John Stephens Gray - Centennial Campaign: The Sioux War of 1876

Gray, John S. (John Stephens), 1910-1991

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here have been hundreds, even housands of books about the ittle Big Horn; Centennial Campaign is the first book length treatnent of The Sioux War of 1876. rhat war did not begin and end at ;he Little Big Horn, and it involved mich more than one battle. An iroused nation vowed to crush the Hostile Indians once and for all. This is the story of how they did just that. It is a bitter, sad story, but an important one. Dr. Gray has given both sides of the story.

John S. Gray is a name well known to all serious Western History students. John has had numerous articles published m a variety of sources, from The Westerners Brand Book to Montana, the Magazine of Western History. Each of his articles has been highly acclaimed. Each brings out new facts and new interpretations, pr - sented in a highly readable mann ' If John has a specialty, it is in making use of sources others ha forgotten, or overlooked, excels here.

In the facets section of the book,

John Gray has attacked some ofMany years on the staff at Nortnthe most baffling problems that *western University as head of tn face the researcher working on the Physiology Department, John Gray Little Big Horn Campaign. He gives ~is both an M.A. and a Ph.D. He n answers to such controversial ques- lives in Fort Collins, Colorado tions as how many warriors?, (home of The Old Army Press) what was the chronology ot the and devotes full time to his research battle?, just what were Renos projects, all in Western history, losses in the valley?, and other Through Centennial Campaign is perplexing questions. He answers/John Grays first book, it will not these questions in such a thorough be his last manner that there is little room for doubt. The bibliography will attest to the fact that John has left no stone unturned in his quest for information. Centennial Campaign is destined to become the new

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The Sioux War of 1876

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The Sioux War of 1876

by John S. Gray

Maps by John A. Popovich

THE OLD ARMY PRESS

1976 by The Old Army Press All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 76-47160

ISBN 0-88342-049-X

VOLUME NO. 8 IN THE SOURCE CUSTERIANA SERIES

THE OLD ARMY PRESS 1513 WELCH

FT. COLLINS, COLORADO 80521

CONTENTS

PARTI. THE NARRATIVE

1. Cultures in Conflict 1

2. The Presidents Dilemma 9

3. The Presidents Escape 23

4. Mobilization in Secret 35

5. First Check on Powder River 47

6. Tempers Flare in Washington 59

7. All Alone on the Yellowstone 72

8. Crook and Terry Reorganize 86

9. Junction on the Yellowstone 97

10. Second Check on the Rosebud 110

11. Terry Scraps his First Plan 125

12. Terry Plans Again 139

13. Custer Hits the Trail 151

14. The Eve of Disaster 162

15. Checkmate on the Little Big Horn 172

16. Rescue and Retreat 184

17. Estivation in Tandem 198

18. A Punishing Stern Chase 212

19. Reconnaissances, Rumors, and Recriminations 221

20. Terrys Campaign Fizzles Out 231

21. Crooks Consolation Prize 243

22. Victory at the Agencies 255

PART II. FACETS

23. The Medical Service and the Wounded 270

24. The Quick and the Dead 284

25. A Little Big Horn Chronology 298

26. The Indian Population 308

27. The Gathering of the Winter Roamers 321

28. The Summer Migrations 335

29. The Strength of the Little Big Horn Village 346

BIBLIOGRAPHY 358

MAPS 373

INDEX 381

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PREFACE

Over twenty-five years ago an ever-increasing burden of university administrative duties began threatening my deepest love research, then conducted in bio-medical science. As a countermeasure I looked for an auxiliary area of research that could be pursued in spare moments without elaborate facilities and government funding. I found it in American frontier history.

Initial investigations focused on the fascinating careers of a number of those unsung frontiersmen who scouted for the Indian fighting army. Inevitably, some of these subjects scouted for Custer and served or died at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

That was when I balked. The reams of melodramatic and partisan verbiage written from derivative sources and confined to a single hour in a year of warfare offended my scientific training. I vowed to steer clear of that example of caricaturized history.