The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-12-03
CAMPAIGNING WITH CROOK.
How the Comfort of the Boys in Blue Has
Been Looked After.

No expedition has ever started on a
campaign against hostile Indians better
and more thoroughly equipped than.
In Crooks Powder river expedition
Indeed it may be said none has gone
forth so well prepared to withstand the
severity of this climate. Every soldier
is provided with a seal skin cap with
ear-laps and neck-proteetors, seal skin
gloves, and Arctic overshoes with pat
ent snow-excluders. These latter are
an immense improvement on the buffa-
10 oyershoe that has heretofore been
looked upon as being the desideratum
in the way of ~foot-covering for troops
serving in the field during the cold sea-
son in that latitude. Indeed the Arctic
is so far superior that comparison is
scarcely possible. In the first place, the
buffalo shoe was so clumsy that march
ing in it was about as comfortable as
walking in shackles; and so large thatthe
ordinary cavalry-stirrup would not hold
the foot. In addition to this, and worst
of all, as o o as it became wet it was
not only useless, but a positive nuisance.
The Arctic has no such objections, and
the troops are much pleased with it.
Besides these comforts, the troops had
warm clothing issued to them,-blank-
et-liDed overcoats and heavy blouses.
In fact, they are in shape to bid def
ance to V e a Fetterman cold snap,
when the thermometer becomes disgust
ed with nature and sinks down into the
bulb.
In accordance with General Sheri-
dams original plan of a cantonment of
l, 800 men on Goose Creek, which was
made fulfil by Crooks swinging around
the circle into the Black Hills last Sep
TENDER, a large quantity of supplies had
been gathered at Fort Fetterman, and
on the Powder river at the site of old
Fort Reno. Half-a-million pounds of
grain and about 60, 200 rations are now
at Reno, whilst large quantities are still
in store at Fetterman, and being for
warded as rapidly as possible. The les
son of the last campaign has evidently
been well conned by those in authority,
for nothing seems to have been left I'M
done to make officers and men as COM
Portable as possible. A Sibley stove is
allowed to two common tents; and when
the tents are pitched close together and
facing each other, with the stove be-
tween, no danger from cold, or even
much hardship, need be apprehended.
Capt. Furey, Chief Quartermaster of
the expedition, deserves great credit for
the manner in which he has carried out
these arrangements for the comfort of
the men, and will doubtless receive his
reward in Heaven, even if Congress
don't give him a brevet.
Lieutenant Webster, of the Fourth
Infantry, Post Quartermaster at Fettsr-
man, has also done yoeman service in
his department,-performing not only
his legitimate duties as Quartermaster
of the Post, but Depot Quartermaster
as well; connected with the latter is an
amount of work and responsibility alb
solutely astonishing to a civilian unac-
quainted with such matters.
Ever since the beginning of the pres
emit war, Fetterman has been the point
of concentration for all the troops en-
route for the front, and for their sup
plies. Bull-trains have been constantly
engaged in hauling supplies from Medi-
cine Bow, the nearest point on the I'm
ion Pacific railway, to that point, where
they were unloaded, and their cargoes
stored to await transportation to the
troops in the field When it is under
stood that this officer not only has the
actual work incident to this huge for
warding business,-as it might be called
but is made 'personally responsible for
the safe delivery of every pound of
freight that passes through his hands,
to the extent of his pay, and all this for
the pay of a First Lieutenant of Infan-
try, readers will admit that the officers
of the army are by no means overpaid,