Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-10-01

HEApoUARTEas Fort RrCE, ID. T., !
August Is. 1864.

TIends IN the regiment.
The regiment, as has been ito lot since ifs
organization is scattered over Dakota Terri
tory, in four different places with one COM
pany at Fort Ridgely, Minn.A
The Headquarters of the regiment, with
Co.'S A, C, F and II. are at this post Major
Clowney with Cs's ID. E and X, is about one
shhndred and forty or fifty miles east of this.
scar James River, not far from what is called
Jumping Lake. Capt. ID. G. Fulton. with
Co. D, 10 at Fort Sully. about 200 miles south
of this post. The post built last fall. by 1t.
Col. Bartlett. with Cos d and F. Capt. N.
B. Greer, with Co. /, is at Fort Union. ID. t.,
six miles above the mouth of the Yellow
Stone River, near the line of Idaho. Capt.
A; b. Swain, with Co. @, was left at Fort
Ridgley TO garrison that post.
i first arrived at this place July 7th in
company with Brig. Gen'l ALT SuLLY and
staff. and my STAFF. with guard of thirty
men nnder Lieut.. Hoves. on the steamer Is
land City, which was detached from the feet
for the purpose of examining the bank and
country around for proper point for the
Fort On discovering this place we at once
selected it and stack up our pole. / think it
is the best peiut for Fort that l have seen
from ieux City up. We returned to the fleet
in the evening. The next morning the fleet
got in motion for their destination, the first
time they knew what it was. The boats all
arrived in the evening except those which did
not get to the landing until the next morning.
July 9th. We had quite a tedious trip mp
the river from st. Louis, having been on the
boats the most of the time from the 25th day
Of April Co. Joined the commasd at Fort
Sully. also, Lieut.. Col. Bartlett.
We at once " mt into camp, and the boats
commenced unloading the supplies. when
three OF the largest boats were put to ferrying
over Genl Sully's command, knowR as the
Northwestern Indian Expedition, composed
of cavalry and artillery, about four thousand
strong. Part Of the expedition was sent by
Genl Sibly from Minnesota across the coun-
try the other portion (the larger one) the
Genl brought up from Sioux City and Fort
Randall. all meeting at Swan Lake, point
about enc hundred miles below this, where
the fleet had arrived some two days before
At that point the Gen1 Joined the feet and
left the expedition under command of Col.
Thomas, of the sth Minnesota, after sspply-
ing it with rations and forage.
The expedition after being formed, and was
fitted out with supplies and lea on the 18th
of July moving up the Casnon Ball River,
keeping out of the range OF the impossible
hills and streams emtying into the Missouri,
directing their course to a point on the Yell
low stone River known as Brazeans House.
On the third day after the expedition hsd left,
the steamer Effie Dean came down the river,
having two traders on boar1 from Fort Beth
al, who reported that the Indians were en-
camped, about enc thousand lodges strong on
the head Of Knife River or between that and
Little Missouri river. ] at once sent mes.
senger after the Genl. telling him where they
were reported TO be. The messenger over
took him the next day, about IS miles out,
when he at once changed his course towards
where they were reported to be. If he had
coputined on his course he would have left
them to his right about 60 miles. On the
29th of July he came on them with the most
of bis force and had quite spirited fight with
them. lasting about six hours. He states in
his dispatch to me that they killed $50 Inui-
ands and destroyed their camp and supplies
The Gen'l says they appeared SO confident of
whipping him that they did not commence
TO take down their tepees until he was right
on them. They retreated into mountainous
country with large ravines, where it was i'm
pos,ibis TO pursue them. He left them and
returned to his route where he expected to
move on TO Yellow Stone. He thought he
would get there in ten days from date of wri :.
ting. which would have been yesterday
Five boats went up from this place to Fort
Union with supplies for that post and the ex-
pedition. Two boats went up the Yellow
Stone with supplies for the expedi len. 1t
was a question whether they could get up.
heard from them yesterday by men who
came down the Yellow Stone in fiat boats
from near Virginia City They passed them
about Is miles below Brazeaus House trying
TO get over bar which it was doubtful wheth-
er they could pass. The men report that the
Yellow Stone can be navigated to the mouth
of the Big Horn if they can get ever that
one bar.
Miners report that the country is overrun
about Virginia; that the emigration is i'm
mense, and great many will necessarily
suffer the coming winter. j think they had
better went into the service than ran away
from it, as many thousands did. There is
another class in the mines, they tell me, that
is n OF to he pitied-secessionists I; that it be-
came too hot for them to remain in the States
A large number of that class went up on the
boats this spring. One boat that part of Co.
I was on was loaded with that kind of Gus
toners. Lieut.. Buchanan. who was in COM
mand, had considerable trouble 10 prevent a
collision between them and the soldiers. One
of the fleet of boats sent u p with supplies to
Fort Union. snagged and sunk. She was a
total loss except the most of her machinery.
One of the four which / had bringing sup
plies from Fort Sully, saagged the last trip
Down and came very near sinking. She was
able to keep afioat and went on down. We
have got ali the supplies up for this post and
Fort Union. and also the supplies for the post
at Devils Lake, which was to be established
this season. but has been abandoned for the
present, and the supplies will be stored here
this winter. Our amount of supplies is quite
large; no danger Of suffering for year to
come at least.
We are getting along very well with our
Fort have nearly all the outside buildings
up, seventeen in number. Inside of them
barraks for the men and quarters for officers
will be built. There will be 80 buildings in
all when put up. They run in length from
81 70 lG0 feet The Fort is 400 by 500 feet
Our st. Croix men are the very men to build
any kind of buildings. Trempeleau and Wa
shara county men are equ ally as good Gen
Sully says they are the best body of mon he
ever saw, as regiment, and for working OIL
building they excel.
The health of the command is good. The
morning report shows about thirty Hsn sick
ten or twelve of them in the hospital the
rest slight cases of bowel complaints. The
weather is excessively hot through the day
and cool at night.
Capt. Fiske arrived at this post this morn
ing with his emigrant train for Idaho. Their,
are about 300 teams.
Very Respectfully &C..
DAN'L J. DILL.