Part 27 (1/2)

The general asked ht miles and offered to proceed there ahead of the coood sheltered ca the detach spot, and when the coht in a beautiful grove of tirass for the horses andall around

I accepted with thanks General Reynolds's invitation tofire, which was being built in front of the general's tent, the officers ca those to whom I was introduced were Colonel Anthony Mills, Major Curtiss, Major Alexander Moore, Captain Jerry Russell, Lieutenant Charles Thompson, Quartermaster Lieutenant Johnson, Adjutant Captain Minehold, and Lieutenant Lawson After this reception, I went down to visit the scouts in ca me up all kinds of clothes, and clothes of the Western kind I very sadly needed

White had brought along an old buckskin suit When I had got this on and an old Stetson on uns strapped to ia” ithin reach, I felt that Buffalo Bill was hi that Indians had been reported on the Dise war party had been co devastations up and down the flat His scouts had discovered their trail going north and had informed him that they would probably make camp on the Dismal There they were sure to be joined by other Indians He asked my opinion as to what had best be done

I told him it was about twenty-five miles froo on, taking White with me, and try to locate theeneral ”They tell o” I said that this was true and that I had all I could do to keep hi me to New York ”It would break his heart,” I said, ”if I were to leave him behind now” I added that Texas Jack knew the country thoroughly and that he could guide the command to a point on the Diseneral said:

”I have been fighting the Apaches in Arizona, but I find these Sioux are an entirely different crowd I know little about theestions You start now and I will have the co you in an hour and a half”

I told White to get our horses at once and also to tell Texas Jack to report to eneral wanted hiot there, if he didn't hear froood ca for the trail We had traveled about ten miles when I found it The Indians were headed toward the Dismal Presently another trail joined the first one, and then we had to begin extre

I didn't follow the Indian trail, but bordered the left and struck the river about five miles above the Fork There we turned down-stream

Soon on the opposite sidea party of Indians surrounding a herd of elk I didn't approach them closely, neither did I follon the stream any further We kept parallel with the course of the river, and soon stopped at the foot of a high sandhill Froet a view of the whole country

I told White to re off old Joe, I cautiously cli soapweed--a plant soot a view of the Dismal River, for severalfro around the timber were several hundred head of horses Here I knew the Indian ca to old Joe,White at the sa the sandhill until we got two or three ht of the Indians all the tiht sweep to meet the command I found the scouts first and told Texas Jack to hold up the soldiers, keeping theht until he heard from me

I went on until I met General Reynolds at the head of the colu him to one side, I told him what I had discovered He said:

”As you know the country and the location of the Indian caested that he leave one coon-train and let theuide to show them the way Then I would take the rest of the cavalry and push on as rapidly as possible to within a few miles of the ca one portion across the river to the right, five miles below the Indians, and another one to bear left toward the village Still another detachht for the ca coluet around and across the river

It was then two o'clock By four o'clock the flanking columns would be in their proper positions to o with the right-hand column and send Texas Jack with the left-hand column I would leave White with the eneral the necessity of keeping in the ravine of the sandhills so as to be out of sight of the Indians

I said that, notwithstanding all the caution that we could take, ere likely to run into a party of hunters, ould immediately inform the camp of our presence In case of discovery, I said, it would be necessary to e at once

General Reynolds called his officers together and gave theestions as their instructions In a very fewI accompanied Colonel Mills His column had crossed the Dismal and was about twoelk

I knew that sooner or later--probably sooner--these Indians would see me I told Colonel Mills he had better send the scout back to General Reynolds andword to Major Curtiss, who led the other flanking colu when it started

Colonel Mills kept his troops on the lowest ground I could pick out, but we e

Inside of half an hour we heard firing up the river from where ere

Colonel Mills at once ordered his troops to charge Luckily it collided with the Indians' herd of horses, which were surrounded, thus depriving uard the anied the village, reaching it a little after the arrival of General Reynolds The attack was not as much a surprise as we had hoped for Some of the Indian hunters had spied the soldiers and notified the ca from the south, had driven all the Indians on foot and all the squaws and children toward the sandhills on the north Mills ca for Their force largely outnu down from the north just at this instant His arrival was such a co the white flag Then all firing ceased

On rounding them up we found that we had captured about two hundred and fifty warriors, woency

The general had the Indians instantly disaro into theuard around the whole caon-train, for which a scout had been sent, the co me aside, General Reynolds said:

”I want you to send one of your fastestdispatches to General Ord, asking for instructions”