Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army Life — John Shaqi
Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army LifeKing, Charles
History
Campaigning with Crook, and Stories of Army Life
King, Charles
Crook, George, 1829-1890; Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1866-1895; United States. Army. Cavalry, 5th
That night we were bivouacked in the thick underbrush along the Rosebud,
hugging the tortuous bends of the stream, and as much as possible
keeping our herds between our lines and the river. Suddenly the
stillness was broken by a snort of terror among the horses; then a rush
as of a mighty whirlwind, the crash of a thousand hoofs, a shot or two,
and the shouts of excited men, and the herds of Companies "A," "B," and
"M" disappeared in a twinkling. Seized by some sudden and unaccountable
panic, they had snapped their "side lines" like pack-thread, torn their
picket-pins from the loose, powdery soil, and with one wild dash had
cleared the company lines, and, tracked by the dying thunder of their
hoofs, were fleeing for dear life far to the westward. Officers and men
sprang to arms, anticipating attack from Indians. Many of the First
Battalion had been trampled and bruised in the stampede; but in a moment
a dozen experienced campaigners were in saddle and off in pursuit, and
towards morning, after miles of hard riding, the runaways were skilfully
"herded" back to camp. But the night's adventure cost us the services of
one of our very best officers, as Lieutenant Eaton's pistol was
accidentally discharged in the rush, and tore off a portion of the index
finger of his right hand.
The following morning, August 11th, was by General Crook's people, at
least, spent in drawing rations from the wagons of Terry's command. At
ten o'clock our pack-mules were again loaded up, and by eleven the Fifth
Cavalry were filing eastwardly out of the valley; marched rapidly on the
Indian trail, found the valley of the Tongue River only nine miles away
across a picturesque divide, descended into a thickly timbered bottom,
marched only a couple of miles down stream, and there received orders to
halt, bivouac again, and were told to wait for Terry's command to join
us. We moved into a dense grove of timber--lofty and corpulent old
cottonwoods. Company "D" (Sumner's) posted its guards and pickets, and
the rest of us became interested in the great quantity of Indian
pictures and hieroglyphics on the trees. We were camping on a favorite
"stamping-ground" of theirs, evidently, for the trees were barked in
every direction for some distance from the ground, and covered with
specimens of aboriginal art. Sketches of warriors scalping soldiers,
carrying off women on horseback, hunting buffalo, etc., but with the
perceptible preference for the stirring scenes of soldier fighting. That
had become more popular than ever since the Custer massacre. While
examining these specimens, I was attracted by a shout and the gathering
of a knot of soldiers around some fallen timber. Joining them, and
stepping over the low barrier of logs, I came upon the body of a white
man, unscalped, who had evidently made a desperate fight for life, as
the ground was covered with the shells of his cartridges; but a bullet
through the brain had finally laid him low, and his savage foeman had
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