One of the disheartening things about Indian fighting was the lack of knowledge displayed by those in charge higher up. For instance, long after hostilities were commenced and the Indians were congregating to resist establishment of posts along the Bozeman road in the Powder river country. General Dodge wired to General Mitchell, who was about to leave i imaha fur Fort Laramie, to keep him posted as he progressed up the Platte. In his telegram was the query, "Where is Powder river?

The "Rush Creek" battle ground is three or four miles south of the river, at the forks,

where a spring branch comes in from the west.

The improvised fort was on the nose of land between the two branches of what is now "Cedar Creek."

An Indian telling of the battle of Cedar Creek, says they crossed the river at its mouth, and camped at the foot of a bluff about five miles north of the river, "on a small stream, the name of which I do not remember." The story also is that Creighton's herders were at Mud Springs when the attack occurred, which was fortunate for them. After the battle, the hostiles moved to Bear Butte in the Black Hills, and early in March, the bands separated, Spotted Tail and his Brules moving east of the Hills, while the Arapahoes and Cheyennes, joined the Northern Cheyennes under Red Cloud, on Powder river.

In April, Spotted Tail, Little Thunder, and sixty lodges of Brules, came in to Fort Laramie and voluntarily surrendered, and according to Hyde, he should have been with the Indians that were being taken to Julesburg, and Kearney, at the time of the outbreak on Horse Creek. I do not find any part that he took in the battle, and perhaps he was opposed to the action, as many Indians were.