Where can I find any information about the skirmish that happened near/on this butte?

I've heard stories about a mule taking off with the howitzer, that is why the soldiers ended up on top of it.

Thanks,
Keith

Not sure of this incident but must have been during Miles encounter with Sitting Bull on Cedar Creek October 1876.

Thanks, do you know where I could read what sufficed as the "After Action Report" from that engagement?

I know that engagement started at the divide on Big Sheep Mountain and they had a running battle all the way down to the Yellowstone.

People were a lot tougher back then, I imagine that a normal ride from the Yellowstone to Big Sheep was an arduous trip, let alone trying to keep your hair on your head and having bullets flying all around you.

Ike,
Baldwin's fight is listed as a Prairie County incident. Do you know the location? Two of the Germaine sisters were recovered from the Cheyenne.

OP,
There is a Hedren authored book that chronicles campaigns. I believe Cedar Creek is covered in it.

A good account with maps is in Jerome A Greene's YELLOWSTONE COMMAND. The 5th Infantry were by and large foot soldiers not cavalry.

The Germaine sisters were rescued in 1874 more on the southern plains. Then Lt Frank Baldwin had a storied Indian war service. There is much info on him and his time as well as exploits at Fort Keogh.

I think there were four Germaine sisters. Baldwin recovered the two younger ones somewhere in Prairie Co. and they were taken back to one of the forts. I believe it was Miles that had a photo taken of them once their condition improved. He used it with a note on the back to get a message to the older sisters. The older ones were eventually recovered also. They said the photo note had given them hope because they did not think anyone was looking for them. I once did some research on captives that were recovered but the details are extremely fuzzy now. I only remember the photograph part & thinking it smart.

Cindy,

Yes, there were 4 Germaine girls taken captive. Julie and Addie were the ones rescued by Lt Frank Baldwin and party November 1874 from the Southern Cheyenne's in Texas, not Montana. Lt Baldwin was awarded the CMH for this action, his second such award as the other was during the CW. Catherine and Sophia were later released by I believe the Kiowa.

Thanks, Ike. I knew you would know.

Thanks Cindy for the kind words. Off this topic, but for anyone interested, The story of the capture by the Comanches and life of Cynthia Ann Parker, mother of Quanah is one of the most interesting of any white girl's captivity. For a quick read Google Cynthia Ann Parker. This would be old news for you but may be of interest for some.

Yes that is an amazing story.
Another people may not know of is Olive Oatman's. She was well known in her time because of her Mojave face tatoo.

Since this has turned into a discussion on captivities, Margaret Box Brunson who was captured by the Kiowa in Texas in 1866, lived in Garfield County and died in Terry in 1920. She has family still living in the area.

Thanks for sharing. Wonder if she left any written account of her captivity. Other than the Minnesota uprising of 1862, seems the northern plains tribes did not take white women captive. Unlike their southern plains brethren where such practice was common.

Jack,
Intersting about Mrs. Brunson, have you written about her?

Ike,
I would have to look up specifics, but Spotted Elk & White Cloud each ended up with a Richard sister. I think they were recovered on the Tongue or Rosebud. They claimed some other Sioux killed the male Richard family members and sold each girl as wife to the chiefs. The recovery included reimbursement for ponies paid.

Cindy,

Please look it up and post details with reference in re the Richard sisters and Spotted Elk & White Cloud. Very interested, as unknown to me. Thanks in advance.

Ike & Jack,
I found statement made by Mrs. Box that had been transcribed from NARA files. The reference was at the littlebighorn.info under Satana, Kiowa chief. I copied it and will send a PDF to your emails. It is rather long to post here.


Ike,
The Richard sisters are written about in the book "The Great Sioux Nation" by Frederic Malon Hans.

The Richard family moved to the prairie to ranch. The mother stayed in St Paul with plans to join them in two months. Bertha age 17 & Mary Richard age 21 were taken from their family's ranch cabin on Heart River on Dakota prairie (about 75 miles west of Ft Lincoln) after death of her father F.D. Richard & 3 brothers Jerry, Mark, & William at hands of 7 Sioux warriors. They had been preparing a meal to share with the Sioux. This was July 14,1876.

The mother came out three weeks later and discovered the bodies of the dead. Troops from Ft Lincoln buried them.

The author Mr. Hans was a hand at finding & recovering women captives. He recovered 17 that had been taken from border settlements. He had been part of treaty negotiations and was known to many chiefs. He traveled from Indian camp to camp with lists of names & photographs of white captives in his pocket.

He found a girl whose photo he had--Bertha in Spotted Elk's camp July 30, 1877 on Powder River, specifically as one of his 4 wives. He had paid value in gold $200 of 12 ponies. The previous purchase price from Red Bird a month earlier. Spotted Elk was very reluctant to part with Bertha. So Mans threatened him with Miles who was developing Ft Keogh 60 miles away and Ft Custer troops 100 miles away. Told the chief his entire group would be wiped out so best to take the gold in exchange for the girl and information on location of her sister.

Bertha insisted on traveling to White Cloud's camp to find her sister Mary. It was at Beaver Creek but had moved to the Little Missouri by the time they arrived. He negotiated for Mary with White Cloud who was subordinate chief to Spotted Elk by telling him the more senior chief had told him where to find him. Plus threatened him with the cavalry troops also. He gave 8 ponies for Mary.

He traded with his friend Brave Wolf for 9 ponies with promise of $150 gold after he returned to Ft Lincoln. Mary rode one of the ponies & both girls were returned to Ft Lincoln to their mother the first week of August 1877. They were held more than a year.

Thank you so much Cindy!! That is why you are the geneaology Quenn of MC.Com. The old adage, "you are never to old to learn" is sure true in this case.