850 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [kth.ass.14 



As the local ageuts had declared the situation beyond their control, 

 the War Department was at last called mi and responded. On Novem- 

 ber 13 the President had directed the Secretary of War to assume a 

 military responsibility to prevent an outbreak (G.D.,30), and on 

 November 17 troops, under command of General John R. Brooke, 

 were ordered to the front. The general plan of the campaign was 

 under the direction of General Nelson A. Miles, in command of the 

 military department of the Missouri. On November 111 the first troops 

 arrived at Pine Ridge from Fort Robinson, Nebraska, and were speed- 

 ily reinforced by others. Within a few days there were at l'iiic Ridge 

 agency, under immediate command of General Brooke, eight troops of 

 the Seventh cavalry, under Colonel Forsyth; a battalion of the Ninth 

 cavalry (colored), under Major Henry; a battalion of the Fifth artil- 

 lery, under Captain Capron, and a company of the Eighth infantry 

 and eight companies of the Second infantry, under Colonel Wheatou. 

 At Rosebud were two troops of the Ninth cavalry, with portions of 

 the Eighth and Twenty-first infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Poland. 

 Between Rosebud and Pine Ridge were stationed seven companies of 

 the First infantry, under Colonel Shatter. West and north of Pine 

 Ridge were stationed portions of the First, Second, and Ninth cavalry, 

 under command of Colonel Tilford and Lieutenant-Colonel Sauford. 

 Farther west, at Buffalo Gap, on the railroad, were stationed three 

 troops from the Fifth and Eighth cavalry, under Captain Wells. Far- 

 ther north on the railroad, at Rapid City, was Colonel Carr with six 

 troops of the Sixth cavalry. Along the south fork of Cheyenne river 

 Lieutenant-Colonel Offley took position with seven companies of the 

 Seventeenth infantry, and east of him was stationed Lieutenant-Col- 

 onel Sumner with three troops of the Eighth cavalry, two companies 

 of the Third infantry, and Lieutenant Robinson's company of Crow 

 Indian scouts. Small garrisons were also stationed at Forts Meade, 

 Bennett, and Sully. Most of the force was placed in position between 

 the Indians now gathering in the Bad Lands, under Short Bull and 

 Kicking Bear, and the scattered settlements nearest them. Seven 

 companies of the Seventh infantry, under Colouel Merriam, were also 

 placed along Cheyenne river to restrain the Indians of ( Jheyenne Liver 

 and Standing Lock reservations. In a short time there were nearly 

 3,000 troops in the field in the Sioux country. General Miles estab- 

 lished his headquarters at Rapid City, South Dakota, close to the cen- 

 ter of disturbance. (War, 6.) < >n December 1 the Secretary of the 

 Interior directed that the agents be instructed to obey and cooperate 

 with the military officers in all matters looking to the suppression of 

 an outbreak. ( G. !>., 31.) 



Upon the 6rs1 appearance of the troops a large number of Indians 

 of Rosebud and Pine Ridge, led by Short Bull, Kicking Bear, and 

 others, left their homes and fled to the rough broken country known as 

 the Bad Lands, northwesl of White river in South Dakota, on theedge 



