Trumpet on the Land

by Terry C. Johnston

  Assistant Army Surgeon Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy, nearing end of horse-meat march to the Black Hills. (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield Nanonal Monument)

  Posed photo of soldier shooting played-out cavalry horse in march south from Slim Buttes. (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.)

  Miniconjou chief “American Horse” and wife. (Courtesy South Dakota Historical Society.)

  Buckskin lodge captured at Slim Buttes (note Keogh’s I Company guidon recaptured). (Courtesy Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.)

  LAST STAND

  Pushing the Sharps lever down, Donegan ejected the empty cartridge, then replanted a live round in the breech. “Seems those warriors dogging our tails was just a little too anxious to close the trap, don’t it?”

  “Lucky us,” grumbled Finerty as he crabbed up to join the three, whining lead following the white men into the timber.

  Grouard rolled on his back and found Sibley, then instructed, “Lieutenant, tell your boys not to fire a shot until they got a good target.”

  “These men have fought before,” Sibley snapped.

  “Just remind ’em!” Donegan added. “We’re going to need every last bullet we have before this day’s done.”

  Nodding, a grim Sibley responded, “All right.”

  “And … Lieutenant,” Seamus said, causing the officer to halt in a crouch, “tell your men it’s a good idea to keep one last round in their pistols for themselves.”

  BOOKS BY TERRY C. JOHNSTON

  Cry of the Hawk

  Winter Rain

  Dream Catcher

  Carry the Wind

  Borderlords

  One-Eyed Dream

  Dance on the Wind

  Buffalo Palace

  Crack in the Sky

  Ride the Moon Down

  Death Rattle

  SON OF THE PLAINS NOVELS

  Long Winter Gone

  Seize the Sky

  Whisper of the Wolf

  THE PLAINSMEN NOVELS

  Sioux Dawn

  Red Cloud’s Revenge

  The Stalkers

  Black Sun

  Devil’s Backbone

  Shadow Riders

  Dying Thunder

  Blood Song

  Reap the Whirlwind

  Trumpet on the Land

  A Cold Day in Hell

  Wolf Mountain Moon

  Ashes of Heaven

  Cries from the Earth

  Lay the Mountains Low

  for all the miles and memories

  we have shared together,

  this hook is affectionately

  dedicated to my

  Canadian saddle partner,

  BRIAN TAYLOR

  Cast

  of

  Characters

  Seamus Donegan Samantha Donegan

  Army Scouts

  Frank Grouard (“The Grabber,” Yugata)

  Louis (Louie) Richaud (Reshaw)

  Baptiste Pourier (“Big Bat,” Left Hand)

  William F. Cody

  *Charles / James / Jonathan White (“Buffalo Chips Charlie”)

  Tait / Tate

  Baptiste Garnier (“Little Bat”)

  John Wallace “Captain Jack” Crawford (“The Poet Scout”)

  “Buckskin Jack” Russell

  “Texas Jack” Omohundro

  Military

  Lieutenant General Philip H. Sheridan—Commander, Division of the Missouri (Chicago)

  Brigadier General George C. Crook—commanding Department of the Platte (HQ—Omaha, Nebraska)

  General Alfred H. Terry—commanding Department of the Dakota

  Colonel Wesley Merritt—Commanding Officer, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR GENERAL)

  Colonel Nelson A. Miles—Commanding Officer, Fifth In-fantry

  Lieutenant Colonel William B. Royall—Commanding Officer, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL)

  Lieutenant Colonel Eugene A. Carr—Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR GENERAL)

  Lieutenant Colonel James W. “Sandy” Forsyth—headquarters staff, Division of the Missouri

  Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Nelson Garland Whistler—Fifth Infantry

  Major Edwin F. Townsend—Post Commander, Fort Laramie (Brevet COLONEL)

  Major Alexander Chambers—Commanding Officer, Fourth Infantry (Brevet COLONEL)

  Major Andrew W. Evans—Second in Command, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL) Battalion Commander

  Major John J. Upham—Fifth Cavalry, Battalion Commander

  Captain Julius W. Mason—K Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet LIEUTENANT COLONEL) Battalion Commander

  Captain William H. Jordan—Ninth Infantry, Commanding Officer, Camp Robinson (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain James “Teddy” Egan—K. Troop, Second Cavalry

  Captain Emil Adams—C Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Captain Thomas B. Weir—Seventh Cavalry

  Captain Edward W. Smith—adjutant to General Alfred Terry

  Captain Thaddeus H. Stanton—Paymaster, Department of the Platte, Commander of Volunteers (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Samuel Munson—C Company, Ninth Infantry

  Captain Andrew S. Burt—H Company, Ninth Infantry (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Gerhard L. Luhn—F Company, Fourth Infantry

  Captain Daniel W. Burke—C Company, Fourteenth Infantry

  Captain William H. Andrews—I Troop, Third Cavalry

  Captain John V. Furey—Expedition Quartermaster, commanding wagon/supply train

  Captain Henry E. Noyes—I Troop, Second Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR) Battalion Commander

  Captain George M. (“Black Jack”) Randall—Chief of Scouts, Twenty-third Infantry (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain William H. Powell—G Company, Fourth Infantry Captain Anson Mills—M Troop, Third Cavalry (Brevet COLONEL)

  Captain Frederick Van Vliet—C Troop, Third Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Alexander Sutorius—E. Troop, Third Cavalry

  Captain Peter D. Vroom—L Troop, Third Cavalry

  Captain Elijah R. Wells—E. Troop, Second Cavalry

  Captain Samuel S. Sumner—D Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet MAJOR)

  Captain Robert H. Montgomery—B. Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Captain Sanford C. Kellogg—I Troop, Fifth Cavalry (Brevet LIEUTENANT COLONEL)

  Captain George F. Price—E. Troop, Fifth Cavalry Captain Edward M. Hayes—G Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Captain J. Scott Payne—F Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Captain H. J. Nowlan—Seventh Cavalry, acting assistant quartermaster to the Dakota Column

  Lieutenant John G. Bourke—aide-de-camp to General Crook

  Lieutenant Henry R. Lemly—Regimental Adjutant to Colonel Royall

  First Lieutenant William L. Carpenter—G Company, Ninth Infantry

  First Lieutenant Adolphus H. Von Luettwitz—E. Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant Augustus C. Paul—M Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant Edward S. Godfrey—Seventh Cavalry

  First Lieutenant Emmet Crawford—G Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant Henry Seton—D Company, Fourth Infantry

  First Lieutenant Joseph Lawson—A Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant William C. Forbush—Fifth Cavalry, Assistant Adjutant General

  First Lieutenant Charles King—Fifth Cavalry, Adjutant

  First Lieutenant William P. Hall—Fifth Cavalry, Quartermaster

  First Lieutenant Walter S. Schuyler—Fifth Cavalry, aide-decamp to Crook

  First Lieutenant William Philo Clark—I Troop, Second Cavalry, aide-de-camp to General Crook

  Second Lieutenant Robert London—A Troop, Fifth Cavalry (after Wilson resigns)

  Second Lieutenant Charles M. Rockefeller—H C
ompany, Ninth Infantry

  Second Lieutenant Edgar B. Robertson—H Company, Ninth Infantry

  Second Lieutenant Henry D. Huntington—D Troop, Second Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant Edward L. Keyes—C Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant J. Hayden Pardee—Twenty-third Infantry, aide-de-camp to Merritt

  Lieutenant William C. Hunter—U.S. Navy (Brevet COMMODORE)

  Dr. Bennett A. Clements—Surgeon, Expedition Medical Director (oversaw eight medical personnel, assistant surgeons and stewards)

  Dr. Albert Hartsuff—Assistant Surgeon

  Dr. Julius H. Patzki—Assistant Surgeon

  Dr. Charles R. Stephens—Assistant Surgeon

  Dr. J. W. Powell—Assistant Surgeon, Fifth Cavalry

  Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy—Assistant Surgeon

  First Lieutenant Alfred B. Bache—F Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka—M Troop, Third Cavalry

  Second Lieutenant George F. Chase—L Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant John W. Bubb—Commissary of Subsistence

  First Lieutenant Emmet Crawford—G Troop, Third Cavalry

  First Lieutenant William B. Rawolle—E. Troop, Second Cavalry

  Lieutenant Frederick W. Sibley—E. Troop, Second Cavalry

  Sergeant Oscar Cornwall—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Sergeant Charles W. Day—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Sergeant G. P. Harrington—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  †Sergeant Edmund Schreiber—K. Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  †Sergeant John A. Kirkwood—M Troop, Third Cavalry

  †Sergeant Edward Glass—E. Troop, Third Cavalry

  Corporal Thomas C. Warren—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Corporal Thomas W. Wilkinson—K. Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Corporal J. S. Clanton—B. Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Private Valentine Rufus—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Private Patrick Hasson—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Private George Rhode—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Private George Watts—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Private Henry Collins—Second Cavalry, Sibley Patrol

  Private William Evans—E. Company, Seventh Infantry

  Private Benjamin F. Stewart—E. Company, Seventh Infantry

  Private James Bell—E Company, Seventh Infantry

  Private Christian Madsen—A Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  *Private John Wenzel—A Troop, Third Cavalry

  Private Albert Glavinski—M Troop, Third Cavalry

  †Private Orlando H. Duren—E. Troop, Third Cavalry

  *Private Edward Kennedy—C Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  †Private John M. Stevenson—I Troop, Second Cavalry

  †Private August Dorn—D Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  Private Cyrus B. Milner—A Troop, Fifth Cavalry

  †Private Edward Kiernan—E Troop, Third Cavalry

  †Private William B. DuBois—C Troop, Third Cavalry

  †Private August Foran—D Troop, Third Cavalry

  †Private Charles Foster—B Troop, Third Cavalry

  Shoshone Allies

  Washakie

  Sioux

  American Horse Little Eagle

  Dog Necklace Antelope Tail

  Charging Bear Red Horse

  Iron Thunder

  Cheyenne

  Yellow Hair Rain Maker

  Civilian Characters

  John “Trailer Jack” Becker—packer on Sibley Scout

  Wilbur Storey—owner/publisher, Chicago Times

  Clint Snowden—city editor, Chicago Times

  Thomas Moore—Chief of Pack Train

  Richard “Uncle Dick” Closter

  Grant Marsh—captain, Far West steamboat

  Dave Campbell—pilot, Far West steamboat

  †James B. Glover—packer

  E. B. Farnum—Mayor of Deadwood

  Martha Luhn—officer’s wife at Fort Laramie

  Elizabeth Burt—officer’s wife at Fort Laramie

  Robert Strahorn—correspondent, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Chicago Tribune, Cheyenne Sun, and the Omaha Republican

  John F. Finerty—correspondent, Chicago Times

  Joe Wasson—correspondent, New York Tribune, Philadelphia Press, and San Francisco Alta California

  Reuben B. Davenport—correspondent, New York Herald

  T. B. MacMillan—correspondent, Chicago Inter-Ocean

  J. J. Talbot—correspondent, New York Graphic

  Barbour Lathrop—correspondent, San Francisco Evening Bulletin

  Cuthbert Mills—New York Times

  Tom Cosgrove—civilian leader of the Shoshone battalion

  Nelson Yarnell—Cosgrove’s lieutenant

  Yancy Eckles—Cosgrove’s sergeant

  *killed in the battle of Slim Buttes

  †wounded at the Battle of Slim Buttes

  At Laramie I told the commissioners that I had seen the Sioux commit a massacre; they killed many white men. But the Sioux are still here, and still kill white men. When you whites whip the Sioux come and tell us of it. You are afraid of the Sioux. Two years ago I went with the soldiers; they talked very brave. They said they were going through the Sioux country to Powder River and Tongue River. We got to Pryor Creek, just below here in the Crow country. I wanted to go ahead, but the soldiers got scared and turned back. The soldiers were the whirlwind, but the whirlwind turned back. Last summer the soldiers went to Pryor Creek again; again the whirlwind was going through Sioux country, but again the whirlwind turned back. We Crows are not the whirlwind, but we go to the Sioux; we go to their country; we meet them and fight; we do not turn back. But then we are not the whirlwind! … The Sioux are on the way, and you are afraid of them; they will turn the whirlwind back.

  —Blackfoot

  Crow war chief

  The people must be left with nothing but their eyes to weep with.

  —Lieutenant General Philip H. Sheridan

  The “Sibley Scout” is famous among Indian fighters as being one of the narrowest escapes from savages now on record.

  —Editorial

  The New York Tribune

  Toward the end of the perilous march [of the Sibley patrol], we all became so weakened that we marched for ten minutes and then would lie down and rest. Several of the most robust men became insane, and one or two never regained their wits.

  —Lieutenant Frederick W. Sibley

  [The skirmish at Warbonnet Creek] is one of few cases where a large party of Indians was successfully ambushed by troops.

  —Don Russell

  Campaigning with King

  For the Indians who had gloried in the victory of Little Big Horn, Slim Buttes heralded the retaliatory blows that ultimately broke their resistance and forced their submission … the actions of September 9 and 10, 1876, commenced the relentless punitive warfare that was to be waged over the next eight months, until the tribesmen either had died or had gone peaceably to the agencies.

  —Jerome A. Green

  Slim Buttes, 1876

  … many a suffering stomach gladdened with a welcome change from horse meat, tough and stringy, to rib roasts of pony, grass-fed, sweet, and succulent. There is no such sauce as starvation.

  —Lieutenant Charles King

  Campaigning with Crook

  The terrible persistence with which [Crook] urged his faint, starving, foot-sore, tattered soldiers along the trail, to which he clung with a resolution and determination that nothing could shake, entitles him to the respect and admiration of his countrymen—a respect and admiration, by the way, which was fully accorded him by his gallant and equally desperate foes.

  —Cyrus Townsend Brady

  Indian Fights and Fighters

  Only the brave and fearless can be just.

  —Old Lakota proverb

  For acting to stop the Cheyennes, [Merritt] was commended by General Sheridan; for delaying the march of the Big Horn
and Yellowstone Expedition for a week, he was blamed by General Crook.

  —Don Russell

  The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill

  The battle [of Slim Buttes] was one of the most picturesque ever fought in the West. Crook and his officers stood in the camp, the center of a vast amphitheater ringed with fire, up the sides of which the soldiers steadily climbed to get at the Indians, silhouetted in all their war finery against the sky.

  —Cyrus Townsend Brady

  Indian Fights and Fighters

  Slim Buttes was touted as a victory for the army, but it was a shabby victory at best and accomplished nothing beyond angering the Indians. The dawn attack had felled women and children, and when the tribesmen crept back into the village after the military withdrawal, they confronted heartrending scenes. Many of the groups in the vicinity of Slim Buttes, including the one struck by Mills, had intended to surrender at an agency. The sight of women and children maimed or slain by army bullets dampened that impulse.

  —Robert M. Utley

  The Lance and the Shield

  Sitting Bull had warned his people not to take any spoils from the Little Big Horn battle[field], or the soldiers would crush them. The Slim Buttes battle was part of the prophecy which came true.

  —Fred H. Werner

  The Slim Buttes Battle

  Foreword

  At the beginning of some chapters and some scenes, you will read the same news stories devoured by the officers’ wives and the civilians employed at the posts or those in adjacent frontier settlements—just what Samantha Donegan herself would have read—taken from the front page of the daily newspapers that arrived as much as a week late (and sometimes more), that delay due to the wilderness distances to be traveled by freight carriers.

  These newspaper stories are copied verbatim from the headlines and graphic accounts of the day. Remember as you read, that this was the only news available for those people who had a most personal stake in the army’s last great campaign—those people who had tearfully watched a loved one march off to war that summer of the Sioux in 1876.

  What happened to George Armstrong Custer and five companies of his Seventh U.S. Cavalry on the afternoon of June 25—only eight days after George C. Crook was stalemated on Rosebud Creek—was to shock, stun, and ultimately outrage an entire nation. News of that disaster would all but eclipse every other event that summer, even the most wondrous advancements in science and industry at that moment on display at Philadelphia’s Centennial Exposition.