: The Dull Knife Battle 1876 tp-11 Read online

  : The Dull Knife Battle, 1876

  ( The Plainsmen - 11 )

  Terry C. Johnston

  After a terrible summer of blood and fire, scout Seamus Donegan finally has reason to rejoice: his wife, Samantha, has given birth to his first son. But the time to celebrate new life is short...for the old business of death continues. Phil Sheridan has gathered his officers at Fort Laramie for a war council to prepare the winter campaign. His objective: capture Crazy Horse, the elusive Sioux warrior chief whose exploits have put the U.S. cavalry to shame. Sending his scouts ahead -- men such as Seamus Donegan and the legendary Yellowstone Kelly -- Sheridan will march his armies north into the valley of the Red Fork of the Crazy Woman Creek...and into a battle that will prove as brutal and bitter as the killing winter winds.

  Last Bull “Ledger”: Facing soldiers at Powder River Fight (Courtesy American Museum of Natural History)

  Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie in the mid-1870s (Courtesy University of Oklahoma Western History Collections)

  High Bull “Victory Roster”: Little Sun striking two Shoshone: roster captured from Sgt. Brown, 7th U.S. Cavalry, at the Little Bighorn (Courtesy National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution)

  BOOKS BY TERRY C. JOHNSTON

  Cry of the Hawk

  Winter Rain

  Dream Catcher

  Carry the Wind

  BorderLords

  One-Eyed Dream

  Dance on the Wind

  Buffalo Palace

  Crack in the Sky

  Ride the Moon Down

  Death Rattle

  Wind Walker

  SONS OF THE PLAINS NOVELS

  Long Winter Gone

  Seize the Sky

  Whisper of the Wolf

  THE PLAINSMEN NOVELS

  Sioux Dawn

  Red Cloud’s Revenge

  The Stalkers

  Black Sun

  Devil’s Backbone

  Shadow Riders

  Dying Thunder

  Blood Song

  Reap the Whirlwind

  Trumpet on the Land

  A Cold Day in Hell

  Wolf Mountain Moon

  Ashes of Heaven

  Cries from the Earth

  Lay the Mountains Low

  with admiration and appreciation

  I dedicate this novel to

  Ken and Cheri Graves

  of the Red Fork Ranch,

  and to

  Mike Freidel

  of Vermillion, South Dakota,

  who all three graciously opened up their

  hearts and their homes and allowed me to spend

  the better part of a day moving across the

  historic Dull Knife Battlefield

  as few have since that dramatic battle:

  from horseback.

  Cast of Characters Seamus Donegan Samantha Donegan

  Military

  Lieutenant General Philip H. Sheridan—Division of the Missouri

  Brigadier General George C. Crook—Department of the Platte

  Colonel William B. Hazen—commanding Sixth U.S. Infantry, Fort Buford, D.T.

  Colonel Nelson A. Miles—commanding Fifth U.S. Infantry, Tongue River Cantonment, M.T.

  Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie—Fourth U.S. Cavalry, commanding cavalry wing, Powder River Expedition (brevet BRIGADIER GENERAL)

  Colonel Richard I. Dodge—Twenty-third Infantry, commanding infantry wing, Powder River Expedition

  Lieutenant Colonel Elwell S. Otis—Twenty-second U.S. Infantry (brevet BRIGADIER GENERAL)

  Lieutenant Colonel William P. Carlin—commandant at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, D.T., Seventeenth U.S. Infantry

  Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Whistler—Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Major George A. Gordon—Fifth U.S. Cavalry (Camp Robinson) (brevet COLONEL)

  Major Caleb H. Carlton—Third U.S. Cavalry, commanding at Fort Fetterman (brevet COLONEL)

  Major Edwin F. Townsend—Commanding Officer, Fort Laramie, W.T. (brevet COLONEL)

  Captain Andrew S. Burt—H Company, Ninth U.S. Infantry

  Captain Charles W. Miner—G Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Captain Malcolm McArthur—C Company, Seventeenth U.S. Infantry

  Captain Louis H. Sanger—G Company, Seventeenth U.S. Infantry (brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Mott Hooton—H Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Captain Augustus Randall—Quartermaster, Fifth U.S. Infantry, Tongue River Cantonment, M.T.

  Captain Wyllys Lyman—I Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Captain James S. Casey—A Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry (brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Andrew S. Bennett—B Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Captain Edmond Butler—C Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Captain Simon Snyder—F Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Captain Clarence B. Mauck—Fourth U.S. Cavalry (brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Alfred B. Taylor—Troop L., Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  Captain George M. (“Black Jack”) Randall—Chief of Scouts, Powder River Campaign Twenty-third Infantry (brevet MAJOR)

  Captain John Lee—D Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Captain Wirt Davis—F Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Captain William C. Hemphill—I Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Captain Henry W. Wessels—H Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  Captain Gerald Russell—K Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  Captain John M. Hamilton—H Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  Captain James “Teddy” Egan—K Troop, Second U.S. Cavalry

  Captain J. B. Campbell—Fourth U.S. Artillery battalion commander (brevet MAJOR)

  Captain John V. Furey—quartermaster, Powder River Expedition

  Captain Edwin Pollock—Ninth U.S. Infantry, commander of Reno Cantonment (brevet MAJOR)

  First Lieutenant John Bourke—Acting Assistant Adjutant General for Expedition

  First Lieutenant Walter S. Schuyler—aide-de-camp to General Crook

  First Lieutenant Oskaloosa M. Smith—H Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry (Battalion Adjutant)

  First Lieutenant William Conway—H Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  First Lieutenant Benjamin C. Lockwood—G Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  First Lieutenant Mason Carter—K Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry (brevet CAPTAIN)

  First Lieutenant Theodore F. Forbes—G Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  First Lieutenant Robert McDonald—D Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  First Lieutenant William Philo Clark—I Troop, Second Cavalry, aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Crook

  First Lieutenant Henry W. Lawton—Fourth U.S. Cavalry, campaign Quartermaster for the cavalry (brevet CAPTAIN)

  First Lieutenant Charles M. Callahan—B Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  First Lieutenant John A. McKinney—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  First Lieutenant Oscar Elting—Troop K, Third U.S. Cavalry (acting agent at Red Cloud Agency after 31 June)

  First Lieutenant Charles Rockwell—Fifth U.S. Cavalry, expedition commissary officer

  Second Lieutenant Alfred C. Sharpe—Company H, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant William H. Kell—Company K, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant James D. Nickerson—C Company, Seventeenth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant Frank S. Hinkle—Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant Hobart K. Bailey—Fifth U.S. Infantry, aide-de-camp to Colonel Miles

  Second Lieutenant James Worden Pope—E Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant David Q. Rousseau—H Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant W
illiam H. S. Bowen—Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant James H. Whitten—Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Second Lieutenant Joseph H. Dorst—Fourth U.S. Cavalry, Regimental Adjutant

  Second Lieutenant J. W. Martin—B Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant J. Wesley Rosenquest—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant Harrison G. Otis—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant Homer W. Wheeler—G Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant Hayden Delaney—Ninth U.S. Infantry

  Lieutenant Henry Allison—Second U.S. Cavalry

  Lieutenant O. L. Wieting—Twenty-third Infantry

  First Sergeant Thomas H. Forsyth—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  First Sergeant James Turpin—L Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  First Sergeant James S. McClellan—H Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  Sergeant Patrick Kelly—F Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Sergeant William Hathaway—H Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry

  Sergeant Frank Murray—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Sergeant Joseph Sudsberger—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  †Sergeant Robert W. McPhelan—E Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Corporal William J. Linn—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  †Private John Geyer—I Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Private William Earl Smith—Fourth U.S. Cavalry, expedition orderly to Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie

  Private Edward Wilson—F Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Private Thomas Ryan—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Private Jonathan Kline—G Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  Trumpeter Richard Hicks—K Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  Charles T. Gibson—Acting Assistant Surgeon, Glendive Cantonment

  Joseph R. Gibson—chief medical officer, Powder River Expedition

  L.A. LaGarde—army surgeon, Powder River Expedition

  Marshall W. Wood—assistant army surgeon, Powder River Expedition

  Civilian

  Elizabeth Burt

  Martha Luhn

  Nettie Capron

  Maynard Collins—trader at Fort Laramie

  Johnny Bruguier (“Big Leggings”)

  John B. Sharpe—wagon-master, Powder River Expedition

  Tom Moore—pack-master of the Powder River Expedition mule train

  Jerry Roche—reporter, New York Herald

  Army Scouts

  Frank Grouard (“The Grabber”)

  Billy Hunter—half-breed guide with the Pawnee Battalion

  Billy Garnett—interpreter with the Powder River Expedition

  Robert Jackson—Glendive Cantonment

  William Jackson—Tongue River Cantonment

  Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly—Tongue River Cantonment

  Victor Smith—Glendive Cantonment

  Billy Cross—Tongue River Cantonment

  Joe Culbertson—interpreter, scout with Miles

  Todd Randall—squawman with Sioux wife among Red Cloud’s people

  George Boyd—Tongue River Cantonment

  John “Liver-Eating” Johnston—Tongue River Cantonment

  Tom LeForge—Tongue River Cantonment

  Major Frank North—commanding, Pawnee Battlion

  Captain Luther North—second in command, Pawnee Battlion

  Lieutenant S. E. Cushing—Pawnee Battalion

  Tom Cosgrove—commanding Shoshone battalion

  Yancy Eckles—second in command, Shoshone battalion

  Baptiste Pourier (“Big Bat”)

  Bill Rowland (“Long Knife”)—Cheyenne squawman, interpreter for Powder River Expedition

  “Old” Bill Hamilton—scout on Powder River Expedition

  Lakota White Bull Sitting Bull One Horn Gall Long Feather Bear’s Face No Neck Red Skirt High Bear Jumping Bull Fire-What-Man Bull Eagle Black Eagle Rising Sun Small Bear Standing Bear Spotted Elk Red Cloud Pretty Bear Yellow Eagle John Sans Arc Red Shirt Jackass Three Bears Feathers on the Head Spotted Tail

  Arikara/Ree Bear Plume White Antelope

  Cheyenne

  “Tse-tsehese-staeste”

  “Those Who Are Hearted Alike” Crow Split Nose Last Bull Sits in the Night Morning Star Little Wolf Old Bear Young Two Moon Beaver Claws Wolf Tooth Brave Bear Wooden Leg Left Handed Wolf Beaver Dam Gypsum Hail Crow Necklace High Wolf Brave Wolf Black White Man Working Man Buffalo Calf Woman Braided Locks Black Hairy Dog Coal Bear Box Elder Medicine Top Spotted Blackbird Wrapped Hair Yellow Eagle Turtle Road Medicine Bear Long Jaw at ambush ravine: Curly Little Hawk Strange Owl Bull Hump Bobtail Horse Little Shield Two Bull High Bull Burns Red in the Sun Walking Calf Hawk’s Visit Four Sacred Spirits Old Bull Antelope Buffalo Chief Two Bulls Wooden Nose Charging Bear Tall Sioux Dog White Frog with Little Wolf at mouth of the ravine: White Frog Two Bulls Bald-Faced Bull Walking Whirlwind Comes Together Yellow Nose White Horse Big Horse Little Horse Beaver Heart Big Head Walks Last White Buffalo Young Turkey Leg Sitting Bear Fox Stops in a Hurry Cheyenne scouts and in-laws with Bill Rowland: Colonel Hard Robe Roan Bear Little Fish Old Crow Cut Nose Satchel/Wolf Satchel Hard Robe Bird Blown Away

  Pawnee Ralph Weeks Frank White Peter Headman (“Boy Chief” / Pe-isk-le-shar) Rus Roberts

  Shoshone Dick Washakie Anzi

  Arapaho Sharp Nose Old Eagle Six Feathers Little Fork White Horse William Friday—interpreter

  Casualties

  Spring Creek Encounter:

  Private John Donahoe—G Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry (wounded)

  Sergeant Robert Anderson—G Company, Twenty-second U.S. Infantry (wounded)

  Private Francis Marriaggi—G Company, Seventeenth U.S. Infantry (wounded)

  Cedar Creek Encounter:

  Private John Geyer—I Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry (wounded)

  Sergeant Robert W. Phelan—E Company, Fifth U.S. Infantry

  Dull Knife Battle:

  *First Lieutenant John A. McKinney—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  *Corporal Patrick F. Ryan—D Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  *Private John Sullivan—B Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry (only soldier scalped in the battle)

  *Private James Baird—D Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry (only soldier buried on battlefield)

  *Private Alexander Keller—E Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  *Private John Menges—H Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry

  *Private Alexander McFarland—L Troop, Fifth U.S. Cavalry (died on November 28 of his wounds)

  †First Sergeant Thomas H. Forsyth—M Troop, Fourth U.S. Cavalry

  †Sergeant James Cunningham—H Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  †Private Philip Holden—H Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  †Private George Talmadge—H Troop, Third U.S. Cavalry

  * dead

  † wounded

  The fact of the case is the operations of Generals Terry and Crook will not bear criticism, and my only thought has been to let them sleep. I approved what was done, for the sake of the troops, but in doing so, I was not approving much, as you know.

  —Lieutenant General Philip H. Sheridan

  (to General Wm. T. Sherman)

  The [Battle of Cedar Creek] was no more bloody or decisive than the fight with Otis a week earlier, but it afforded Miles the chance to maneuver an entire regiment and laid the groundwork for much self-congratulation.

  —Robert M. Utley

  The Lance and the Shield

  The encounter [at Cedar Creek] between the colonel [Miles] and chief [Sitting Bull] is one of the most striking episodes in the Indian Wars. It is as replete with imperious demands and arrogant challenges to combat as any knightly tale …

  —Fairfax Downey

  Indian Fighting Army

  Neither the wild tribes, nor the Government Indian Scouts ever adopted any of the white soldiers’ tactics. They thought their own much better.

  —Captain Luther H. North

  Pawnee Battalion

  The noble r
ed man is not a fool. He is a cunning nomad, who hates civilization, and knows how to get all out of it that pleases him—whiskey, tobacco, rations and blankets, idleness in peace and a rattling fight whenever he is ready for it. And when he is beaten he returns to the arms of his guardians on the reservation, bringing his store of white scalps with him as pleasing memorials of the good time he had.

  It is time to stop all that. The continent is getting too crowded.

  —Editorial

  New York Herald

  This expedition was one of the best equipped that ever started on an Indian campaign … [The Cheyenne] were foemen worthy of Mackenzie’s or anybody else’s steel. The battle which ensued was in some respects one of the most terrible in Western history, and in its results exemplified, as few others have done, the horrible character of war.

  —Cyrus Townsend Brady

  Indian Fights and Fighters

  Never again would Northern Cheyenne material culture reach the heights of richness and splendor that the people knew before that bitter day in the Big Horns.

  —Peter J. Powell

  Sweet Medicine

  Foreword

  At the beginning of some chapters and some scenes, you will read the very same news stories devoured by the officers’ wives and the civilians employed at army posts or those living in adjacent frontier settlements—just what Samantha Donegan herself read—stories taken from the front page of the daily newspapers that arrived as much as a week or more late, that delay due to the wilderness distances to be traveled by freight carriers.

  Copied verbatim, word for word, from the headlines and graphic accounts of the day, remember as you read that these newspaper stories were the only news available for those people who had a most personal stake in the army’s last great campaign—those people who had tearfully watched a loved one march off to war that autumn of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

  By starting some chapters and scenes with an article taken right out of the day’s international, national, and regional headlines, I hope that you will be struck with the immediacy of each day’s front page as you finish reading that day’s news—just as Samantha Donegan would have been from her relative safety at Fort Laramie. But, unlike her and the rest of those left behind who would have to live out the days and weeks in apprehension and fear because the frontier was often terrifyingly bereft of reliable news, you will then find yourself thrust back into the historical action of an army once more marching into the teeth of a high plains winter—this time to finish what it had begun nine months before in the trampled snow along the Powder River.