Trumpet on the Land: The Aftermath of Custer's Massacre, 1876

Marched from Heart River passing a great many trails of Indians going down all of the different streams we crossed between Heart River and this point … Although some of the trails seemed fresh our animals were not in condition to pursue them.

From the North Fork of the Grand River, I sent Captain Mills of the Third Cavalry, with 150 men mounted on our strongest horses, to go in advance to Deadwood and procure supplies of provisions.

On the evening of the 8th he discovered near the Slim Buttes a village of thirty odd lodges and lay there that night and attacked them by surprise yesterday morning, capturing the village, some prisoners and a number of ponies and killing some Indians. Among the Indians was chief American Horse, who died of his wounds after surrendering to us …

In the village were found, besides great quantities of dried meat and ammunition, an army guidon, portions of officers uniforms and other indications that the Indians of the village had participated in the Custer massacre.

Our main column got up about noon that day and was shortly after attacked by a considerable body of Indians, who, the prisoners said belonged to the village of Crazy Horse … The attack was undoubtedly made under the supposition that Captain Mills’s command had received no reinforcements.

The prisoners further stated that most of the hostile Indians were now going into the agencies, with the exception of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull with their immediate followers. Crazy Horse intended to remain near the headwaters of the Little Missouri and about one half of Sitting Bull’s band … had gone north of the Yellowstone … with some Sans Arcs, Minneconjous and Incappas had gone to the vicinity of Antelope Buttes, there to fatten their ponies and trade with the Rees and others …

We had a very severe march here from Heart River. For eighty consecutive miles we did not have a particle of wood; nothing but a little dried grass … During the greater portion of the time were drenched by cold rains which made traveling very heavy. A great many of the animals gave out and had to be abandoned. The others are now in such a weak condition that the greater number of them will not be able to resume the campaign until after a reasonable rest.

I should like to have about five hundred horses, preferably the half breed horses raised on the Laramie plains or in the vicinity of Denver and already acclimated to this country.

I intend to carry out the programme mentioned in my last dispatch … and shall remain in the vicinity of Deadwood until the arrival of my wagon train.

George Crook

Brigadier General

W ith every painful southbound step of that Sunday’s march John Finerty wished with all his soul that he was back among the prostitutes and whiskey mills of old Chicago.

It mattered little to any of them anymore that the hostiles’ trails all appeared to be headed south, gradually inching off to the east in order to skirt around the Black Hills settlements, still seventy miles or more to the south, making for the agencies now that the weather had turned colder, gloomier, wetter. Crook’s infantry staggered along both flanks, and the horses plodded in loose formation all morning, pairs of men talking over the fight and dreaming back to that feast they had enjoyed. None of them sure just where they would find their next meal. Knowing only that what dried meat was left after the troops had gorged themselves had been packed on Tom Moore’s mules and ruled off limits.

“They’re keeping it safe for the wounded,” Bourke explained once the Fifty Cavalry caught up with the rear end of the march.

“And the rest of us?” Finerty asked.

“Why, Johnny,” Donegan cheered, his face grimed with gunpowder from that morning’s rear guard clash, “we’ll be dining on horse again tonight!”

The prospect failed to make the newsman’s mouth water.

For the better part of the forenoon more than fifty warriors dogged the retreat of the Fifth Cavalry, then harassed the rear of the column’s line of march, hoping to pick off stragglers and capture any horses the white men might abandon. But in the end even they turned back, and the hillsides eventually grew quiet.

Crook had his prize: a village captured and destroyed, as well as driving off repeated counterattacks. He had as spoils some two hundred ponies, representing half of the hostiles’ herd. What animals he hadn’t put into service for his cavalry he had his men kill. Of the seven captives three chose to march with the soldiers, saying they would remain with Three Stars until the soldier chief reached the agencies. With very little left of what was originally estimated as more than three tons of dried meat Mills had discovered in the enemy camp, the general had no other choice but to push on for the settlements. That, and brood on what he might do now to make his slim victory count for something.