The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke Volume 1: November 20, 1872--July 28, 1876

Chapter 13 • The Powder River Fight

245 March 16th. Nothing eventful last night. Slept very comfortably[.] Our animals enjoyed very superior grazing on the foot-hills overlooking camp. Breakfasted at 5 a.m. this morning under a clear bright sky filled with bright stars. Mercury standing at 7 a.m. at (-8º F.) Broke camp at 8 a.m., moving Eastwardly , up valley of Pumpkin Creek, a little stream which from hasty inspection, I should say is finely adapted for agricultural and pastoral purposes. Fine grasses covered the lower hills, leaving the higher elevations to the possession of juniper and pine forests: country this morning reminded me somewhat of the Black Hills of Dacotah. After a march of 18 miles came down into valley of Otter Creek, a tributary of Tongue River. Guides saw and pursued two mounted Indians who escaped. General Crook halted command, made coffee, issued one day’s rations to men and a feed of grain to horses and ordered (6) companies, three of each Regiment, to follow train under General Reynolds: and to await the approach of remainder of command on Powder river. Day has been very blustering and chilly: keen freeze blowing and snow clouds lowering over us. About 5.20 P.M., commenced our march following train up branch of Otter or Pumpkin Creek to Chapter 13 ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ The Powder River Fight 246 THE GREAT SIOUX WAR: 1876–1877 its head and then across [the] divide into valley of Big Powder river, which we could discern about 2.30 or 3 a.m. This night was especially severe in temperature, wind blowing keenly all the time and snow falling spasmodically. Frank Gruard, our Kanaka1 guide discovered wonderful discernment in his calling, leading the column with the accuracy of a bird, and following like a hound the tracks of the two young Indians our guides had come upon so suddenly in the morning. Accustomed as I have been to the powerful keen[n]ess of vision and capacity as trailers of the Apache Indians of Arizona, there was nothing remarkable in Gruard’s success, except the development of such wonderful knowledge of country in one not native to it and who had been obliged to familiarize himself with its topography when travelling through it as a prisoner in the hands of the Sioux. About this time, we had advanced so far and the night was so nearly spent, (it was about 2.30 a.m.) it was thought best to conceal ourselves in some convenient ravine and let Frank Gruard and one or two picked men scour the country for any trails leading to villages. General Crook is convinced that Sitting Bull and the other hostile chiefs will be found encamped somewhere about the confluence of the Big and Little Powder; hence our cautiousness. A dry ravine was soon reached and in this we took our places in line, enduring great suffering from the intense frigidity of the atmosphere, and the impossibility of taking adequate exercise to restore the circulation in our benumbed limbs. (Men in this ravine became drowsy from excessive cold: officers had to kick and shake them to keep them awake and save them from freezing to death—Interpolated April 22d. 1878) Our poor horses were more patient than we, but had to undergo much suffering, not only from the cold but also from straining themselves in climbing up and sliding down the glassy acclivities and declivities on our line of travel. Little gulches, insignificant crevices in the surface, even when not more than 3 or 4 feet deep, stopped our march for several minutes until an examination would reveal where a passage was feasible without incurring the risk of breaking our animals’ necks. An almost inexcusable oversight in the organization of our column is the absence of anything like a corps of pioneers: if the men 1. Native Polynesian. THE POWDER RIVER FIGHT 247 of the advanced guard were provided with hatchets, suspended from saddle-bow, a few moment’s work would suffice to reduce grades, clear away ice from steep trails or cut ramps down river banks to let our horses reach the water conveniently. It may be well to remark here that one of the most grievous privations of our stock has been the great dearth of water; the Ice King has set his seal upon the rivers and we cannot remove it. Many places on Tongue River have ice between two and three...