“And you’ll never get your hands on them,” Kelly admitted. “The rest of the tribe will protect them, harbor them.”
“Yellow-backed cowards,” the colonel fumed. “I don’t think I can trust one of your mercenaries now, Leforge.” Miles turned to Charles Dickey. “Captain, I’m hereby ordering you to disarm the remaining Crow scouts and send them packing.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Dickey. “Anything more?”
“I want you to dismount them, Captain—then I’m going to send those ponies to the Sioux, along with a few pounds of tobacco and my word that I had nothing to do with this. Yes—I’ll send those ponies back with a couple of the friendly Yankton couriers. By Jupiter—that ought to make the Crow think twice about pulling this kind of yellow-backed thing again.”
“General,” Leforge began to plead, “the rest of ’em ain’t to blame.”
“Did they stand and watch?”
Leforge shrugged. “I s’pose they did—”
“Did the rest of your goddamned Crow stop the murders?”
“No,” and he wagged his head.
“I can’t trust any bunch who will kill someone coming in under a flag of truce, Leforge,” said Miles. “I don’t want your Crow around here anymore.”
The squaw man said, “I’ll pull out in the morning.”
“No, not you,” Miles said. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“N-no, sir?”
“You’re staying right here, Leforge.”
“Why are you sending all the rest back to the agency and you’re keeping me here?” Leforge asked, his eyes filling with worry. “You making me your prisoner?”
“No, you knuckle-brained son of a bitch. You’re my guide, my tracker. Kelly knows what lies north of here, but you know more about this country south of the Yellowstone than any scout I’ve got on the payroll. Tomorrow I want you to pick two of the most trustworthy Crow you can find—then send the rest packing.”
“Just two, General?”
“Two, Leforge. That’s all. So, believe me, I’m going to get my money’s worth out of
“You’re really keeping me on to scout for you?”
Miles pointed a big finger at the squaw man. “Damn right I am. While you might not be my prisoner—I do in a way consider you my hostage.”
“H-hostage?”
Miles went on. “You brought those Crow here, squaw man. Those Crow probably just killed any chance I ever had of getting the rest of the Sioux to surrender to me. Not to Crook, but to
“South?”
This time Miles turned to his chief of scouts, asking, “That’s where the hell those Sioux came from, wasn’t it, Kelly?”
Luther nodded, grim-lipped as he answered, “South, General. Probably camped along the Tongue.”
The colonel slowly leaned onto his desk, rising out of his canvas chair. “And Mr. Leforge here is going to make up for the murder of those five peaceful Sioux by leading me up the Tongue after the one Sioux warrior we all know won’t ever give up and make peace.”
“C-crazy Horse?” asked Leforge.
“Goddamned right,” Miles grumbled. “If those Sioux don’t accept my offer of peace after what your Crows did, Leforge—you’re gonna be the one who takes me right into the lap of Crazy Horse himself.”
*Hanging Woman Creek, site of present-day Birney, Montana.
*Also known as Fat on the Beef in historical literature.
†Sometimes referred to as Lame Red Skirt.
*Arikara, or Ree, Indians from the Upper Missouri country.
*The Crow, or Absaraka, tribe.
Chapter 15
17 December 1876
BY TELEGRAPH
Steamers Crushed in the Ice at St. Louis
Etc., Etc., Etc.
MISSOURI
Ice Jam at St. Louis—Steamers Caught and Crushed.
ST. LOUIS, December 11.—A reporter lately up from the arsenal gives these additional particulars of the destruction of steamers this month. It appears that nearly all the boats of the Keokuk Northern line were in winter quarters near the arsenal and supposed to be secure from damage. When the ice started these steamers were forced from their moorings and carried down stream. The War Eagle and Golden Eagle, two large and valuable boats, were forced on shore opposite the arsenal wall in such a manner as to block the passage, and the other boats crowded and caused a complete jam. … At 2 P.M. the ice again moved, crushing the boats still closer together, and doing additional damage. Again at 4 P.M. there was another movement of ice which pressed against the boats with terrific power and forced them still farther down, crushing guards, upper decks and wheels and doing great damage…. The hull of the Mitchell was stove in and she filled, but her position prevented her from settling to the bottom.
Headquarters Cantonment at Tongue River
December 17, 1876
To
Philip H. Sheridan
Assistant Adjutant General
Department of Dakota
Saint Paul, Minn.
Sir:
I have to report the occurrence of an unfortunate affair at this place, yesterday….
Those killed were believed to be Bull Eagle, Tall Bull, Red Horse, Red Cloth, and one other prominent Chief of the Sioux nation. I am unable to state the object of Bull Eagle’s coming, but am satisfied he came with the best of motives. I can only judge from the following: When he surrendered on the Yellowstone, after the engagement on Cedar Creek, he was the first to respond to my demands, and, I believe, was largely instrumental in bringing his
