The United States Army
Major Ganoe

Major Ganoe in his history of "The United States Army" writes thus:

Since the Army was pared down to almost laughable size the Indian tribes underwent no set back.  Hundreds of settlers were being killed and not a day passed that some Company of soldiers was not called upon for rescue work somewhere in the West.

Because the Piegans were especially active, a battalion of four companies of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry under Major Baker was sent to Fort Ellis, Montana.

Many crimes had been committed there by some of the tribes of the Blackfeet, Bloods, and Piegans.  Since some of the Blackfeet were in British Territory, the only Indians that could be reached by the Army were the Bloods and Piegans.

Major Baker left his post with his four companies and proceeded to Fort Shaw where he picked up two companies of Mounted Infantry.  The weather was intensely cold and to make matters worse the marching from Fort Shaw had to be done at night on account of the necessary secrecy.  For five days the troops camped in ravines in the snow only to march again through
the cold of the night.

Near the Big Bend of the Marias, they came upon the camps of Big Bear Chief and Red Horn, consisting of 37 lodged.

The attack was a complete surprise especially since smallpox had broken out among these tribes so that even the few precautions taken by them in winter had been overlooked.  In all 173 Indians were killed, including Chief Red Horn.

Many squaws and children were captured and 300 ponies taken.

Whatever else may be said of this spirited expedition, it quieted the Piegans and the Bloods who forever thereafter ceased their pillaging of the unprotected whites.

The very people in the east who made outcry against this mode of warfare, were the ones who were responsible in many cases for starving these Piegans later, because of insufficient appropriation and care.