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Rh approached the camp in front. He reached a point very near the camp before the Indians discovered his presence. Little Thunder, the chief, came out and desired to have a council. Harney, who was not yet sure that his cavalry was in position, humored him for a time, until information came that the cavalry was ready. Then he told Little Thunder that he had come to fight him and that he should go at once and get ready for war. The chief flew back to his camp, Harney in hot pursuit with the infantry.

When Harney was within hailing distance of the camp, he motioned to the Indians to run. They started to do so, and ran directly upon the cavalry. Then the Indians, finding themselves trapped, began a fight for their lives, but they were overwhelmed from the beginning. The battle of Ash Hollow was a cruel massacre of the Brules, but they died bravely. An Indian severely wounded, and supposed to be dead, rose up and shot a soldier. A dismounted cavalryman rushed up to finish the Indian with his saber, but, as he struck, the Indian threw up his gun and the saber broke off at the hilt. An officer came to the rescue, and the Indian caught up the broken saber and almost cut off the leg of the officer's horse. He was then killed with a revolver shot. This shows the spirit of the savages' defense. Upon the battlefield were a number of old caches (holes in which the Indians had buried food) in which the warriors took refuge and from which they succeeded in killing thirteen soldiers and wounding many more. One hundred and thirty-six Indians were killed and the entire camp, with all their property, was captured.