History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 166

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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Governor Pennington applied to General Sheridan for protection, alleging that there was not a sufficient military force to guard the exposed border. Sheri- dan replied to the governor's application, stating that he had no troops hie could send, and added that he believed the danger would lessen under the pressure of Crook's forces who would drive the hostiles out of the territory. At this time, however, Crook was behind the hostile force pushing it towards the settle- ments by way of the Little Missouri and other streams south. Crook continued his march and reached the vicinity of Deadwood in October.

These Indian troubles from 1872 to 1877 were all occasioned by the hostile Sioux, all of whom had their habitation in the Territory of Dakota. Montana and Wyoming furnished the larger portion of the battle fields, which were chosen by the Indians as affording them advantages that were of great value because of their customary tactics in war, which included as a matter of the greatest importance a field wherein they could fight from a number of concealed positions. All their engagements with the United States troops, except the Custer battle, where they had the advantage of an overwhelming force and took Custer by surprise, the red man disclosed this prudent regard for his own safety in the selection of his ground, while at the same time it allowed him the maximum of opportunity to pick off the enemy.

GENERAL SIIERMAN IN NORTHERN DAKOTA

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who was then general of the army, visited Bismarck in July, 1877, accompanied by General Terry and a number of his staff officers. From that point or from Fort Lincoln he embarked on the steamer Rosebud, Capt. Grant Marsh, and made a reconnoitering trip up the Yellowstone

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HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

River, and inspected the new military posts at the mouth of Powder River ( Fort Keogh), and also at the month of the Big Horn ( Fort Custer ), where he was met by General Sheridan and General Miles, and escorted to Fort Ellis, Mont., thence through Idaho, and on to the Pacific coast. General Sherman's object in making this journey was to personally acquaint himself with the situation en the frontier, and particularly with regard to the demand for more troops. There were no serious Indian troubles in the Northwest at the time except the dis- turbances west and north of the Black Hills settlements, which had become formidable. Sitting Bull, with 278 lodges of his hostile Sioux, was in the Cypress Mountains, B. A., where his warriors were hunting buffalo with bow - and arrows, having no ammunition for their guns. It was estimated that Sitting Bull's entire party at the time numbered about two thousand.

MILITARY COURT OF INQUIRY INVESTIGATES MAJOR RENG'S CONDUCI

Major Reno, it will be remembered, was subjected to a great deal of adverse criticism, following the battle of Little Big Horn, his offense, as alleged by his unfriendly critics, being his failure to go to the relief of Custer, on his return from his futile search for the Indians, in obedience to the orders given him by General Custer when he directed the movements for the day and divided his regiment into three detachments, sending Reno off to the left. Major Benteen commanded the detachment sent to the right, and Custer himself led the center column. A court martial, convened at Reno's request, was finally ordered to investigate Reno's conduct, and he was acquitted, after a very full and impartial investigation. His own statement before the court, which is given herewith, was supported by all the evidence.

The testimony indicated that the slaughter of Custer and his men had already been accomplished before Reno reached within a mile of the slaughter pen, and when he had reached that point he was confronted by an overwhelming force of Indians, with whom he fought for hours; was finally forced to take refuge in a body of friendly timber, where Major Benteen found him, and where the regi- mental wagon train also found protection.

It developed that the Indians must have had knowledge of Custer's division of his regiment, and stealthily followed the movement of the troops. Custer tell into their hands first. The conflict was brief, furious and decisive, and was fol- lowed by the onslaught on Reno, who lost seventeen in killed and over hity wounded. General Ferry, with Gibbons' column, reached Reno at a critical time He would probably have suffered as Custer had but for this timeh relief Ils cavalry were fighting from rifle pits and his force was being depleted by death and wounds. The Indians, made aware of Terry's approach, hastily withdress and scattered. When Gibbons' force reached him he had been practically bestege l for about twenty-four hours.

The military court of inquiry into Major Reno's conduct at the battk of the Little Big Horn convened at Chicago, January 13. 1879 The inquiry had been granted at the earnest request of Major Reno, and was deemed best for the service because of the contradictory and unauthenticated reports in general cir- culation and discussion concerning Reno's behavior on that sad and memor die occasion.

The Indian camp or village where the battle occurred was described la bos tenant Wallace, who was with Reno, as about three miles m length width ranging from one hundred yards to half a mile

Scout Girard, who was with Custer when the general gave his ord retali testified that he said to Reno: "Go forward, and when you meet to the charge them and I will support you." Girard testified that he saw 230 The from the top of a knoll while riding with Custer's column Custer's orders was given by the same witness, thus . "Muer P'con m .

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advance and try to overtake the Indians, and when you do so charge them. Take the scouts with you."

Maj. Frederick W. Benteen was third in command. His orders from Custer were to take his column of three companies and go away to a line of bluffs to the left. The chief trumpeter afterwards brought him instructions that if he found nothing at the first line of bluff to ride to the second. He afterward received an order through the sergeant major that he should go to the first valley, and if he found nothing to go to the second valley, and take everything that he found in his way. He went off to the left several miles as directed, but as he found no Indians and no valleys he concluded it was a mistake about there being Indians in that direction. He accordingly started back on his trail, and finally struck Custer's trail, and then met Trumpeter John Martin with an order from Adjutant Cook to hurry up, as the Indians were in sight and warm work was expected. Shortly after this Benteen, riding 200 yards in advance of his command, saw Reno engaged with the Indians. The Indians were charging and recharging through the ranks of the men. When he got nearer he concluded the troops were being whipped, and pretty soon the retreat commenced. He also concluded that the Indians discovered him about the same time, and this checked their pursuit. The foregoing is taken from Benteen's testimony.

When Reno overtook or met the Indians he sent word to Custer, and engaged the Indians, presumed to number from twenty-five hundred to three thousand warriors. His horses had been posted in the timber, and his men were fighting on foot. This was the situation when Benteen arrived with his command. Scout Girard, who was now with Reno, testified that in a brief time the order came : "Men, to your horses; the Indians are in our rear." Here the retreat to the hill began, and Reno's heaviest loss occurred. Girard was of the opinion that the Custer tragedy occurred prior to this a very short time on the other side of the Indian village, as he said he heard two or three volleys of musketry of about one hundred shots each from that direction. Custer and Reno must have been about two and a half or three miles apart about this time-Custer at or near the lower end of the Indian village, and Reno near the opposite end, the intervening space being occupied by the village with from five thousand to six thousand Indians. Benteen said he thought there might have been nine thousand. The distance was so great and the enemy so much superior in numbers that all of the troops of either command must have been wiped out before they could have got together had any effort been made by either party to relieve the other, and this was the fate that inet Custer. The same fate would probably have overtaken Reno if he had not retreated across the river to the hill and thrown up rifle pits.

Lieutenant Varnum estimated the Indian force at from four thousand to five thousand, and said that half that force was too great for half of Custer's com- mand.

All the witnesses testified to Reno's coolness and courage except Lieutenant Edgerly, who thought Reno was excited. When he first saw the Indians, Custer's firing was distinctly heard from the Reno headquarters and lasted three-quarters of an hour.

Reno had notified Custer, by messenger, when he first discovered the Indians, and probably expected Custer would join him. It would seem that Custer had concluded to give his support by attacking the Indians where he did with a view of drawing them away from Reno.

Major Reno testified. His testimony is substantially given in the findings of the court, which are here added :

Washington, D. C., March 6, 1879.

The court of inquiry assembled by special order No. 255, dated Headquarters of the Army, Washington, November 25, 1878, report in obedience to that order the following facts involving the conduct of Maj. Marcus A. Reno, Seventh Cavalry, in regard to the battle of the Little Big Horn, fought June 25 and 26, 1876.

On the morning of the 25th of June, 1876, the Seventh Cavalry, Lieut. Col. G. A. Custer, commanding, operating against the hostile Indians in Montana Territory near the Little

HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

Big Horn River, was divided into four battalions, two of which were cemnardel by Colonel Custer in person, with the exception of one company in charge of the pa k train ; one battalion by Major Reno, and one by Capt. F. W. Benteen. This division t k place about twelve to fifteen miles from the scene of a battle afterwards fought

It was testified that the troops were not in the best fighting condition, laving c. word down by long marches and little sleep.

When Benteen first met Reno, the latter was cool and was doing h's best; but tor was little order owing to the furious rushes of the enemy, which threatened th overw elm the soldiers. He believed Reno did the best he could, exposed himself to the en ny and exhibited bravery throughout.

1. The column under Captain Benteen received orders to move to l'e hit Bir an indefinite distance (to the first and second valley ), hunting Indians, with orders t charge any it might meet with. The battalion under Major Reno received orders to draw out of the column, and, doing so, marched parallel to, and only a short distance ir m the column commanded by Colonel Custer.

2. About three or four miles from what was afterwards found to be the Little Big Ilorn River, where the fighting took place, Major Reno received orders to in ve forward as he thought prudent until, coming up with the Indians, who were reported fleung he would charge them and move everything before him and would receive the support of the column under Colonel Custer.

3. In obedience to the orders given by Colonel Custer, Captain Benteen marched t the left (south) at an angle of about forty-five degrees, but meeting an impracticable country, was forced by it to march more to the right than the angle above indicated and nearer approaching a parallel route to the trail followed by the rest of the command

4. Major Reno, in obedience to the orders given him, moved on at a fast trot on the main Indian trail, until reaching the Little Big Horn River, which he forded and halted a few minutes to reform his battalion. After reforming he marched the battalion forward toward the Indian village, down the river, or in a northerly direction, two companies in line of battle and one in support until about halt way to the point where he finally halted, when he brought the company in reserve forward to the line of battle, continuing the mave ment at a fast trot or gallop until after passing over a distance of about two miles, when he halted and dismounted to fight on foot at a point of timber upon which the right flank of the battalion rested. After fighting in this formation for less than half an hour, the Indians passing to his left rear and appearing in his front, the skirmish hne was withdrawn to the timber and the fight continued for a short time half an hour or forty five met s in all-when the command, or nearly all of it, was mounted, formed and at a raj d Kalt was withdrawn to a hill on the opposite side of the river. In this movement one off cer and about sixteen soldiers and citizens were left in the woods, besides one woun led man er more, two citizens and thirteen soldiers rejoining the command afterward In this re'real Major Reno's command lost some twenty nine men in killed and wounded, and three offers including Doctor DeWilt, killed.

5. In the meantime, Captain Benteen having carried out, as far as was prothalle ! e spirit of his orders, turned in the direction of the route taken by the remainder et te res ment, and reaching the trail followed until near the crossing of the Little Big Hort arri. I there about the same time that Reno's command was crossing the river in reret Lever down, and finally joined his battalion with Reno on the hill. Forty minutes or atur later. the pack train, which had been left behind on the trail by the rap i may nem in te command and the delays incident to its march, joined the united command, wich 1 of seven companies, together with about thirty or thirty-five men bligny to the col panies under General Custer.

6. After detaching Benteen's and Reno's columns, Colonel Cister moved w lers immediate command in the trail followed by Reno to a print within crc Bol . t river where he diverged to the right or southward, following the general drei net rivirt a point about four miles below that afterward taken by Maior Reny, wir I and command were destroyed by the hostiles. The last living witness ot tos mires Ir ingen Martin, left Colonel Custer's command when it was about tw miles distint trem . tell where it afterward met its fate. There is nothing more in evidence as t save that firing was heard proceeding from its direction from a it the tim retreated from the bottom up to the time that the pack train was appr i 11 on the hill. All firing which indicated fighting was conducted I tore !

1 in Major Reno's command for the movement which was afterward attem ! !

7. After the distribution of ammunition anl a prifer depint pelts Major Reno's entire command moved down the river na 1 ter's column had taken and in which it was known fin y! left found. This movement was carried sufficienti imperit the entire command, upon which it returns to the

made a successful resistance until succor te hill was a heroic one against fearful addde la ot excellent, and while subordinates in some it uje by brilliant displays of courage than Major Reno, r required animadversion from this court

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It is the conclusion of the court, in view of all the facts in evidence, that no further proceedings are necessary in the case, and it expresses this opinion in accordance with the concluding clause of the order convening the court.

JOHN H. DING, Colonel Ninth Infantry, President. J. M. LEE,

First Lieutenant and Adjutant Ninth Infantry, Recorder.

General Sherman made the following endorsement :

The findings of the court of inquiry in the case of Major Reno are approved, and the proceedings are respectfully forwarded to the honorable secretary of war.

By the secretary of war:

The proceedings and findings are approved.

By order of the President.

GEORGE W. MCCLARY, Secretary of War.

SITTING BULL

In the late winter of 1878-79 Sitting Bull was in the Province of Alberta, in British America, on the Saskatchewan River. He had with him about three thousand warriors, and about two thousand women and children. At this time it was apprehended that he was contemplating a raid on Forts Buford, Stephenson and Totten, and he was being closely watched by the army in that section, then under the immediate command of General Miles.

Of Sitting Bull Miles says :

He is inferior to other chiefs, Spotted Tail, Red Cloud or Crazy Horse. He is the deadly enemy of the whites, and will never, voluntarily, he confined to any of the reserva- tions. He claims that the Great Spirit made him an Indian, but not an agency Indian.

Notwithstanding the opinion of Sitting Bull expressed by General Miles, which he later changed, he was the best representative of the Indian race that his times produced, and his influence extended to every tribe in the great Sioux Nation, which could not be justly claimed for any other Sioux chief. Sitting Bull was not a chief ; he was a general and had been elected to lead the hostile armies at a grand council held near the Sisseton country in 1867, and every Indian, whether in Spotted Tail's Brules or Red Cloud's Oglalas, or any other, who entertained the hostile spirit, looked to Sitting Bull as their leader. This is abundantly proven by the large forces he was able to assemble from every tribe when occasion called for it. The Government seemed unable, or deemed it unwise and unprofitable, to detect the individual Indians who would stroll away from the various agencies on the pretext that they were going for a hunt, and would then make their way to Sitting Bull's camp, assist in his skirmishes and depredations, and then stealthily return to their own tribal home and draw their rations.

Sitting Bull's influence among the Sioux Indians was stronger than that of any of the chiefs General Miles names. It may have sprung from his unrelenting opposition and hatred of the whites more than from any superior native ability. He claimed that the large number of Indians gathered together in the early sum- mer of 1876 in the Big Horn country were there on their annual picnic for the purpose of social enjoyment and to permit the young men and maidens to become acquainted with view to matrimonial alliances. It may have been that he had prudently prepared for war, knowing the prejudice that existed against himself, and always against the assembling of thousands of armed Indians in the fastnesses of the Big Horn Mountains. But Sitting Bull could have plead the Laramie treaty of 1868 in extenuation and exculpation that they were trespassers. Had it not been that he had been fighting General Crook and General Gibbons for the past two or three months prior to the Little Big Horn tragedy his claims that his intentions were peaceable would have a more stable foundation.

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Sitting Bull was inconsistent and vaseillating, and his deeds did not always correspond with his words. He would decry civilization, declare he wanted none of it, and at the same time no parent among the Sioux or average whites was more solicitous for the education of his children, who were sent to the best of the Indian schools, and their progress faithfully supervised, while he himself lost no opportunity to learn from the race he openly and defiantly denounced Among a civilized people his course in this respect would have been an evidence of hypocrisy.

SITTING BULL'S STORY

Sitting Bull was incorrigible-an unrelenting enemy of the white race ; an able, fearless and powerful leader, who felt that the Indians had been pursued for centuries by the white man's civilization until his last hunting ground had been taken, and there was nothing left for him but the beggarly position of a dependent upon the white man's bounty. Ile professed to abhor civilization and all manner of treaties, proclaiming that the whites never kept a treaty. He demanded as the only condition of peace that the whites keep away from his country. That he would not go to the white man's country, and the white man must keep away from the Indian country. Sitting Bull had a numerous following at the time the Black Hills negotiations were pending; but a large number of these were young men from the various tribes who were ostensibly friendly to the Govern- ment and held by treaty obligations. This class acted as aiders and abettor- only in the time of need, and clandestinely maintained their place as peaceful Indians, returning to their agencies after each hostile expedition in order to keep up a show of friendliness. Sitting Bull was in command at the battle of the Little Big Horn, and unquestionably planned the massacre of Custer and his men. No white man survived to relate the incidents of that tragedy ; but Sitting Bull gave his story to Father Genin, a Catholic priest, who visited him in his exile on Cana- dian soil. That account was regarded as substantially correct and is here repro- duced.

Sitting Bull's story of the Custer battle as related by him to the Rev. J. B. M. Genin, Catholic missionary to the Sioux, at Sitting Bull's camp in Judith Basin and published in the "North Dakota Historical Collections," Vol. 1, page 277 .

"We knew the soldiers were coming upon us weeks before the light," said Sitting Bull, "yet we did not want to fight if we could do otherwise In our camp on the Little Big Horn there were the tribes of the Tetons as follows: The Unepapas, who had man belges The Santees, with many warriors, whose lodges were pitched next to the Unepapa Neve came the lodges of the Oglala-not so many. The Brule (Sisphi) Seus Eme next in the order of their tepees. The Minneconjou lodges were next The Sans Are Badges were pitched next. The Blackfeet lodges came next The Cheyenne camp came next There were some Arickaree Indians in the camp with some of the Sions true, and . me at the Two Kettle tribe also, these being visitors and without lodges of their own

"We did not go out there to fight. We took along our women and children and wen' to meet all the tribes of this region, to make laws and treaties and devisit cachether an] to make our young men and maidens acquainted with each other, so they call marry a our fathers have done for many generations. So, when we found the white sell ers were following us, we marched back into the hills a long way, stiff being pursued by the army in direct violation of the treaty of 1808, which article first pledges the heter of the Un ul States to keep peace. We resolved to camp and wait the will of til at the same th praying to God to save us from the hands of our enemies, now mar, and con ng w the provocation to complete our extermination.

"For three days our scouts watched Custer marching t ward icampi sent all our women and children into places of safety through ti low belt Wren the soldiers would charge through the village as they did at the 1 \\ when Chief Black Ketile was killed, ant the women and children trampled i

the hoois of their war horses. The Ieton Ind ins are to brave att i vet too well to let them be butchered even In the church of the Une! for them until death.

"So I sent my young men to light fires med and mmitside the d conveniently at the door of each of the Irent tepe's sticks dre . 1 lub

stakes in the front streets of the village, to which were tiel time of these

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when the fires were burning fiercely, and stirring the air, the pieces of cloth and old rags waved to and fro in the breeze and gave the appearance of a densely populated village. Then I marched behind the front row of hills with all my braves, and awaited the opening of the soldiers' fire upon our camp. Everything worked as I had planned. True to their intentions, the United States soldiers killed my flagmen whom I had sent to meet them and demand peace, and proceeding furiously forward, opened fire upon my empty camp of old tepees and rag manikins. I then fell upon them from the rear, with all my force, before they had time to recover from the shock of their furious charge and their surprise at finding the village deserted. My men destroyed the last of them in a very short time. Now they aceuse me of slaying them. Yet what did I do? Nothing. God saved our lives because we had called upon him. They should then accuse God, for truly it was he who saved us by permitting them to die.

"It was very hard," he added, "to place any faith in the word of Americans. Ever since I knew them my experience with them has proved that they continually cheat the Indians, over-reaching upon their lands with big promises, never fulfilled, and at last finding some pretext to kill them."

In reply to inquiries as to the first attack on General Reno, Sitting Bull said: "These soldiers were not brave. When they saw our warriors they ran away as fast as they could, and hid in the hollows of the hills. I was not in that part of the battlefield. I sat on my horse on a hill and sent my young men to direct the movements of the head warriors. All my warriors were brave and knew no fear. The soldiers who were all killed were brave men, too, but they had no chance to fight or run away; they were surrounded too closely by our many warriors. As they stood there waiting to be killed, they were seen to look far away to the hills in all directions, and we knew they were looking for the hidden sol- diers in the hollows of the hills to come and help them. But our warriors first killed the soldiers who were holding the horses and rode them while charging close up and firing at the survivors. Let no man call this a massacre. It was a piece of mere warfare. We did not go out of our own country to kill them. They came to kill us and got killed themselves. God so ordered it."

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 166

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198