Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1872-11-07
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\ accordance With CO. so. part 2. Military Di
! vision of the Missouri. July 3. 1872, lef
& Chicago July and proceeded. via Sioux City
and the Missouri River. to Fort Rice. p. r.
to accompany All expedition from that point
to fhc mouth of Powder River, on the Vel.
lowstone. The Object of tie expedition was
. to escort and protect srlrseyiag party d
Northern Paeific RaiIrnafl engineers, sent
ont to extend that railroad from tile point Of
its crossing OH the Missouri to the Yellow
. stone. at or near the mouth of Powder River
The military escort wascommanded by Col
D. s. Stanley. TWents-seeona Infantry, and
was composed ofthe following troops: Com
panies 6 D and T, Twenty-.eeond Infantry.
a /.
i Seventeenth Infantry, Major e. r. Croftoil,
commanding. / II men; ComnaniesA. b, q,
FL and II. Eighth fdfantry. Lieutenant Col
Wallace commanding. 2G4 men; total, 537
enlisted men and 81 conlpany officers These
together with about 25 mounted Santee Sioux
and half-breeds, over 15oteamsters(all armeG
officers, servants. etc, formed a full force o.
| 757 souls, irrespective of the Nor thern
Pacific Railroad surveying party, which mum
| beretl AZ.
| TIE LINE or MARCH.
The expedition left Fort Rice on tha 2eth
OF July, moving north of west toward.tIfgF'
line OF Heart River. following the trail of
Major Whistler's expedition Of 1871. crossed
Heart River about forty-six miles from Fort
Rice, and continued westward. following both
Whistler.s and TulIy' trails to point about
miles from where we first entered Heart
River; then diverging Slightly south of
west from those trails we moved TIL the ex-
treme head of Heart River and sent out
party to enter the bad Lands.a' and endeav-
or TO find some crossing Of the Little Mis-
souri, which here runs nearly north and
south. This party after proceeding abont
fifteen miles nearly due west from orr camp
of August 5. found the Little Missouri vas
unapproacIahle from the point tfsrss1Ssil''
it. By reason of the exceet iesss ~ 8
4'tspI thea,.Rad Lands,
runs. .., So. ), ..a,
moved along the diyiie which separates the
Little Missouri from .the heads OF the Heart 7
aad Cannon Ball Rivers. skirting the Bad
Lands and eserlookldg them. After having
moved about twenty miles tosthe southwest
we..found practicable route along the top of T
the divide. which carried us nearly due west
agaIn. still keeping close upon the edge of
the ssBad Lands'' until cIeek heading in I
the right direction enabled us to descend in
to the valley of the Little Missouri and ap-l
nroach to within one and half niles Of
that stream. Here it was ascertained shat
the river made bend from the westward. Al
party OF the engineers, escorted by a COM
pany OF troops, then moved into and along
the valley of the.,iyer, while the main body
marched over the tops of the hills and thro'
such valleys us offered. running parallel to
and south Of the river, until both parties met
At point about fifteen miles beyond, when
il was found that the river ran again for the
southwark, and although the water was high
rom recent rains, a very good crossing was
foknd at point where the extensive pla-
eaux on either bank of the river afforded an
nc4ine sufficiently slight to enable the train
o descend. At all points where we crossed
ii approached it we found tile Little Mis-
ouri a stream about twenty-five yards wide,
exceedingly crooked, well timbered and with
rom one to4ivc feetsof water. General direc-t
ion from outh to 9th.
Immedl4 4teIy upon crossing the Little Mis-
ouri we ascendel to the plateaHx and moved ,
again across grassy pialns, having
eft the main portion of the Bad Lands be- :
lind us. and in fact saw no more of them
lntil we reached Cabin Creek, about twenty
I've miles west of the Little Missouri. where
rather steep descent from the plateaux
us into sage-brush and cactus 9
,rowing valley about five miles wide. with I
cabin creek (somet ines drg) flowing in the
entire This sectien of the-sBad Lands is 9
lot very wide, but evidently extends many G
niles above and below where we crossed a
hem. From the valley of Cabin Greek we
,assed over long divide, grassy. and with 2
occasional clnmps of timber in the pockets Of g
he hills. westward to the head of another +
ry creek. which we followed down in 2 r
orth-westerly direction, lail we=came to. a t.
arge, flowing and heavily timbered water i
curse, whose general direction was No. 10, a
rest.
AT this point we knew that we were N OF
lore than ten miles east Of Powder River, z
nd accordingly sent out reconnaissance in q
hat direction, but the party found success 7
ion Of impassable hills that barred our way 9
, that locality. and il was decided to move p
own the creek to its mouth, to then deter !
line whether it was as we snpposed-O' Fall y
ms Greek or Powder River which We were y
n. The valley through which the creek 2
asses Is from one to tive. miles vide, bor- !
cred by broken ranges Of bald hills. With y Y
le exception of occasional patches OF sage q
rush, a short growth Of BuffaIo grasssis 70 .
. found its entire length. There we found
le first signs of Indians, they having used Il
lis creekaalong its entire lengtlias one vast d
inter camp. none Of the signs being over il
70 seasons old, q
INDIANS on che TRAIL. Il