Instructions were issued to General Terry that if the hostiles should reach the park and cross into the Big Horn country, on the passes of the Stinkingwater, Colonel Miles should be ordered to attack them. The Indians made an attack upon General Howard at Camp Meadow, near Lake Henry, capturing some one hundred horses, one third of which were, however, retaken after the battle, in which General Howard lost one man killed and seven wounded. On the 27th of August, the Nez Percés crossed the Yellowstone above the falls, at the upper end of a cañon in the National Park, on their way to Wind River.

Colonel Sturgis was directed to leave the Crow agency for the Clark River Valley to capture the Nez Percés. On the 13th of September be had a battle with them on Cañon Creek, Clark's Fork, near the Yellowstone, in which but few men were killed and wounded, but the Indians lost heavily in men and ponies. The Indians were evidently making for the Judith Mountain, with Sturgis and Sanford in pursuit, followed by General Howard. They crossed the Missouri River at Cow Island on the 23d September, and entered the pass between Bear's Paw and the Little Rocky Mountains on the 28th, carrying many wounded, On the route from the Yellowstone to the Missouri River, the Nez Percés encountered the Crow scouts, who made a sudden charge upon them, capturing large numbers of their ponies and mules, as well as killing and wounding many of their men. General Miles, who had been ordered to intercept, did not strike their trail till they had crossed the Missouri. As the hostile Nez Percés were coming out of the Bear's Paw Mountains, on the 3d of October, General Miles moved his command rapidly to Snake Creek, met, and surprised their camp at eight o'clock in the morning, capturing about six hundred horses, mules, and ponies. This engagement was the severest blow the Indians had yet received. Besides the loss of their horses, they lost seventeen killed, including LookingGlass and Joseph's brother and three other chiefs, and forty wounded. After this day's battle Joseph resorted to diplomacy, and gave his solemn pledge that he would surrender, but did not do so, evidently waiting for aid from other Indians. This failing him, and General Miles renewing the attack the next day, he was compelled to end the long and severe struggle on the 5th of October by an unconditional surrender of all his forces.

Upon the capture of Joseph and his Indians, the first question that arises is, "What shall be done with them?" Humanity prompts us to send them back and place them on the Nez Percé reservation, as Joseph and his followers have shown themselves to be brave men and skillful soldiers, who, with one exception, have observed the rules of civilized warfare, and have not mutilated their dead enemies.

There is, however, an insuperable difficulty in the way, owing to the fact that at the beginning of the outbreak of the Nez Percé war, twentyone whites in the immediate vicinity of Joseph's home were murdered in cold blood by the Indians, and six white women were outraged. Because of these crimes, there would be no peace nor safety for Joseph and his Indians on their old reservation, or in its vicinity, as the friends and relatives of the victims would wage an unrelenting war upon the offenders. But for these foul crimes these Indians would be sent back to the reservation in Idaho. Now, however, they will have to be sent to the Indian Territory; and this will be no hardship to them, as the difference in the temperature between that latitude and their old home is inconsiderable. The gallant achievement of General Miles in the capture of these Indians has had a decided and beneficial influence on other hostile tribes. It is mainly owing to this influence that the Sioux have quietly assented to the removal they before refused to make.

THE SIOUX WAR.

The causes which led in February, 1876, to a military campaign against that portion of the Sioux Nation, known as the non-treaty Sioux, or followers of Sitting Bull, were fully detailed in the last annual report of this office,* as also the fact that after the opening of hostilities they received large accessions to their number from the agency Sioux. This report showed that such desertions were largely due to the uneasiness which the Indians had long felt on account of the infraction of treaty stipulations by the white invasion of the Black Hills, seriously aggravated at the most critical period by irregular and insufficient issues of rations, necessitated by inadequate and delayed appropriations.

Of this campaign a full and detailed account will of course be found in the reports of the honorable Secretary of War. It has, however, seemed to me proper to present herewith a brief outline of its principal events, in order that the records of the Indian Department may contain, at least, a summary of the most important Indian war of recent date, and one which has involved every interest of the largest tribe with which this office has to deal. The campaign was carried on for the most part in the region south of the Yellowstone, between the Big Horn and Powder Rivers, in Montana and Wyoming. It opened with an attack made upon an Indian camp on the Powder River, March 17th, 1876, by forces under General Crook, who had approached from the north by way of Forts Reno and Phil Kearney. After this attack the troops returned to Fort Fetterman, March 26th, and remained there until the last of May, when they again started out, pursuing the same route as before, and on June 17th engaged in an all-day fight with the hostiles near the head of the Rosebud, after which they went into camp, and General Crook sent for reinforcements, which arrived August 4th.

About the middle of May a force of about one thousand men under General Terry left Fort Abraham Lincoln and ascended the Yellowstone to the mouth of the Rosebud. There the Seventh Cavalry, numbering 600 men, commanded by General Custer, left General Terry with orders to proceed up the Rosebud and across to the Little Big Horn. General Terry then proceeded to the mouth of the Big Horn, where he was met by a body of 450 men under General Gibbon, which had marched from Fort Ellis down the Yellowstone. The combined forces ascended the Big Horn to the mouth of the Little Big Horn, which latter stream they also ascended, and arrived June 27th at a point about forty miles above its mouth. Here they found that two days previous the forces under General Custer had had an engagement on this ground with the hostiles, which bad resulted in the entire destruction of five companies under General Custer's immediate command; and that by their arrival the remaining seven companies, under Major Keno, had narrowly escaped sharing the same fate. The troops then returned to the mouth of the Big Horn, leaving behind 259 dead and carrying with them 53 wounded.

A month later, July 26th, at the request of Lieutenant-General Sheridan, the Interior Department conceded to the military the supervision of the Lower Brulé, Cheyenne River, and Standing Rock agencies; and military officers were made acting agents at the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies.

About the same time, General Terry, who had meanwhile received reenforcements, descended the Yellowstone to the Rosebud, and ascended the Rosebud 36 miles, where, August 10th, he joined General Crook. The

* A still further account of the same is contained in Senate Ex. Doc. No. 2, 1st sess. 44th Congress.

Indians, however, took this opportunity to escape in the direction of TongueRiver. The trail was followed down the Tongue, across to the Powder River, and down the Powder to its mouth. At this point, on August 25th, the two forces separated, General Terry going north of the Yellowstone to prevent escape in that direction. General Crook followed the trail southeast toward the Black Hills until it became so scattered as to be indistinguishable. During this pursuit, on September 14th, General Crook's advanced column surprised and attacked a village of thirty lodges near Slim Buttes, 180 miles from the Cheyenne River agency. This was followed up by an attack on his main column by the band of Crazy Horse. The troops then came into the vicinity of the Black Hills, and soon after assisted in disarming the agency Indians of Red Cloud and Spotted Tail. General Terry likewise disarmed and dismounted the Indians at Cheyenne River and Standing Rock.

The main body of the hostiles under Crazy Horse went in small companies toward the Yellowstone, near the Powder River, then up the Yellowstone to the Tongue River, and down that river to a point near Suicide Creek, where a winter camp was made in the heart of the buffalo country. This constituted the headquarters of the hostiles under Crazy Horse until March, 1877, when the camp removed to the Powder River. Another portion, under Sitting Bull, took a more northerly course toward the Yellowstone and Glendive Creek. The winter camp of this chief was about two hundred miles north of the Tongue River toward the Dry Fork of the Missouri. He seems to have made frequent trips between the camps for consultation and to distribute ammunition, which he obtained by trade with the Red River half-breeds near the British boundary.

On the 18th of October a large force under Sitting Bull attacked a supply-train near Glendive Creek, ran off sixty mules, and retreated across the Yellowstone in the direction of Fort Peck. This movement was anticipated by Colonel Miles, who, with troops belonging to the just-completed cantonment at the mouth of Tongue River, started to intercept them, and came upon their camp October 21. Under a flag of truce presented by the Indians, two councils were held with Sitting Bull and other leading men, at which the latter reiterated their old desire to be independent of the United States, their indifference to any government aid in the way of supplies and annuities, and their wish to be connected with agencies only to the extent of trading in ammunition; nor would they give any pledges of good faith. The second day's council was immediately followed by an engagement, in which the Indians were driven from their position and fled, closely pursued by the troops, a distance of 42 miles, until in the vicinity of Bad Route Creek, on the other side of the Yellowstone, the main body consisting of Minneconjoux and Sans Arcs, sued for peace on the terms which five days before they had rejected-unconditional surrender-and delivered up five of their number as hostages, viz, Red Skirt, White Bull, Black Eagle, Sun Rise, and Foolish Thunder. During the flight Sitting Bull, with his immediate followers, succeeded in breaking away to the left, and escaped in the direction of Fort Peck. The hostages were taken to the Cheyenne River agency, and their people, estimated at from four hundred to six hundred lodges, were placed, under the direction of Bull Eagle, Small Bear, and Bull, and ordered to reach the Cheyenne River agency not later than December 2, five days being allowed them to provide a supply of buffalo-meat, and thirty to make the march. This arrangement seems to have been made in good faith by some of the leading men taking part in it; but their influence over the others was

not great enough to prevent any but the immediate relatives of the hostages from again joining the hostile camp.

On the 15th of November a new expedition, under General Crook, started from Fort Fetterman to again follow up Crazy Horse. On the 25th of that month a detached camp of Cheyennes was struck by a portion of his troops under General Mackenzie, on the west fork of the Powder River, which resulted in the complete destruction of the village, and the loss to the Indians of all their ponies and camp equipage. The expedition then went down the Belle Fourche, and about the 1st of January returned to the cantonment, near Old Fort Reno.

On the 16th of December, five Sioux chiefs from the hostile camp on Tongue River, followed at a distance by twenty or thirty other Indians, approached the Tongue River post bearing the white flag; but while passing the camp of Crow scouts the five leaders were surrounded by twelve of their old enemies and instantly killed, whereupon their companions fled. The Crows were forthwith disarmed, and twelve of their horses, with other gifts, were immediately dispatched to the friends and relatives of those who had been killed. These presents were accompanied by assurances that no white man had taken part in the outrage. The Indians, though at first inclined to doubt the genuineness of these protestations, have since expressed their full belief that the troops were in no way responsible for the affair, and report their errand to have been to return some stolen horses.

After the surrender of October 27, Colonel Miles continued his operations against Sitting Bull. By sending three companies north of the Missouri and three others south, between the Muscle Shell and the Dry Fork of the Missouri, and four more to operate on the Dry Fork, he succeeded on the 18th of December in striking the hostile camp near the head of the Red Water, Sitting Bull having crossed the Missouri near Wolf Point. The Indians were driven south across the Yellowstone, and escaped with the loss of all their ponies and camp equipage. The next move was made by Colonel Miles on the camp of six hundred lodges, under Crazy Horse, in the valley of the Tongue River. They were found below Suicide or Hanging Woman's Creek, and after skirmishes on the 1st, 3d, and 7th of January, 1877, and a five-hours' engagement on the 8th, were driven from their position, but, owing to worn-out army trains, could not be followed. On the 7th of May, Colonel Miles surprised and attacked a village of fifty lodges, under Lame Deer, near the mouth of the Rosebud. The village was well supplied with ponies, camp equipage, and dried meat; all of which were captured. In July following, raids were made by members of Lame Deer's band on settlers, surveying parties, and wagon trains in the vicinity of the Belle Fourche and the boundary line of Wyoming.

On the 11th January, 1877, information was received from Inspector Walsh, commanding the detachment of mounted police at Cypress Hills, Canada, that one hundred and nine lodges of American Sioux had crossed the Canadian boundary near Wood Mountain, and were camped on the British side, and that they declared themselves to be desirous of peace and to have no intention of returning to the United States to carry on war. Later the number was reported to have been increased to over two hundred lodges, and they had been joined by Sitting Bull. On the 20th of June, 1877, the honorable Privy Council of Canada, with the approval of the governor-general, officially notified the United States Government of the presence of these Indians within the British Possessions, stating that owing to their destitute condition permits for the purchase of limited quantities of ammunition had been granted them,

but that their presence was a source of grave apprehension and anxiety on the part of both the Indian and white population of that part of Canada, and requesting the United States Government, without delay, to "take such steps as will induce these Indians, and any others who may similarly cross the boundary-line, to return to their reserves in the United States territory."

In accordance with this request a commission, consisting of General A. H. Terry and A. J. Lawrence, esq., was appointed by the President in September last to proceed to Fort Walsh and negotiate with Sitting Bull for his peaceful return to the United States and settlement at some agency. At the council held on the 17th of October, Sitting Bull and his chiefs declined all proposals made by the commission, and announced their desire and intention always to remain within the British Possessions. After the close of the council, the Canadian authorities conferred with the Indians, warning them that after the extinction of the buffalo no help whatever beyond protection could be expected from the British Government, and that a crossing of the line by any of their young men with hostile intent would be considered an act of hostility by both gov ernments. With this full understanding the Indians adhered to their former decision, and the commission returned, and Sitting Bull and his adherents are no longer considered wards of this government.

During the progress of the Sioux campaign, in the fall of 1876, small parties began to deliver themselves up at the different agencies, laying down their arms, with the declaration that they were "tired of war." Other parties who surrendered in the following spring so generally represented that sentiment to be shared by the main body of hostiles that the chief Spotted Tail agreed to visit in person the hostile camp, accompanied by 250 subchiefs and headmen, and urge the return of his people to their agency and allegiance. His return in April with a following of 1,100 attested the remarkable success of his mission; and for this eminent service, which virtually ended the Sioux war, and his unswerving loyalty throughout the whole campaign, some suitable testimonial should be tendered him.

In the following month most of the Cheyennes and 899 Indians under Crazy Horse surrendered at Red Cloud agency. Others found their way into the cantonment on Tongue River, and finally, in September last, Lame Deer's band of 500 gave up the contest.

THE SIOUX COMMISSION.

In the months of September and October, 1876, the various Sioux agencies were visited by a commission, appointed under act of August 15 of that year, to negotiate with the Sioux an agreement to surrender that portion of the Sioux reservation which included the Black Hills and certain hunting privileges outside that reserve guaranteed by the treaty of 1868; to grant a right of way across their reserve; and to provide for the removal of the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail agencies from Northwestern Nebraska to the Missouri River. The commission was also authorized to take steps to gain the consent of the Sioux to their removal to the Indian Territory.

From their report, which was published as an appendix to the last annual report of this office, it will be seen that the commission were successful in all the negotiations with which they were charged; and that the Indians made every concession that was desired by the government, although we were engaged at that very time in fighting their relatives and friends. On behalf of the United States, the agreement