among the pack mules. We also found Little Brave's horse and tied him among the pack mules. Bobtail Bull's horse had blood marks down his legs and on hoofs and saddle, so we concluded Bobtail Bull was wounded and killed after fording the river - that is on east side.
Six of us left the bluff and went to where we could see the timber, and Young Hawk, Forked Horn, Foolish Red Bear, Goose, White Swan, and Half Yellow Face came out of the timber in the valley. From same point we could see that Custer was being defeated. (Note - Young Hawk's narrative)
We six went to where pack train was, and Stab and Soldier proposed that we water our horses, and the three Sioux scouts: Watokshu, White Cloud, and Karu [Caroo] joined us, making nine (He must have Karu confused with one of the other Sioux scouts), and we went to water horses. A Sioux interpreter (Billy Cross) went with us, making ten in all. We watered, and on way back we stopped to smoke.
I took a walk and saw seven men whom I supposed to be our scouts but found out they were Sioux who had surrounded the soldiers. Stab proposed that we hit for some timber and we did so, but found timber scattering and went on to a knoll and had a skirmish with pursuers. The Sioux interpreter (Billy Cross, White Man) went with us.
Soldiers on bluff were surrounded and fighting at same time, and all of us fought until sundown. After dark we could see flashes of guns. We got on horses and fired guns and made a bluff at a charge and then started for Rosebud.
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Far West was built for Coulsons at Pittsburg in 1870. 190 feet long, 63 feet beam and draught loaded to 400 tons, was 4 feet, 6 inches, unloaded 20 inches. Power was by two fifteen-inch five-foot piston stroke engines, built by the Herbertson Engine Works of Brownsville, Pa., with three boilers and steam capstans, one on each side of the bow. During that tour of duty the Government paid $360 per day for her use.Thirty passengers could be accommodated in the cabin.
At Yankton, she loaded a full cargo of stores for Ft. Lincoln as soon as the ice went out, and left mid May under Grant Marsh, captain and pilot; Dave Campbell, pilot; Ben Thompson, mate; George Foulk and John Hardy, engineers; and Walter Burleigh, clerk; and reached the post on May 27th. Families of the absent troops hailed the break in monotony since departure of the column, and the day arrival was treated as a holiday. Wives of the officers made themselves at home on the boat as was customary at isolated frontier posts. Captain Marsh was busy discharging cargo but laid on luncheon for the ladies.
Forage, commissary goods, medical supplies, tents, tarpaulins, quartermaster's stores and ammunition were taken on board to about 200 tons, taking the boats draught to thirty inches.
Next morning Far West started up the river and at Ft. Buford sixty men of Company B, 6th inf; Capt. Stephen Baker, and Lt. John A. Carlin, came aboard as escort. The other three companies of the battalion under Maj. Moore, had already marched up the east bank of the Yellowstone for Stanley's Stockade and Far West followed. Moore sent despatches to Gen. Terry by courier finding him west of Little Missouri, several days march from the Yellowstone. Terry diverted up Beaver Creek to the mouth of the Powder and sent instruction that Far West meet him. She arrived 7th of June and met several skiffs carrying Maj. Brisbin, Capt. Clifford with despatches, and others of Gibbon's command.
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George Herendeen — One of the Last of the Great Scouts. "That spring Gibbon had come from Fort Shaw and had organized at Fort Ellis. He had four troops of Seventh Infantry. He wanted me to go with him as scout, but as the Government had not made arrangements for pay, other than a teamster at $16 per month, I would not go. Paul McCormick and I built a boat and went down the river and found Gibbon at Fort Pease. Paul got a chance to take a message back to Bozeman and then he brought back some goods and started a canteen.
There were several boats at Pease that Gibbon was going to take, but I told him that I was one of the men to help build the fort and as I was the only one there the boats belonged to me and he could not have them. I told him I would take Captain Clifford and the boys down, as we could scout and cover more ground that way than on the land. (I did not work for Gibbon.)
We traveled down the Yellowstone pretty near the mouth of Powder river. One morning we took a boat to go down the river. Major Brisban, a soldier or two and a couple of Indians, were in the boat. He did not say what his object was but we soon found out that it was to see if there was a steamboat down the river, as it was about time that the forces were getting together. We run through the Wolf rapids and found a steamboat just landing. We went on the boat and found General Terry and staff. We learned that Custer was coming across from Fort Lincoln and was expected any day. Terry, the day before, had sent scouts out but they had been driven back and he was worried as to how he could get word to Gibbon.
He told me he would give me $300 if I would take a dispatch to Gibbon that night. I started out and got to the camp about three in the morning. Gibbon did not move. Terry steamed up to where Gibbon was, the next day. We then went to the mouth of the RoseBud. Custer's command came up on the opposite side and camped. That afternoon they had a council of war on the steamer Far West about the campaign.
Custer, Gibbon, Brisban and Terry were there. Custer sent for me to come across the river and see him. When I reached them they had a map lying on the table and as I stepped up Custer put his finger on the map and said: 'Do you know that place?' I told him I did and he replied : 'You are the man I want.' That evening we started for what was to be Custer's Battle Field. I knew all that section of the country like a book and was not long in leading him to the place concerning which he had asked me.
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Next morning Terry and his staff escorted by two troops of cavalry, arrived in advance of the main column, camped twenty miles up the Powder. Terry sent couriers to Gibbon with orders to meet the boat, which steamed up to meet 15 miles below the mouth of Tongue River, where Gibbon, cavalry and 25 Crow scouts under Lt. J.H. Bradley, hailed. Terry left for Custer's camp, after instructing Captain Marsh to return to Stanley's Stockade and bring all the supplies there up to the Powder, where a new depot was to be established by Major Moore. On 15th of June, Captain Marsh had accomplished these transfers and held his boat ready at the Powder.
On June 11th, from camp in Powder River Valley, Maj. Reno with six troops and ten days' rations on pack mules, set out to reconnoiter south of the Yellowstone from the Powder to the Tongue. North of Yellowstone, Gibbon's men toiled back over their route road delayed by heavy rains, to prevent crossings. Custer with the remaining six troops of the 7th camped at Stanley's Stockade, and Terry made headquarters on Far West which became the center of activity of the whole campaign. Back and forth across its decks hurried officers and soldiers, Indian scouts and frontiersmen.
Morning of the 15th, Custer, with six troops and one Gatling gun, marched for the Tongue, leaving Maj. Moore at the Powder with the infantry and all the wagons. Custer took with him a train of pack mules loaded with provisions, the Far West carrying an ample reserve supply, followed with General Terry and staff on board. Laying there through the 17th, Crook was fight- ing on the Rosebud, though no one in Custer's camp knew of events which would affect their own fate. News from Reno came about sunset of the 19th.
Morning of the 29th, Muggins Taylor joined the Far West on his way to Ft. Ellis with despatches from Gibbon and confirmede news brought by Curley. Taylor could not have arrived before the morning of the 29th June, carying Gibbon's letter written after 3pm, 28th June.
According to J.M. Hanson (Conquest of the Missouri, 1910) - Toward evening of June 28th, Henry Bostwick and another scout from Terry arrived at the Far West after looking downriver of the mouth of the Little Horn. Bostwick returned to Terry and next morning two more scouts brought orders to make ready for the wounded. The deck was laid with 18 inches of fresh cut grass covered with tarpaulin and medicine chests set ready for use.
Night of the 29th, was dark and raining as Terry marched to the mouth of the rivers taking wounded aboard just before the sun rose and that afternoon tied up on the Yellowstone where Gibbon's wagon-train was parked. Next morning Muggins Taylor left for Ft. Ellis. The boat lay through July 1st and 2nd, waiting for the column which it carried over the river and furnished needed supplies. Capt. Baker's company of the 6th Infantry was put ashore also, Terry having determined to concentrate his available forces in the camp opposite the Big Horn. Maj. Moore evacuated the Powder River depot for the main camp. 17 dismounted troopers of the 7th Cavalry under Sgt. M.C. Caddle joined Far West helping with the wooding and other work.
Fourth of July. Private William George, of H Troop, shot through the left side on Reno's Hill died of his wounds. At Powder River the boat stopped to confirm news of battle to Major Moore's garrison, who had hardly believed Reno's scouts. Taking on private property of the officers killed at Little Big Horn, Far West passed the Josephine upward bound near Stanley's Stockade.
August 1st - In the afternoon the boat got under way for her 65 mile run. Before she left the troops on board were able to join their cheers to those of comrades on shore as they welcomed the steamer Carroll, bringing in Col. Elwell S. Otis and his six companies of the 22nd Infantry, the first of the promised reinforcements to arrive from the East. The Carroll brought information that when she had passed the mouth of the Powder two days before, she had been vigorously attacked from the hills by a considerable body of Indians.
To the surprise of everyone the forage was still there, though the sacks had all been removed and the grain, amounting to about seventy-five tons, scattered in a loose pile on the ground. It had not been expected that the Indians would remove it, for an Indian pony would no more eat oats than he would gravel, but it seemed strange that they had not prevented its recovery by burning it. Nevertheless, there it was, and the work of taking it on board began at once.
At some little distance from the river a circular ridge surrounded the landing, forming a strong defensive position, and upon arrival Major Moore ordered the troops to occupy it. They did so none too soon. Scarcely were they in position when a mass of Indians poured over the crest of the river bluffs who, lashing their ponies to a furious gallop, swept down on the ridge. Such a reckless approach was just what the soldiers wanted. Rushing out all of his troops, excepting ten men who were left to guard the steamer. Major Moore ordered them to lie down and conceal themselves, hoping to draw the hostiles within range. But unfortunately the crafty savages discovered the ruse in time to save themselves and, abating their speed, halted just beyond range of the infantry Springfields.
Major Moore now decided to treat them to a little surprise by bringing Lieutenant Woodruff's Napoleon gun into action. The piece was hauled up on the bank and while all hands on board suspended work to watch the result, it opened fire with spherical case percussion shell upon a party of warriors far off to the right, toward Powder River. As the roar of the discharge reverberated among the hills and the singing projectile circled down and burst in front of them, the Indians leaped to their ponies' backs and fled in wild terror, never stopping until they had put the bluffs between themselves and the steamer.
Firing rapidly, Woodruff ranged his piece toward the left with each successive shot, until the shells had searched every ravine in the bend between Powder River and Wolf Rapids and sent the skulking occupants scurrying out of range, followed by the laughter and cheers of soldiers and steamboat men. The Indians apparently having now been all driven out, the work of carrying the oats aboard was resumed and kept up for several hours.
But the air grew more and more sultry as the morning passed and by two o'clock in the afternoon, when most of the forage w'as on board, the men were thoroughly exhausted. All who could doso stopped work and sought shady places to rest until the air should grow cooler, and an almost unbroken silence settled over the boat. The Indians disappeared from ridges shimmering in the distance, the troops held the skirmish line, and the only sounds that broke the hush were slow, half smothered puffs of the exhaust-pipe and the occasional clatter of a grasshopper out on the sun-baked prairie.
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Cont....The steam-boat took the scouts across the river, about twenty-four of them, and they went up the river and met the Crow Indians who had come together too late to help Custer at the mouth of the Rosebud. They recrossed the Elk River by steamboat and it went along with them up the river. They marched on the east side of the river and met some soldiers and later some other soldiers with Arapahoes." All of these were to meet and go with Custer against the Dakotas but it was now too late. As the Arapahoe Indians came near, the soldiers first took them for Dakotas and got ready to fight." The Arapahoes told the scouts that the whole plan had been made for a battle after all the soldiers had assembled, but Custer had fought too soon.
They met Crook August 10th. Terry's scouts brought information that Sioux were in front and while preparations for attack were being made, Crook's couriers arrived and announced it was Crook's force that confronted Terry.
Finalé - It is little wonder that no-one was willing to accept Peter Thompson's account the Custer and Curley were seen trying to get a message to Reno in the valley......... you could not dream this stuff up. Orin G. Libby took eight years to publish The Arikara Narratives......... He was a genius who produced work equal to that great bard of the plains, Bloody Tip (Inkpaduta) or Shake Spear.
Produced by - Squirrels for the nuts.
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