Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-07-30

CAMP NEAa FoRr RICE, D. T.,

H. l.St
July 18th, 1874. !
DEAR REcIsrER:-In the busy and
crowded ,hrons of the city, or in the wilds
Of the great Northwest, time still speeds
the same.
This the l2,h day of July, 1904, finds Us
camped on the west side Of the Missouri
near the site eelected BY Gen. Suly for
the erection Of a f., to be christened TT.
Rice, in honor Of Brigadier Gen. Rice,
who fell.in the late battles of Virginia. -
The selection is judicious one, and the
most pleasan. place for For, have seen
anywhere On the Missouri. Timber and
water convenient and easy Of access.
We have been in camp four days wait
ing the crossing Of troops. Steamers Is.
abelIa and Sam Ga,y, have been busy,
and part of the time third boat. Not all
over yet.
As l sit in my tent writing, the puff, the
BELL and the schrill whistle Of the boat
makes one almost forget be is hundreds
Of miles from civilization, and in the midst
Of vast wilderness of prairie.
On the p. \. Of the 9th, the steamer
Yellow Stone came down, closely hugsing
the opposite shore. acting very much as
though she did not care about making
our acquaintance, but the Gen. soon gave
her to understand he was Monarch of
all he surveyed" by sending shot after
her, which she appeared to understand, so
rounded to and tied up. She was not able
to reach her destination, TT. Benton, by
$50 miles, so put her passengers and
goods on board two light steamers, which
took them to the Fort. She had mum.
Der of Idaho men % passengers on her
downward trip.
They did no, give us as nattering accounts
Of Idaho as one would wish who intended
going there with the intention of making
a fortune in short time. conversed
with two men Of Intelligence who bad
| been there some time, both were of the
opinion it was no place for a laborng
man to make money at present. Mines
in some localities were very rich. in others
would not pay for working. Everything
except labor demands an exhorbitant
price. Flour, $40. per hundred; bacon,
$3.50 per h.; salt, $l.25 per h.; board,
SIS and upwards, per week.
The immigration this last spring they
represent as tremendous. The Yellow
Stone proceeded down the river the next
morning. when about ten miles below, the
bottom of her boiler fell out, the sand in
the water settled and burned q bole
through it.
With the Minnesota troops, is train Of
! about lis wagons bound for Idaho the
Gen. baspromised them an escort through.
They have any number Of cows with them,
so the friends Of Company B need Dor,
row no trouble about the members of said
Company going without milk in coffee
Had they number Of goodly sized pork.
e-s with them the 9th could show them a
"slght of hand" at hog dressing, that
would be as novel and wondrous as it was
to the citizens of Sioux City.
Four Companys Of the Both Wisconsin
will remain here to garrison the Fort. The
remainder the 30,h will be here shortly.
Charles Poor, the carpenter, probably,
| will remain to superiutend the work. Col.
Dill Of the 30th Wisconsin will be left in
command Of the Post. 1t was rumored
Lieut. Col. Pat,ee wonld be left in com.
mand, but it is otherwise decided. 1t ap.
pears the Lieut. Col believes in going to
war according to Ancient custom, i. c, with
Chariot. To as Of the 9th who had read
of those things in the good old Book, but
never witnessed them, it vas novel sight
to see the 7th headed with two nhecled
,car chariot, their noble and manly lead
er sitting erect and looking as courageous
and brave as lamb. Had the long,
keen, ard gitting blades been attached
to the wheels he would have appeared
host himself, and proved terror to the
natives. But fate did not so decree. One
morning he arose and to his unspeakable
anguish saw his gorgeous chariot con-
vcr,ed into a uhecl, barrow. At first he
was inclined to think some person pos
sessed with malignant spirit had taken
it, and l heard offered $500 for any one
that would put him on track Of it. Yes
terday our chief guide camc in and report
ed that ten miles out he saw track resem.
bling wagon wheel track, pointing in
TIE direction of the Black Hills. No
doubt it is that Of the Coils chariot wheel
which had tired of the slow movements Of
the expedition and gone of on its own &C.
count. Not man in the expedition
could be found with tar on clothes or per-
son, which is conclusive evidence it was
not taken by hands. Besides a man
would have had to have passed through