360 GENERAL MILES ATTACKS THE INDIANS. 



left on the road, as they could not keep up, when the Indians 

 got them. 



On one occasion the General had started with a party of 

 ladies to the Yellowstone Park, three or four officers and an 

 escort going with them, and while on their way some of his 

 Indian scouts met him, and told him that a war-party of Sioux 

 under a noted chief was only about a day's ride from where they 

 then were, returning from a raid. A consultation was held, 

 and the General decided to send the ladies to Fort Ellis in 

 charge of a corporal and two men, and to go himself with the 

 remainder of the escort in pursuit of the war-party, sending for 

 help from Ellis. The distance to the fort was sixty miles, and 

 the ladies were in despair, doing all they could to alter his 

 decision, but to no purpose, as they were at once sent off, the 

 General and his party, consisting of thirty-seven men all told, 

 going in the opposite direction. The scouts represented the 

 " hostiles " as being about one hundred and thirty warriors, 

 though they were not at all sure of this, and recommended 

 waiting for reinforcements from Ellis; but this the General 

 would not hear of, so they pushed on, and were close to the 

 camp by night. The plan of attack was -that a Captain Bennett 

 should take one half of the men round .to .the opposite side, and 

 that at the report of a pistol they should all close in, no pri- 

 soners being taken. This was carried out and a furious fight 

 ensued, the Indians, though surprised, fighting well, and it 

 ended in most of the Sioux being killed, a few escaping in the 

 dark. On the side of the troops, though several men were 

 wounded, there was only one man killed, the first shot fired by 

 the Indians hitting Captain Bennett in the forehead, killing him 

 so instantaneously, that the cigar he was smoking lay close to 



