[2] On Saturday, April 5, 1879 in present-day Powder River or Custer County, Montana, near the crossing of Mizpah Creek, length of 12 miles, by the Fort Keogh to Deadwood telegraph line, Sergeant Kennedy of the U.S. Signal Corps, and Private Leo Baader of Company E, 2nd U.S. Cavalry were repairing the line, when Black Coyote's party found and attacked them.

Kennedy was later rescued after a great loss of blood by three civilians traveling from Deadwood, South Dakota, including a Mr. O'Neil, who helped him about 45 miles (72 km) northwest to Fort Keogh.

Miles, the commander of Fort Keogh, ordered out Sergeant Thaddeus B. Glover with a small detachment of ten soldiers of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry to locate and arrest the warriors responsible.

A small detachment from Fort Ellis consisting of men from Company D, 2nd Cavalry under Captain Thomas J. Gregg also traveled in pursuit of the Lakota band.

Present as a reporter for The New York Times was Thompson R. McElrath who on June 8, 1879 wrote a lengthy letter describing the trial.

[3] The action of April 10, 1879, as recalled by Sergeant T. B. Glover: We were then in the Little Bighorn Mountains, I advanced but a short distance, when I saw two Indians standing on a rock silhouetted against the background of the sky, signalling with the white flag.

They were tried and convicted of murder, but cheated the executioner, for Indian-like, they all hanged themselves in the jail at Miles City.One Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded for actions during the incident.