, 1876-10-10
TO CUsTER'6 PARK.


CAM IN CusrEt's FARN, HEAD or FRENCH
CREEK, BLACK 1I1Lls Dnkota Sent. M.-IIcro
We orc lying Idle III bfyouac within two or three
miles Of TINT fadcd-ont mining tow, knowing as
Custer City. We left tic vicinity OF Crook City
some days ago, marching through tho main
street Of TINT lively village and camping In the
"Ccntcnnial Park" about two miles this at1e
Of Il. This ''Ccntenntal Park " ls nothing mora
than continuation OF tho outer ralley referred
to In Col. Dolgc's book us cucon,pnss!ng the
Hills OIL nEl eldes I1crc It Is soinewhat broader
than usual, and not so sharply defined.
On tho day following thu linu Of march YVES
resumed, anil leaving Dralwood City to o,1r
right we passed through ragged country for 30
miles, tho sygncry OF which is unsurpassed for
beauty, rtchncss, anl grandeur. Satcly pines,
thick anu straIght enough to furnish spurs for
our largest vosspls, clothu In eternal vcrilurc
tile massive masses Of rock that rise thousands
OF feet above the valleys buncath, accming]y
with OIL effort to hide with graceful. never
ending foliage the wealth that lies hidden within
their gran!tc.ribbcd sides. Mountain streams
lap anu frolic and foan from rock IL rock: here
bounding In mad gayety into beautiful cascades,
and further OIL, ~ though tired Of the SPORT
creeping lanEu!,!ly along bencuth tho fat1lcriy
protection Of Balnr ancient mhss.grown rock.
Every turn antl bend IN the wcl-s'catcn roaI re.
vcals frcsl, beauties to please the cye and glad
den tho heart. Verify we laya passcd from the
land OF Egypt into Canaan; from tic hell Of the
Bad Lands to tho paralisc OF the ntnck
Hills! The mir we breathe Is like
tire nectar Of the gods; fresh, cool,
and invigoratiag, and II feeling Of thankfMlncss
pervatlcs the hearts OF all, for after much trbu-
luton NC lluse
srRUcR IT ntcn At LAST.
We bvnuAckcd that night on Mountain
Meadow Crock, branch Of tho Box Elder, at
the point wirre Col. Dodge cnmpcd Inst year.
Hero we found a tralr-'oaa Of grain and COM
mIssary storcs brought up from Rcd Cloud
untlrr escort Of "Ii' Company, Fourth Artti-
lcry, Ltcuts. Jones and 1Iuwe. Tho "rcd-ltgs"
appeared To take tu frontier life quito natur-
nlls. and did not look nearly "a much like the
"Dal,cs In the Wood y as ono might have sup.
posed. Tho so!uiers found IT. lillcult, however,
To- distinguish by my outward sign bctween
olllrcrs aud enlisted lnci OF tho column just
returned from the wars, for the fact is VIZ arc
NIL sce0y enough. an1, ~ fur rs our rallnent Is
concerned, calculated to bring the blns! of
sensitive tricllds III thu East X they
ahuuld happen to sec us. Ono change
Of cluthing continuously worn for couple OF
months, together with az utter absence q tt!e
to render some OF our swell cavalry officers bet
ter models for foot.pa.ls tilan for the coml,na-
lions VI Adonts nnd Mars that tlluy appear wien
arrayed in all tho glory aud gilt Of full-dress.
Heavy, brigandisl, Gcards usurp tho place Of thu
gracefully -eurylug nll!staellc, md torn blue
shirt tllat Ut the Elcttycorded uniform, coat.
That n,ass OF hrass and yellow hair. tho cavalry
helmet, gives way to battered felt lat punched
full OF lolcs Tor hctter ventilation, 10 describe
! wlirl. as "shoclilngly bad would be thu Wild
! est lattery. 1nstcal Of tho ncatly-ttting trou.
sers Of ilne blue cloth, which erstwhitc citcusea
the sllapcly lower cxtrensittcs Ut the gallant o-
ccr Of horse, now wo i.aye-but reEurtl for the
1ncr feelngs of\ the latiy fnends Of
the oilicera serving witt. this COM
maI,d bids ua patlse, drawing a curtain
| over the sud scene with the eonsnlatory remark
| that they oil haye good cluthcs aId sound
| paItaloo!,s at home.
At Mountain Mcadow wa lay over ono day,
and then pushed on to old Camp Crook, where
| wp found hnlf.a4lOzen log-Aousrt, will, the Ill
eyitable saloon. ltcrc We met Capt. Eagan
with AK" Company Of the Becond Cavalry,
whu camc up 10 meet Us with some cnpty
ior thc l'piunuer " that hitherto las lcen car
ripl by tic pack-trntn. Tho nfghts continue to
grow colder, and tho utter AbsCllca Of tents, all
the very seanty allowance Of bct!ltug,-ane
| blanket, ,-rcnderB our nights wnkefMl, niany o{t
Us passing tle ttms trying TO "tha" a'sa.,' Sat"
%os% Is ose nasnE a1s - ana Ser
plant II It were not that the memory OF shc
terrible march from the heal of
Heart River is yet too vivid IN thv
memory t. make us anything Dut
deyoutly ,h1nkful that we have plenty 70 eas,
and mnkcs us feel "a though We bud nt right to
Qrowl, snlply because wo don't have oil The lux
urcs Of life ahoWcrcd down upon ua ut once.
THE PATIENCE AND soLplEhr CONDUCT
OF the soldiers Of this command whilst suffer,
tnr the most heycre bar1ships to beyond