New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-16

the immense journey was by rail, a portion
| by steam transports, and about 800 mile
by marching, the extent of the prelimin
airy preparations rendered necessary in al
expedition Of this kind will be appreciated
1t was not until July that the Vel
lOwstOne expedition assumed definite shape
and began its westward movement iron
Fort Rice. The engineers and surveyors o
the Northern Pacific railroad were undel
| the direction and management of Genera
Thomas L. Rcsser. Tho gentleman deserved
fuller notice than the limits of this article
will permit. He and had been cadets to
gether at the Military Academy at Yves
Point. occupying adjoining rooms, and DO
| ing members of the same company, otter
marching side by side in the Performance,
of our varions military duties while at tbt
Academy. When the storms of secession
| broke in 1861, ROsser, in common with the
| majority of the cadets from the Southern
States, resigned his warrant, and FASTENED
| to unite his personal fortunes with those O
his State-Texas He soon won distinction
! in the Confederate army, under Lee, anC
finally rose to the rank and command o.
Major General OF cavalry. | held a milal
rank and command in the Union army, and
it frequently happened, particularly during
the last year OF the war, that the troops
commanded by Rosser and myself were
pitted against each other in the opposing
lines OF battle, and the two cadets OF earlier
years became rot only hostile foes, bu,
| actual antagonists.
When the War was ended Rosser, like
many of his comrades from the South whu
| had staked their all upon the issue of the
| war, at once cast about him for an OppDr.
| tunity to begin anew the battle. not OF war,
but of life. Possess sing youth. health, man =
| and large abilities, added to indomitable
pluck, he decided 10 trust his fortunes amid
1 l. Lac Il
| where he sought employment in one of the
| many surveying parties acting under the
auspices of the Northern Pacific road Upon
| applying to the officer OF the road for a
| position as civil engineer, he was in
| formed that NJ vacancy existed to which he
could be appointed. Nothing daun,ed. he
persisted, and finally accepted position
among the axmen, willing to work, and
proved to his employers not only his in
dustry, but his fitness tor promotion. He
at once attracted the attention OF his gu
periors, who were not slow to recognize bis
merit. Rosser was advanced rapidly from
one important position to another, until IN
few months he became the chief engineer
OF the surveying party accompanying the
expedition. In this capacity l met him on
the plains of Dakota. in 1873, nearly ten
years after the date when in peaceful scab~
bards we sheathed the swords which on
drawn against each other. The manly
course adopted By Rosser after the war his
determined and successful struggle against
adversely, presents q remarkable instance
OF the wonderful recuperative powers OF the
American character.
Scarcely day passed, during the pro-
gress Of the expedition from the Missouri to
the Yellowstone, that General Rosser End
l were not in each Others company por-
pnIn
saddles, boot to boot" climbed together
unvisited cliffs, picked our way through
trackless canons, or SAT at the same mess
table or about the same camp fire. During
these strolliDg visits we frequently ques.
toned and enlightened each other as to the
unexplained or but partially un ierstood
battles and movements in which each had
played part against the other.
Passing over all this, and emitting the in.
cidents of the march from our starting
point, Fort Rice, on the Missouri we come
10 the time when we found ourselves Gu
camped on the east bank of the beautiful
and swift ti,wing Yellowstone, about 100
miles from its mouth. AT this point the |
expedition was met by a steamer sent for |
that purpose by the Missouri, hundreds of |
miles above Fort Rice, then up the Yellow j
stone to tie point OF iuncture. From it |
fresh supplies of forage and subsistence |
stores were obtained. This being done, the |
entire expedition, save small detachment |
left at this point to guard our supply stores,
intended for our return march, was terried /
by the steamer across the Yellowstone
river. Our course for several days carried
us up that stream, oar tents at night being
usually pitched on near the river bank.
The country to be surveyed, however.
soon became SO rough and broken in places
that we encountered serious delays at
times in finding practicable route for our
0ng and heavily laden wagon trains over
'Ocks and through canOns hitherto unex-
'lored by white men. SO serious did these
become, and SO much time
vas lost in accomplishing our daily marches
hat suggested to General STANLEY that |
honld take with me each day couple of
Ompanies of cavalry and a few of the H.
ian scouts and seek out and prepare a
road in advance, thereby pre-
enting detention of the main command.
his proposition being acceded to, it was nv |
ustom thereafter to push rapidly forward
the earlv morning, gaining an advance |
several miles upon the main expedition,
nd by locating the rOute relieving the ,
oops and trains in rear of great amount
fatigue and many tedious detention |
me OF the results of this system was that [ | =
nd my little party, who were acting as :
loneers, usually arrived at the termination t
our days march, our camp ground for d
le night, at an early hour in the day, sew '
al hours in advance of the main portion of | {
10 expedition. a
This Of itself was quite an advantage. q
1t gave the party in advance choice of '
mp ground, and enabled themselves and 4
'rses to obtain several hours of rest not e.
10y ed by their less fortunate comrades in u
9 rear We had marched several DAYS Il
ter our departure from the point at which | 81
8 crossed the Yellowstone without dis G
vering any signs or indications of the | |,
essence of hostile Indians, although our "
outs and guides had been constantly on | ii
e alert, as we knew We were ,raversng a
portion of the country infested by savage 81
bes. On the morning OF August 4, with q,
o companies OF the Seventh Cavalry, m
BY Captain Moylan and Colonel til
ster-who, with my adjutant. Lieutenant W
lhoun, and Lieutenant Varnum, CON- in
seq tug officers of the psrty,,and guided hs
my favorite scout, Bloody Knife, a ar
nng Atickaree warrior, the entire party Va
mbering eighty-six men and five officers, BIT
eft camp at five o'clock in the morning. W
I set out as usual to explore the country al
lind practicable route for the main
umn. Soon after we left camp Bloody vi
ife's watchful eyes discovered fresh 10
MS OF Indians. Hating long enough to it.
ow him to examine the trail, Bloody tn
lIe was soon aDle TO gather all the in to
nation attainable. A party of Indians In
been prowling about our camp the sis
vious night, and had gone away, travel do
in the direction in which we were then ci,
rching. SD
his intelligence occasioned no particular mt
prise, as we had been expecting to dis MT
er the presence of Indians for several | if
70. Bloody knife's information produced TIL
change in our plans. The hostile party ba
whose presence we had become aware ey
nbered nineteen our party numbered sex
r ninety. SO, sending intelligence back | Sd,
yaporQ1 Stanlpv Of the cirauvns4opoo If | do