OTIS, ELWELL STEPHEN. 



GIT 



ond, on duty at the lake posts on our northern fron- 

 tier, was ordered to the front in command of six 

 companies of the regiment. While passing down 

 the Yellowstone his command was attacked bv In- 

 dians near the mouth of Powder river. The troops- 

 were landed, and the enemy were driven into the 

 hills, their camp being burned. On Aug. 7. 1876, 

 Col. Otis joined Gen. Terry and marched with him 

 up the Rosebud to re-enforce the column of Gen. 

 Crook, finally taking post at Glendive, Mont. A 

 wagon train sent from that post, under an escort of 

 four companies of infantry, Oct. 10, 1876, was at- 

 tacked by a heavy force of Indians and compelled 

 to return to Glendive. Here Col. Otis reorganized 

 it, and with the addition of another company to the 

 escort set out in command to Tongue river. Fifteen 

 miles from the post a force of 1,000 Indians attacked 

 the little column of fewer than 300 men. and a run- 

 ning fight ensued, lasting all day. The Indians 

 tried every artifice of which they were masters to 

 break up the column encumbered with its wagon 

 trains, including setting fire to the grass, but with 

 no effect. The next morning the Sioux could be 

 seen gathered in large numbers on the left flank of 

 the column, and a runner was observed leaving a 

 communication on a hill to the front, whence it 

 was brought in by a scout. This was the letter : 



" YELLOWSTONE. 



" I want to know what you are doing traveling 

 on this road. You scare all the buffalo away. I 

 want to hunt in the place. I want you to turn back 

 from here. If you don't, I'll fight you again. I 

 want you to leave what you have here and turn 

 back from here. I am your friend, 



"SITTING BULL. 



" I mean all the rations you have got and some 

 powder. Wish you would write as soon as you 

 can." 



Col. Otis wrote to the effect that he had no in- 

 tention of turning back, and if the Indians wanted 

 another fight he was there to accommodate them. 

 The Indians gathered as for a fight, but thought 

 better of it and sent in a party under a flag of truce, 

 who, after some talk, decided that they had had 

 enough of Otis and preferred to surrender, which 

 they did. 



When, in 1881, it was decided to establish a school 

 of infantry and cavalry at Fort Leavenworth. Kan- 

 sas, Col. Otis was chosen to organize it, and he re- 

 mained in command of the school and the post of 

 Fort Leavenworth until 1885. The general is justly 

 proud of the work he did in establishing upon & 

 secure foundation this post-graduate school for 

 army officers. When relieved from the command 

 of the Leavenworth school he returned to the com- 

 mand of his regiment, the Twentieth Infantry, at 

 Fort Assiniboine, Montana. He also had command 

 of the post, one of the largest in the army, includ- 

 ing several companies of cavalry. On Oct. 1, 1890, 

 he was detailed for duty as superintendent of the re- 

 cruiting service, and on Nov. 28, 1893. was promoted 

 to the rank of brigadier general, passing over the 

 heads of officers of longer service. On Dec. 1 fol- 

 lowing Gen. Otis was ordered to duty in command 

 of the Department of the Columbia, with headquar- 

 ters at Vancouver, Wash. In taking leave of his regi- 

 ment he called attention to the fact that during the 

 fourteen years of his command he had never found 

 occasion to charge one of its officers with derelic- 

 tion of duty, a fact which testifies to the character 

 of the colonel as well as to that of the men he com- 

 manded. 



When, in 1896, the Secretary of War required the 

 assistance of an army officer for the important work 

 of revising the " Army Regulations," Gen. Otis was 

 ordered to Washington, and he spent several months 



