County of cemeteryL Harding County
Location of cemtery: SD 20, ¼ mile W. of SD 79, Reva
Number of graves: 4 [with another 23 buired in a ravine S. of here]
Find-A-Grave listing
"The loss of men under Capt. Mills' command included 3 dead and 14 wounded. The next morning the three soldiers were buried and also Lieut. Von Ludwick's leg. The men made a large fire over the burial place to conceal it from the Indians. Then the command started on with Lt. Von Ludwick being carried on a stretcher. He kept insisting as they carried him that the Indians were cutting up his leg, and such proved to be the case. The next day Major Mason was sent back with 5 companies of the 5th Cavalry to investigate and the found that the soldiers had been dug up, cut to pieces and their bones crushed.
By the side of this monument stand three grave markers for the three military men who lost their lives:
Edward D. Kennedy, Co. C, 5th U.S. Cavalry
Jonathan White, U.S. Scout
John Wenzel, Co. A, 3rd U.S. Cavalry
"The rest of the command under Lt. Bubb, came within 100 yards of the village when a small herd of ponies stampeded and ran through the village. The soldiers then charged, firing as they went. The Indians cut their way out of the back of some of their rawhide lodges, and after firing two volleys into the soldiers, took to the brush and ravines, carrying their dead and wounded with them. Two men of Company E were wounded, Lt. Von Ludwick, in the knee cap and Pvt. Currin in the thigh.
"As soon as the Indians had taken care of their women and children, they returned and surrounded the soldiers. Under the constant firing many Indians, including women and children, were killed and wounded. When the firing subsided, Capt. Crawford ordered J.A. Kirkwood to take 5 men and go into all the lodges to see whether there wee any Indians left, but they were gone.
"Meanwhile in a ravine nearby, Indians were firing at the troops on the skirmish line. John Wenzel, of Company E, was shot through the forehead and killed instantly. Pvt. Kirkwood and Pvt. Clevensky tried to get to the Indians from the west side but failed. Pvt. Kirkwood received a flesh wound in the side. Sgt. Glass had his arm shattered. Capt. Mills sent 3 soldiers back to Gen Crook with the message, "to come as he had captured an Indian village." Gen. Crook arrived about 11:30 a.m. the next day after which Scout White was shot in the forehead by the Indians.
"That evening Chief Crazy Horse and his band came to take on the soldiers, but upon finding the entire force there, withdrew after a small skirmish during which 5 men were wounded, Pvt. Kennedy so badly he died during an amputation. The Indian Chief, American Horse, was shot in the stomach and died. The entire Indian loss was not known as their dead were carried away. The soldiers found where the squaws had dug a hole in the ravine with knives and here they found buried 4 braves, 6 squaws and 13 children.
"The loss of men under Capt. Mills' command included 3 dead and 14 wounded. The next morning the three soldiers were buried and also Lieut. Von Ludwick's leg. The men made a large fire over the burial place to conceal it from the Indians. Then the command started on with Lt. Von Ludwick being carried on a stretcher. He kept insisting as they carried him that the Indians were cutting up his leg, and such proved to be the case. The next day Major Mason was sent back with 5 companies of the 5th Cavalry to investigate and the found that the soldiers had been dug up, cut to pieces and their bones crushed." ~ Hardin County Chamber of Commerce