Chased By The Sioux

[Capt. John F. Finerty, an oíd Chicago st, now accompanying Gen. Crook'8 expedition gainst Sioux savages, sends.to tho Chicago f Tiwies the following thrilliug story of Imlian í vonture :] The day after Crook's party returned from their hunt, the General, expecting the wagon train every moment, determined to send out a reconnoitering party along the base of the mountain, northwest, to discover wnere tne Indians were and to take a general observation of the country. Lieut. Fredorick Sibley, of E company, Second Cavalry, with 25 pioked men drawn from the regiment, was detailed to accompany the scouts, Frank Grouard and Baptiste Pourier, on the reconnoissance. John Becker, a mule-packer who had some exporience as a guide, was also of the party. The scouts had ventured forward some twenty mües two nights before, but saw Indiana and returned. An officer came around to my tent on the morning of July 6 and informed me of the plan. He said the party were going in the direction of the Little Big Hom river, southwest, and if no Indians were discovered they would proceed still furthor. As I was sent out here to see the country and not to dry-rot around camps, I made up my mind to go with Sibley, who is a fine young officer and a son of the late Col. Sibley, of Chicago. I obtained Crook's permission, which he appeared rather reluctant to give, and was ready to start with the party mustered at noon. Each of us carried 100 rounds of ammunition and enough provender to last a week. The scouts led us to camp on Big Goose creek, but thirteen miles from Camp Cloud Peak, where we remained until night. When evening had sufflciently advanced, our little party, 30 men all told, moved forward for the most part on the old Fort C. E. Smith road, Grouard keeping a sharp lookout from every vantago point ahead. The full moon rose upon us by 8 o'clock, and we continued our ride along the foot of the mountain until 2 o'clock that morning. Then we halted at a point seven miles from the Little Big Horn, in Montana, and fully forty miles from our permanent camp, half-corraled our horses, and slept until daylight, our pickots keeping watch from the bluffs above our encampment. At 4:30 o'clock on the morning of Friday, July 7, we were again in the saddle, pressing on toward where the scouts supposed the Lidian vülage tobe. Reaching the foot of a rocky niound, Grouard told us to halt while he took observations. By this time we had moved about fonr miles from our late bivouao. We observed Grouard's movements with some interest, as we knew we were in the enemy's country, and might encounter Indiana at any moment. Scarcely had the scout taken a first look from the crest of the ridge, when a peculiar motion of his hand summoned Baptiste to his side. Both left their ponies below the bluff, and observed the country from between the rocks on the summit. A minuto afterward they had mounted their horses, and came galloping back to us. " Quick, for your lives," cried Grouard. We mounted immediately and followed him. He led us among huls of red sandstone, the footstool of the mountains, and we were obliged to make our horses leap down on rocky ledges as much as six or seven f eet to f ollow his coUrse-, Withih fifteen minutes we reached a hill sufficieniiy iarge to conceal our horses, while those of us who were fnrnished with glafsses, namely, Grouard, Pourier, Lieut. Sibley, and myself, went into the rocks, and waited to see what was coming. "Whatdid you see, Frank!" asked" Sibley of the scout. "OnlySittingBull'swar party," Frank replied. "Knew they were up here without coming at all." We did not have long to wait for the confirmation of his woi'ds. Althost at the same instant groüps of mounted savages appeared on every hill north and east of us. Every moment increased the numbers, untii they seemed to cover the country f ar and wide. " They have not seen us yet," said the scout. "Unless some of them hit upon the trail we are comparatively safe. Gradually the right flank of the Indians approachedtheground over which we had come that mbriiing and the previous night. We watched their movemen ts with breathless interest. Suddenly an Indian attired in a red blanket halted, looked for a moment at theearth, and began to ride around in a circle. "Now look out," said Grouard, "that feilow has found our trail and they will be af ter us in five minutCHi" " What are we going to do 1" askcd the young offlcer. "Well, we have but one chance of escape," said Grouard, "let us lead our horses into the mountains and try to cross them. Meanwhile prepare for the worst." Then we left the rocks and went down among the soldiers. Lieut. Sibley said to them : " Men, the Indians have disco vered us. We will have todo some fighting. If we can make an honorable escape, all together, we shall do it. if retreat is impossible, let no man surrender. Die in your tracks for the Indians show no mercy." "All right, sir," said the men; and the whole party followed the scouts and the offlcer up the steep mountain side, which at that point was steep to a discouraging extent. The Indians must have seen us - they were scarcely more than a mile distant - for hundreds of them had halted and appeared to be in consultation. We contimied our retreat until we struck an old Sioux trail on the first ridge. "This path leads to the snowy ridge," said Grouard. "If we can reach there without being overtaken or cut off, our chances are pretty fair." Most of the road was rather good, and we proceeded in a northwestern direction at a brisk trot. Having gone five miles, and seeing no Indians on our track, Grouard concluded that they had abandoned the pursuit or else did not care about attacking us in the hills. The horses were badly used up, and many of the men were suffering from hunger. So we halted to make some coffee and to allow our animáis to recupérate. This occupied about an hour, when we again mounted and set forward. We crossed the main branch of Tongue river, flowihg through the mountains, and were in f uil view of the snowy range. The same splendid scenery that I had observed when out with Orook's party was visible on every side. The trail led through natural parks, open spaces bordered by rocks and pine trees on the mountain sides. Here the country was comparatively open. Suddenly John Becker, the packer, and a soldier rode up, exclaiming, "The Indians! the Indians!" Grouard looked over his shoulder and saw some of the red devils riding on our right flank. We had reached a plain on the mountain range, timber on our left, timber on our front, and rocks and timber on our right, at about 200 yards' distanoe. "Keep to the left along the woods," said the scout. Scarce were the words uttered when from the rocks there came a ringing volley. The Indians had fired upon us, and had struck my horse and two others. Fortunately the scoundrels fired too low, miscalculating the distance, and not a man was wounded. Our animáis, after the manner of Amerim Vinrsfis. ntanuseded and nearlv daslied jiXLÍ LXJÍ nCOé ktllUJVV4VíV4 UU-1O. UVU11 T UUIJAlVA out our brains against the trees on our lef t. Che savages gave us three more volleys, wounding more of our horses before we got the beasts tied to the timber. We gave hem a volley back to keep them in check, and then formed a circular skirmish line in the woods. We could see ,he Indian leador, dressed in what apjeared to be white buckskin, directing ;he movements of his men. Grouardrecognized him. He is a Cheyenne, calleel WhiteAntelope.famedfor his enterprise and skill. The Óheyennes and Sioux are irm allies, and always fight together. White Antelope led one charge against us, but one fire sent himself and his warriors back in quick time. Then the [ndians laid low in the rocks and kopt up an incessant fire on our position, tillïDg the trees around us with lead. Not a man of us ever expected to ieave that spot alive. They evidently aimed at our iorses, thinking that by killing them all means of escape would be cut off 'rom us. Mean-while their numbers continued So increase. The open slopes swarmed with Indians, and we could hear their savage, encouraging yells to each othor. Cheyennes and Sioux were mi?ed together and appeared to be in great glee. They had evidently recognized Grouard, whom they mortally hate, for they called out to him in Sioui, "Standing Bear (the name they gave him), do you think that there are no men but yours in this country ? ' ' We reserved our fire until an Indian showed himself. They were prodigal of their ammunitïon, and fired wildly. But they were fast surrounding us. We had fought them and kept them at bay for two hours, fromjialfpast 11 until half-past 1 o'clock, but they were twenty to our one, and we knew that unless a special Providence interposed we could never carry our lives away with us. We were looking death fnll in the face, and so closo that we could feel his cold breath upon our foreheads, and his icy grip upon our hearts. " No surrender," was the word passed f rom man to man. Each one of us would have blown out his own brains rather thaa fall aliye into ludían hands, A disabling.wound would have been the same as death. I had of ten wondered how a man falfc whon he saw inevitable, sudden doom bei ore him. I know it now, for I had no idea of escape, and could not have suffered more iL an Indian knife or bullet had pierced my heart. So it was with all of us. It is one thing to face death in the midst of excitement. It is quite another thing to meet him in almost cold blood, with the prospect of your dishonored carcasa being first mntilated and then left to feed the fox and the vulture. After a man once seos the skull and cross-bones as our party saw it on the afternoon of July 7, no subsequent glimpae of grim mortality can possibly impress him in the samo manner. Well, the eternal shadows were faat closing around nsj and the bullets were hitting nearer every moment, and 4he Indiau yell was growihg stíonger and flercer, when a hand was laid on my shoulder, and a soldier namcd Bufus, my neighbor on the skirmish line, said, " The rest are retiring. Lieut. Sibley tells us to do the same." I quietly withdrew from tho friendly pine tree which had kèpt at least a dozen bullets from making liavoc of my body. "Go to your saddle-bags and táke all youv ammunition." said Sibley ( as I passed him. " We are going to abandon the horses. The Indiana are all around us, and we must take to the rocks on foot. It is our only chanco. " I did as directed, but feit a pang at leaving my noble beast, which was bleeding from a wound in the side. We dáred not shoot our horses, for that would discover our movement to tho enemy. Grouard advised this proceeding. With a celerity wliicli was only possibleto men struggling for life, and to escape a dreadful late, our party obeyed their orders, and, in Indian flle, retired through tbc wood and fallen trees in our rear, toward the east, firing a volley and some scattering shots before we moved out, to make the Indiana believe we were stillin position. Our horses were evidently visible to tho savages - a circurnstance that faciiitated our escape. We ran for a mile through the forest, waded Tongue river (the headwaters) up to our waists, and gained the rocks of the mountain ridge, where no Indian pony could follow us, when we heard five or six scattering volleys in succession. It was the final tire of the Indians before they made their charge at our "late corral" to get our scalps. "We are safe for the present," said Grouard, with a grim smile, "but let us lose no time in putting more rocks bet ween us and the White Antelope." We foilowed his advice with a feeling of thankfulness which only men in such trials ever know. How astonished the Indians must have been when they ran in upon the maimed horses and did not get a single scalp. Even under such circumatances as we were placed in, we had a little laugh at their expense. But we had escaped one danger only to encounter another. Fully forty-five miles of mountain, rock, and forest lay between us and Crook's camp. We could not carry a single partiële of food, and had to throw away everything superfluous in tne way of clothing. With at least 500 Indians behind us and uncounted precipices before us, we found our rifles and 100 rounds of ammunition each a sufficient load to carry. The brave Grouard, the ablest of scouts, conducted our retreat, and we marched, climbed, and tumbled over places that at other times would have been impossible to us, until midnight. Then we halted under in immense pile of rocks on the top of a mountain, and there witnessed one of the most terrible wind-storms that can be imagined. Long before dawn we were again stumbling through the rocks and forests, and at daylight reached the tremendous canon cut in the mountain by what is called the eastern fork of Tongue river. Most of our men were too exhausted to make the descent of the canon, so Grouard led us through an open valley down by the river, on the left bank, for two miles as hard as we could go, for if discovered there by the savages we could only halt and die together. Fortune favored us, and we made the right bank of the stream unobserved, being then about twenty-five miles from Crook's headquarters. In our front were the plains of tho eu stern slope, f uil of hostile Indïans, while our only avenue of escape was to climb over the tremendous precipice whicü formed the right side of the canon. But the dauntless Grouard was equal to the crisis. He scaled this gigantic wall diagonally, and led us along a mere squirrel path not more than a foot wide, with an abyss 500 feot below, and a sheer wall of rock 200 feet high above us. After an hour's herculean toil we gained the crest, and saw the point of the mountain, about twenty miles distant, where lay our camp. Tbis, as may be imagined, was a blissful visión, but we were half dead with fatigue, and some of us were almost famine-stricken. Yet the indefatigable Grouard wonld not stop until we reached the eastern foot-hills, where we made a dive into the valley to obtain water, our only refreshment on that hard, rugged road. Roarcely had we slaked our thirst when Grouard led us up the hills again, and we had barely reached the timber when, around the rocks, at the point we had doubled shortly before, appeared another strong ate. Every man examined his rifle and looked to his ammunition. We all feit tliat life would be too dcarly purohased by further fliglit, and following the example of the brave young Sibley and the two gallant scouts, we took up our position among the rocks on the knoll we had reached, determined to sell our lives as dearly as possible. "Finerty," said Sibley to me, "we are in hard luck, I but, d - n thera, we'll show the red I sooundrels how white men can die. Boys (turning to the soldiers), we have a good position ; let every shot dispose of an Indian." At that moment not a man among us feit any inclination to get away. I)psperation and revenge had usurped the place of the animal instinct to preserve our lives. In such moments mind is superior to matter, and soul to the nerves. But we were spared the ordeal. The Sioux failed to observe us, as, very fortunately, they did not advance high enough to flnd our trail, but kept eastward on the lower branch of Tongue river. Thoroughly worn out, we al feil asleep, excepting the tireless scouts and awoke at dark somewhat refreshed Not a man of us, Sioux orno Sioux, coult endure the mountain journoy longer so we took our thirty jaded, hunted lives in our hands and struck along the valley actually wading Big Goose creek up to our arm-pits, at 3 o'clock Sunday morn ing, the water being cold as tho moun tain snow could make it. Two men Sergeant Cornwell and Private Oollins were too exhausted to cross, so they hic j the brush until we sent two oompanie of cavalry af ter tliem, when wc reacliod camp. After crossing Big Goose we were nearly a dozen miies from otir camp on Little Goose creek, and you may judgc how badly we were used up, wlien it took four hours to make six miles. The rocka had skinned onr feet and starvation had weakened our frames. Only a few wero vigorous enough to push on. At 5 o'clock we saw a few more Indians, but we took no pains to conceal ourselves furtlier. They evidentJy mistook us for a camp outguard, and, being only a handful, kept away. At 7 o'clock we met some cavalry out huntiug, and we sent into camp for horses, as most of the men could walk no f urther. Capte. De Wees and Bowelle, of the Second Cavalry, came out to us with led horses, and we reached camp at 10 o'clock Monday morning amiu congratulations from every side. The men who rcmained at Goose creek were brought in some hours later. Thus, after passing through incredible (langer and great privation, evory man out of tliirty, unwounded as by a miracle, found hims'elf safe in Camp Cloud Peak, stirrounded by comrades. For conducting this retreat with nuch consummato sucoèss, Frank Grouard de.serves the highest place among the scouts of the American continent. The oldest of our Indian fighters, including Col. Royall, concur in saying that escape from danger so imminent and appalling in a manner so successful is unparalleled in the history of Indian warfare. __________