USA > North Dakota > Early history of North Dakota: essential outlines of American history > Part 36
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The battle occurred September 3, 1863, the forces engaged being the Second Nebraska Cavalry, commanded by Col. Robert W. Furnas, from whom these facts were obtained through Capt. James A. Emmons; the Sixth Iowa Cavalry. commanded by Col. D. S. Wilson ; and one company of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry, commanded by Captain Willard, in all about one thousand two hundred men. The aids to General Sully were Capt. J. H. Pell, Captain King and Lieutenant Levering of the First Minnesota. The number of Indians was estimated at one thousand two hundred warriors, the whole number not less than three thousand. Maj. E. A. House in command of 300 men of the Sixth Iowa had located the Indians, and his scout had reported to General Sully, who hurried Colonel Furnas to his assistance. The latter encountered them in the evening, and attacked at once from the direction opposite the approaching troops under Colonel Wilson; while Maj. Edward P. Tenbroeck, with two com- panies of the Sixth Iowa, charged through the center of the camp. General
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DEDICATION OF WHITESTONE HILL BATTLEFIELD MONUMENT
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Sully, in personal command of one company of the Seventh Iowa and the bat- tery, hurried to the fight. The battle became a hand-to-hand affair and on the arrival of Colonel Wilson the Indians fled, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. The dead numbered about two hundred and the wounded about the same. One hundred and fifty-eight were captured, including Big Head and thirty warriors, who surrendered to General Sully. General Sully's loss was 25 killed and 38 wounded. Lieut. Thomas J. Leavitt, Sixth Iowa, was mortally wounded. The Sixth Iowa lost II killed and 21 wounded; the Second Nebraska 6 killed and 13 wounded.
After the battle the troops pursued the Indians in every direction and killed and wounded many. General Sully caused fires to be built, while buglers sounded the rally to bring back the pursuing forces; scouting parties the next day found the dead and wounded in all directions, and ponies and dogs attached to travois loaded with buffalo meat and other supplies, turned loose on the prairies by the Indians. General Sully estimated that they burned from forty thousand to fifty thousand pounds of dried buffalo meat, as one item of the destruction that followed the battle. They also destroyed 300 deserted lodges and other property of great value to the Indians. It was their winter supply of meat and represented more than one thousand slaughtered buffalo. Capt. R. B. Mason, wagon master, said the fat ran in streams from the burning mass of meat. They found in the camp or on the dead, loot from the Minnesota massacre, and from General Sibley's supply trains, and from those murdered in the mackinaw at Apple Creek. The expedition returned overland to Fort Pierre and down the river to Yankton.
SULLY'S EXPEDITION OF 1864
General Sully had been selected to command an expedition in 1864 to further continue the punishment of the Indians who had been engaged in the Minnesota massacre of 1862, begun by General Sibley that year and continued by him and General Sully in 1863. The Indians were concentrated west of the Missouri River, harassing the frontier settlers by raids in Dakota, Minnesota and Ne- braska, and attacking the transportation on the Missouri River, and the im- migrant parties passing over territory they regarded as their own. They embraced remnants of Little Crow's bands Uncpapas, Yanktonnais, Blackfeet, Minneconjous and parts of other tribes.
General Sully's headquarters were at Sioux City. He had selected Com- panies A and B, Dakota Cavalry, as his body guard, assigning other troops concentrated at Yankton, for the protection of the Dakota settlements. The ren- dezvous of his command was at old Fort Sully near Fort Pierre. It consisted of the two companies of Dakota Cavalry, Pope's Battery, the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, Brackett's Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry, three companies of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry and one company of Nebraska Cavalry. They were joined by the Minnesota contingent under the command of Colonel Thomas, at Swan Lake; this contingent consisting of the Eighth Minnesota Mounted Infantry, six com- panies of the Second Minnesota Cavalry and the Third Minnesota Battery.
The expedition left Fort Sully June 24th, and reached the Missouri River July 3d, and established Fort Rice, on the west bank, a few miles above the
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mouth of the Cannon Ball River. This fort was built by Col. Daniel J. Dill with four companies of the Thirtieth Wisconsin which came by steamer, aided by two companies of cavalry detailed for the purpose, and it became the supply point for General Sully's expedition and for many succeeding expeditions.
On the way they encountered some Indians at the mouth of the Little Shey- enne River, when Captain Fielding of the topographical engineers was shot from ambush and mortally wounded, and one of the soldiers with him was shot. The three Indians responsible were pursued by Capt. Nelson Miner, of the Dakota Cavalry, and literally riddled with bullets and their heads brought into camp.
General Sully had had twenty years' experience in the Seminole, Mexican and border wars, and several of his officers had participated in the campaign the previous year.
July 18th he left Fort Rice, reaching Heart River in the vicinity of Dickin- son, when he corralled and left an immigrant train which he had relieved from the Indians' attack, and some of his heavier supplies, guarded by a part of his force, and proceeded to the Knife River where his scouts reported a large force of Indians whom he attacked.
BATTLE OF KILLDEER MOUNTAIN
At Killdeer Mountain on the 28th General Sully encountered a force esti- mated by him at 1,600 lodges, representing 5,000 to 6,000 warriors. The Indians were expecting him and were ready for the fray. They were so well posted and so great was their confidence that they did not take down their lodges, but commenced their tactics of circling around his command, each time drawing nearer, until they had come within 200 yards. Then fire was opened on them and many saddles emptied, when they drew off to a greater distance pursued toward their camp by the cavalry. Now thoroughly alarmed, they were trying to save their women and children. The troops opened on them with artillery.
The attack was made with eleven companies of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, three companies of the Seventh Iowa, two companies of Dakota Cavalry, four com- panies of Brackett's Minnesota Battalion, Jones's Battery, Pope's Battery, ten companies of the Eighth Minnesota Mounted Infantry, six companies of the Second Minnesota Cavalry, two sections of the Third Minnesota Battery and seventy scouts, the whole force numbering 2,200.
The attack was made in front, the Indians attempting to flank Sully on the left and then on the right and rear, the battle line extending in a circle of about three miles. They attempted counter attacks, but were repulsed at every point. Major Brackett made a furious attack, which they countered, in which many Indians were killed, their attack being repelled by the aid of Jones's battery. They made a heavy attack in the rear by a newly-arrived force, which was also dispersed by the same guns.
Sully closed upon their main camp and put them to flight, the artillery driving them out of their strong position in the ravines and on the hills, the cavalry pursuing. The battle lasted all day, but by sunset there were no Indians in sight and the troops slept on the battlefield.
Colonel McLaren was detailed next day to destroy the large amount of prop-
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erty the Indians had left in their flight, gathering into heaps and burning at least forty tons of dried buffalo meat packed in buffalo skins, great quantities of dried berries, tanned buffalo, elk and antelope hides, household utensils, consisting of brass and copper kettles, mess pans, etc., saddles and travois and lodge poles, which were gathered in heaps and burned. The woods were fired in order to make the destruction complete.
The loss of the Indians was very large, many dead being left on the field. Sully's loss was five killed and ten wounded.
Capt. Nelson Miner, of the Dakota Cavalry, relates that being hard pressed at one point, he dismounted and in the fight forgot all about his horse, but when the battle was over his horse was by his side, having followed him wherever he went.
LOCATION OF THE BATTLE. OF BIG MOUND
From an article in The Record for June, 1896, by Capt. J. W. Burnham, who was a sergeant in the Sixth Minnesota and present at the Battle of Big Mound, July 24, 1863, the following extract is made. Captain Burnham writes from notes written at the time.
"July 24, 1863, our regiment went into camp on the shore of an alkaline lake to the right, while the Indians occupied the hills and valleys to the left. The general had every soldier to his place, but the scouts (half-breeds or friendly Indians) went out and parleyed with the Indians. Doctor Weiser, surgeon of the mounted rangers, joined one of these parties and commenced talking to the Indians in their own language, and giving them, out of his own pockets, tobacco and hard bread, when he was suddenly shot and killed, three of them firing at once and all standing close to him. Directly after this firing was heard to the rear, not explained till the next day, when it was learned that Lieutenant Freeman of the rangers, G. A. Brackett, the beef contractor, now as then a well-known citizen of Minneapolis, and two Indians scouts were hunting ante- lope. The Indians cut them off from the command and when the volley that killed Weiser was heard they fired and mortally wounded Freeman. The party then hid in the tall rushes on the shore of a little lake till night came, when the scouts started for camp. Soon after Freeman died. When Brackett tried to reach camp he became lost and after a long tramp reached the track, but so far back that he kept on to Camp Atchison, which he reached in four days, nearly dead from hunger and fatigue, having had nothing to eat except raw frogs.
"The first movement against the Indians was by the battery, which threw shells among them, killing several. When they fell back they were charged by the rangers, followed by a large force of infantry. The rangers followed them for sixteen miles, killing many and losing some men themselves. In a charge made over a rocky ridge in plain sight of camp, the lightning struck, killing one man and horse and knocking down two more. Until their return they supposed a shell from the battery had fallen short and struck among them.
"This battle of Big Mound was a striking scene. The lonely lake, the rocky hills, the naked, yelling Indians, soon discomfited and flying, the battery of four guns all doing their best, the charging cavalry with sabers drawn, the infantry
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following, while over all was the darkened sky, the heavy rolling thunder and the incessant lightning with but little rain. It was a view to be remembered by a looker-on, as I was that day. * * * *
"July 26. Reveille at 2:30; marched at 4 a. m. Went fourteen miles, find- ing Indian property all the way and scattering Indians in sight. They made a stand on the shore of a small lake, where lay the body of a buffalo so long dead that we did not need sight to be aware of its presence. We called the fight here the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake.
"They made a stand and the artillery and cavalry drove then several miles, the infantry mostly going into camp. Some two hours later, when all seemed peaceful and serene around camp, though we could hear the boom of the cannon in the distance, a large force of Indians made a dash to cut off a party of foragers out cutting the coarse grass and reeds on the shore of the lake. This was all we had to feed our mules, as the immense herds of buffalo had eaten all the good grass.
"This attack was repulsed by a company of rangers who, more by accident than design, seemed to be on the right spot at the right time. Some fifteen Indians were killed here and in the main battle. The men cutting grass and the teamsters were terribly frightened. Supposing themselves out of danger most of them were unarmed. This was a mistake they did not again make.
"About this battle ground lay hundreds of dead buffalo more or less stripped of hides and meat, for we had come upon the Indians while in the best of their hunt. There were still so many Indians near that we could not allow our ani- mals to graze except on one end of a rope with a man at the other end, and the best grazing was very poor. All the forage obtainable was of the kind that grew upon the lake shore.
"July 27. We made a long march of twenty-three miles, passing over battle ground of previous days, finding large quantities of Indian property, like axes, hoes and trinkets, besides tons of meat and hides, tent poles and tents. A captured squaw reports large reinforcements to the Indians. We camped at night on the stony shore of a sweet water lake near which we fought them next day and called the Battle of Stony Lake.
"July 28. Reveille at 3; started at 5 A. M. The Tenth in the advance. When the command was in motion, and our regiment about half a mile out, pass- ing over a ridge, a great force of mounted Indians dashed upon us. At once Whipple, of the battery, with two guns opened on them with shells, and our regiment was deployed right and left from the head of the column, the men about far enough apart to touch fingers when their arms were extended. The Indians were in great force, variously estimated from one thousand five hun- dred to three thousand, and all mounted. They came close up to the line and nearly every man, as he put on his bayonet without waiting for orders, thought they were going over us. I thought so at any rate, but they recoiled. We got one or two shots apiece at theni, when they went around us and attacked the flanks, where another regiment repulsed them. They fell back and attacked the rear, where another regiment and Captain Jones and two guns of the bat- tery again beat them off. They then returned to the front. As we lay in the grass in the still morning air we could hear the sonorous voices of their leaders
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urging another charge. But they came not. After waiting two hours for them we marched on all day, keeping the order of formation to resist another attack. We found one Indian asleep and captured him and his pony. He was dressed in fighting costume of a Dacotah warrior: a breech cloth and a pair of moccasins, with a buffalo robe along for a bed. He said he was a Teton and belonged west of the Missouri. He was released with an admonition.
"It is said we killed eleven Indians in this fight, but we saw no bodies. We killed more in the previous battles. Unlike them we lost no man this day, nothing but one horse, and he was so weak that the Indian who got him was overtaken and killed before night. We camped this night on Apple Creek.
THE BATTLE AT APPLE CREEK
"July 29. Reveille at 1:30; marched at 3 A. M. We spent about three hours crossing the creek. The wagons were pulled through by men with ropes. We went about three miles, when the Missouri Valley was before us, just below the site of Bismarck, the river about eight miles off. The general expected the Indians would be unable to cross, but we could see them in crowds on the opposite bluffs. He had sent ahead the cavalry and the guns and we soon saw the latter rapidly firing. We hurried on, fatigued as we were, under a broiling sun, thinking a battle was going on, and found the cavalry had been repulsed from the thick grove by Indians shooting arrows and the artillery was shelling them out. They saw very few Indians except those across the river on the bluffs. They were flashing their mirrors in the bright sunlight in answer to the reflections doubtless visible from the glittering barrels of our Springfield rifles.
"We were marched within about a mile of the timber and two miles from the river, where we lay for three hours, when we were ordered into camp on a bench near the creek and about two miles from its mouth, where we arrived about 5 P. M., completely exhausted with hunger, thirst, fatigue and lack of sleep, having marched about twelve miles that day.
"Meanwhile the Sixth Regiment skirmished the woods, but saw few Indians. When they approached the river they found hundreds of carts and wagons, and tons of stuff that the Indians were unable to take across the river. On the bank they were hailed from the opposite shore: 'We do not want to fight the whites!' and were answered by a scout who talked with them for some time, but when the men approached the river to fill their canteens hundreds of shots were fired at them from the tall grass opposite, but the shots mostly fell short and did no injury. Today Lieutenant Beever, General Sibley's vol- unteer aid, was lost in some way. He was sent by the general with an order to Colonel Crooks, commanding the skirmishers in the woods. He delivered his order but did not return. A private of the Sixth is also missing. Our mules and horses are entirely exhausted and men nearly as far gone. Many of them are dropping out of the ranks to be picked up by the ambulances. During the last few days a very common sight was to see a mounted man fall behind. He would get off and lead the horse and very often he was still unable to keep up. A shot would then finish the horse, the saddle and bridle would go to the nearest wagon and the soldier go on afoot. At this camp we had grass and
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water, but, as before, our animals would not be safe beyond the end of a rope.
"July 30. The long roll beat twice in the night. Indians all around and shots are continually being exchanged. We could hold no ground beyond the reach of our guns. Rockets were sent up and guns fired both night and day to signalize Lieutenant Beever. With all our care the Indians ran off a few mules.
"A detachment of 700 men were sent out to skirmish through the woods again and find the missing men if possible. The cannon went with them, and while writing this in camp I hear the guns speaking out occasionally.
"We heard bad reports during the day from the river bank, and the general sent down reinforcements, but about 10 P. M. the troops all came in, having suffered no loss. They killed a few Indians and found the bodies of the missing men. Lieutenant Beever carried three revolvers and had evidently made a vigorous fight, and had been shot with three arrows. His horse had been killed with a bullet. Like most of the army he wore his hair short, and the Indians liad cut around his head endeavoring to scalp him, but were unable to pull it off, so they scalped the long whiskers from one of his cheeks. The soldier, having longer hair, was scalped in the usual manner. During the night under a strong wind the Indians set the grass on fire, but a line of men with wet blankets met it and soon put it out.
"August 1. Had a bad time of it last night. Indians prowled around camp all night. Single ones were fired upon many times by the guard. About midnight a large force crawled up on the burnt ground and fired a heavy volley into the camp, shooting through many tents and killing a mule and stampeding the herd of beef cattle, which broke away, but fortunately were stopped and driven back. No men were shot, though the firing was kept up on both sides most of the night. In the reduced state of men and horses, especially the latter, all we could do at this time was to repel attack. We had already marched farther than our supply of provisions would warrant, and this day we marched twenty miles towards home. We had no sooner left the camp than the Indians took possession, and only a small force followed us. Our camp tonight has plenty of good grass and water."
LOCATION AND BATTLE OF KILLDEER MOUNTAIN
The curator of the North Dakota Historical Society in 1915 visited the Kill- deer Mountain Battlefield in Dunn County and the result was published in the Fargo Forum as follows :
"Bismarck, N. Dak., August 15 .- For work accomplished and results obtained the trip of H. C. Fish of the State Historical Society and S. S. Campbell of Sentinel Butte was one of the most successful this year. They were both pleased and gratified by the hearty co-operation they received from so many in Dickin- son and in Manning and at Kildeer.
"The trip was unique, for after forty-six years Mr. Campbell expected to point out the place of the battle between Sully and the Sioux which occurred July 28, 1864. He had not visited the old scenes since, and the whole fight was in his mind as he saw it then. But what helped to keep the scene so vivid was the constant reading of his old diary which he kept in 1864 during the whole of the
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Sully campaign. Many of the old troopers for years after the trying march wrote to Mr. Campbell and wanted to know when and where different events occurred. And, too, some of the old soldiers wanting a pension applied to Mr. Campbell to give the exact place where they were hurt. The small diary with its well fingered pages has kept the old days well in mind.
"Tuesday morning of last week the two gentlemen left for Manning on the stage and they were met at the county seat by Superintendent Melby, who was very much interested in getting a correct idea of the old days, and taken to the Killdeer. It was very fortunate that Mr. Melby took the party direct to the home of John Ross, who lives adjoining the Diamond C Ranch in the east. The father of Mrs. Ross was in the same campaign and Mr. Ross knew the family of Mr. Campbell in the old days of Minnesota. All the courtesies that could be desired were extended to Mr. Fish and Mr. Campbell in their search for the old routes.
"On Wednesday morning Mr. Ross took the party up over the hill to the Diamond C Ranch buildings and Mr. Campbell at once recognized the lay of the land, and when they went out to the south of the spring and the house he said. 'This looks just like the old Indian camp. If it is, there is a dry coulee just over there to the south.' The dry coulee was found.
"On this broad open space south of the old spring 1,600 Indian tepees were arranged. Mr. Campbell said that they camped the first night after the battle just west of the Indian camp. The thickest of the battle occurred on the ranch of John Ross, where the Indians made the last stand before their camp was taken. The camp of the second night was at the spring on the old Craig Ranch, some eight miles east of the battle grounds.
"The course of events taken from Mr. Campbell's diary is interesting. They started from Sioux City Tuesday, May 31, 1864, and gradually made their way up the Missouri to Fort Rice and then across country to the Indian stamping grounds. On July 25 the whole army of Sully corralled their extra horses and teams some place fifteen or twenty miles south of Dickinson.
"There were also fifty teams of the emigrants bound for Idaho who were going along under the protection of the army. This enormous corral has not been located and it is the wish of the society to have some of the old troopers help us find the place. After the corral was established the troopers took nine days' rations for a rapid march into the Indian country. On July 26th the army marched one mile and grazed their horses till 2 o'clock. Then scouts came in and reported that they had a skirmish with the Indians. Mr. Campbell's battalion was put on double quick for nineteen miles. July 27th the army marched twenty miles and grazed their horses and then marched ten miles and camped on Knife River. At this place there were many petrified stumps and trees. The day of the battle, July 28th, the army marched twelve miles before light and grazed their horses and took breakfast. After breakfast they went four miles and met the main body of the Indians.
LONG LINE OF BATTLE
"The army formed a line of battle and for nine miles there was a running fight. This started at 9 o'clock in the morning and all day long the right bat-
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talion fought the Indians hand to hand. Many of the Indians had only war clubs and bows and arrows and very primitive guns, but from behind every rock and group of trees the arrows showered upon the troopers. At one time a very large force of the Indians came in from the rear and attempted to capture the battery of twelve cannon. They made their way with all the fiendish glee they could muster, but they did not reckon on the gunners. They waited until the Indians got within 200 yards of the battery and then let two charges go. This made an awful swath in their ranks, and the Indians turned like a pack of frightened sheep before the onslaught of wolves and fled, followed by a terrific saber charge by the troopers. This stand was the turning point in the battle. From this time on the soldiers had the Indians on the run for the hills and the saber was exchanged for the revolver. They soon had the Indians over the hills among the brakes. That night under the silent skies the dead were buried on the camp- ing grounds, and horses were picketed over the grave to destroy all signs of the place.
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