TONGUE RIVER
David.Gettman October 1st, 2008
During the year 1877, all the companies of the Second Cavalry lived in relative quiet from Indian warfare except the battalion stationed at Fort Ellis, Montana. The relentless pursuit of the savages had caused them to break up the concentrations of large forces and to split into bands of a few hundred warriors. Most of them had gone to the agencies, knowing that further resistance was futile. After the surrender of Crazy Horse in April, Sitting Bull was still at large with a small following, and Lame Deer, with a group of Minneconjous, was yet in the hills east of the Big Horn Mountains.
To assist in further pacification of the savages, Companies F, G, H, and L, Second Cavalry, were ordered to report to Colonel Miles at his cantonment (Fort Keogh) on the Tongue River. After a march over wretched roads the companies, under Captain Ball, reached there April 27. Already assembled were two companies of the Fifth Infantry and four of the Twenty-second Infantry, with a company of mounted scouts.
The command marched south along the Tongue River May 1, 1877. After three days a trail of Indians was discovered, said to be that of Lame Deer. The wagons were now abandoned and the supplies carried on pack mules. Leaving the infantry to follow, the four companies of the Second Cavalry pushed on ahead, and marched day and night, with a stop of a few hours occasionally to rest and graze the horses. On the afternoon of May 6, word was passed along the column that the command would rest until 1:00 a.m. and then move forward to attack Lame Deer’s village, near the mouth of Muddy Creek in the Wolf Mountains. In contrast to former campaigns, the column found the grass was green, the leaves were on the trees and there was the scent of wild flowers and the song of birds in the air.
After a wait of several hours in these pleasant surroundings, the command was given to saddle and move on. They first marched at a walk, then at a trot, and before reaching the village at daylight, they were moving at a gallop. Company H, under Lieutenant Jerome, and the mounted infantry and scouts charged straight through the village, then stampeded the pony herd of 500, driving it five miles up the valley and back to the rear of the troops. The other three companies, F, G, and L, charged through following H Company, then wheeled to the right and went into dismounted action against the Indians, who had taken up a position in the hills. Continue Reading »
