Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 2.djvu/528

 to take command and drive all hostile Indians from the vicinity. Upon the approach of the troops the Indians fled, pursued by a detachment of cavalry. Near the end of the month the battalion under Major Ten-Broeck marched to Fort Pierre, about two hundred miles up the river, where preparations were being made to move the army on a campaign against the Indians. In the month of June General Cook was relieved of command in the Department and his place filled by General Alfred Sully, who made Fort Pierre his base of operations. Preparations having been completed, the army began its march northward on the 13h of August, 1863. The command consisted of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, Second Nebraska Cavalry, the Seventh Iowa Cavalry and the Prairie Battery of four guns, making in round numbers 2,500 men aside from those necessary to care for the supply train. The army moved rapidly up the east bank of the river about one hundred miles to the mouth of the Little Cheyenne River and then halted to await the arrival of a steamer with supplies. The sick and the baggage were sent by steamer back to Fort Pierre.

BATTLE OF WHITE STONE HILL

On the 21st the army resumed its march up the river and on the 25th a scouting party sent out, saw the first Indians bringing in a number of squaws and children. On the 3d of September the army went into camp on the shores of a lake where signs of Indians were discovered and scouts sent out to examine the country in the vicinity. One battalion of the Sixth Iowa, three hundred men under Major House, came upon an encampment of more than four hundred lodges of warriors. Major House at once dispatched a messenger to General Sully and endeavored to detain the Indians without bringing on a battle. Upon the arrival of the messenger the bugles were sounded and the men mounted, except four companies left to guard the train. The command was formed in the following order: