Miles led the 5th United States Infantry Regiment in the summer of 1876 from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, up the Missouri River on a paddlewheel boat from Yankton, South Dakota to the Yellowstone River, to help subdue the Sioux, and Cheyenne, who had claimed a major victory that summer at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Here the two commands separated, with General Crook moving south and east toward the Black Hills, and a detachment under Captain Anson Mills engaged and defeated a force of Indians in September at the Battle of Slim Buttes.

Miles moved north up Dry Creek, east and then south again to eventually reached Glendive, in Montana Territory, on the Yellowstone River where the troops established winter headquarters.

Soon afterwards, two Indian emissaries approached Colonel Otis and suggested that Miles meet with Sitting Bull, the long revered spiritual leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux.

The army claimed to have chased the Lakota's for up to 42 miles (68 km), collecting large quantities of dried meat, lodge poles, camp equipage, ponies and broken down cavalry horses, and arms along the way.

On October 27, over 400 lodges (with 2,000 men, women, and children) formally surrendered to Miles and peacefully returned to their reservations.

However, some of Sitting Bull's more ardent followers headed northward for Canada, and Miles made preparations to pursue them throughout the winter.