The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-02

What Col. Forsyth Saw During Ms Recent
Trip to the Indian country-condi-
lion Of the Military Posts
The indian Tribes.

Col. James W. Forsyth, of Gen.
Sheridan's staff, who went out to the
department of the Platte to inspect the
cavalry and the means of transportation,
has returned to headquarters, after an
absence Of three weeks. This inspec.
ton embraced the cavalry, supplies, and
means of transportation at Mcpherson,
Sidney, Red Cloud, Fort Laramie, San.
ders, and Russell. He reports four
companies Of cavalry at Mcpherson,
three at Sidney, nine at Red Cloud, five
at Laramie, seven at Russell, and four
at Sanders. Two companies stationed
at Fort Steele, INT at Fetterman, an
other at Spotted Tail, and two at Camps
Stambaugh and Brown respectively,
were not inspected by the Colonel.
Each company will average eighty men
and as many horses, all in condition for
field service. The only men in hospital
are q few recruits who were injured by
being thrown from their horses. The
men are undergoing daily practice in
the mounted and dismounted drills.
Two-thirds of all the men are new re-
cruits, who have been enlisted under
the law allowing 100 men to the COM
pany; but none of the companies con-
tain the maximum number, for the rea-
son that many sick and disabled SOL
diers have been discharged this winter.
At Cheyenne depot and Red Cloud
Agency there are extra supplies for field
trains. At the former place Col. For
sythe inspected, besides the provisions,
$50 trains and 400 pack animals. The
pack animals are now engaged in car
rying supplies from the railroad to
Fort Reno and the surrounding posts.
At Red Cloud there are % teams and
large stores of provisions and ammuni-
ton.
The colonel reports that on the 10th
inst. rations were issued at Red Cloud
to 3,10S Indians, of whom 217 were
Cheyennes, $50 Arapahoes, and 2,841
Sioux. On the same day rations were
issued at Spotted Tail to about 5000
Indians, making the number fed at the
two Agencies over 1000. The old chief,
Red Cloud, is broken down and dispir-
tied, and seems inclined to spend the
balance of his days in peaceful pursuits.
The colonel saw some Indians at Red
Cloud who had just come in from Crazy
Horses camp, which they reported as
being located on Tongue River, near
the mouth of Hanging Woman's creek.
They reported that a heavy fall Of snow
covered the country bordering on
Tongue river, and said that Crazy
Horses hostiles had gone out to sur
round a large herd of buffalo, and that
they intended to nov over into the
Powder River valley very soon. The
snow had nearly all melted from the
plains, though it was still deep in the
mountains. Prior to Feb. list the
weather had been extremely cold and
stormy, but since that time it had been
quite pleasant. 1t was reported at the
Agencies that the hostile redskins would
probably return to Spotted Tail with
the chief of that name, who, with a
party had gone out to confer with them;
but they vow they never will go back to
Red Cloud, because the Sioux at that
agency hired out as scouts to the Crook
expedition.
Col. Forsythe made the trip from
Cheyenne to Red Cloud-119 miles
in thirty hours. He thinks this the
shortest and best route to the gold dig
ings. The coach which he took passage
on carried ID gold-seekers and 1000
pounds of baggage. The line is stocked
with fine stock and new Concord
coaches. They saw one herd of 1900
antelope. The colonel says that Chey-
me has become a lively town.