Bismarck tri-weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1875-1881, 1878-01-26
CAUGHT IN ABLIZZARD.

Ox4OoxxA AXS "A 4oxkkzIzlkAkSOO
Major Smiths Command Badly; Used
Up by the BLIZZARD on the Blue
Blanket P1ains-.Two Men Frozen
to Death and Nearly Every Man i'm
tho Command Severely Bitten by
the Blizzard j. He 9gaa7
Major Smith, commander OF Co. F.
First Infantry, left Fort Sully on Sum
day morning 30th ult. for Standing
Rook pest All passed of we'll save the
few casualties liable to such expeditions
until Thursday, the I'd inst. The COM
mand reached Rush bottom, 100 miles
from Sully and few miles south Of the
Grand river, mouth, when it went into
camp. Thursday morning opened cold,
but with clear sun The troops at
the order to forward march, started
off on brisk pace seeming determined
on reaching Wannity bottom, 3Omiles
beyond, and get into camp early in the
evening. Immediately after striking
the Blue Blanket plains, about . o'clock,
the sun went under cloud, the wind
shifted to the north, The sky darkened
over and one of the most binding, ter.
rible billiards. known in Dakota set in
with impetuous ferocity. The plains
in this section were all burned over last
fall and the fierce north wind swept
with undated fury over the dreary
prairie right = o.. >. ..s...as
INTO THE FACE AND EYES OF THE NEN.
Ore by one the men, wearied by the
binding, cutting storm fell behind the
teams, and when the command reached
Wannity bottom at night fall, four of
the command were missing. Major
Smith Immediately dispatched a scout
and detail Of soldiers in search Of the
missing ones. About six miles from
lamp, two Of the four-Corporal Tar
;o:t and Private Sullivan were ever
aiken, the former wrapped up in a
blanket which had dropped from one OF
the wagons and which the soldier was
ortunate to reach just as fatigue and
cold had overpowered him. Both were
BADLY frozen, but not seriously
Search was then continued Few miles
,eyond, but night overtaki1g them aud
the cold rendering them nearly help
less the detaii returned to camp leav
ing the unfortunate men on the prairie
THE FROZEN MEN, -.....r ..~,
one q recent recruit, having lately en-
listed from Columbus, Ohio, and John
McEvoy, an elderly man, native Of
Ireland-were last seen as the storm
lulled, striving through the snow on
the Blue Blanket hills, one about 5
miles behind the train and the other
miles. There is no timbe. for several
miles from the road and the plain is =
high and sweeping one. The next
morning, Friday, Major Smith sent q
detail of men to bring in the unfortu-
nate soldiers if they could be found,
and then forwarded the remainder of
his detachment to Standing Rock, which
was reached on Friday night after
spending an unusually severe time At
Marsh's bottom, 25 miles below the
post. -. .-. ...-.
Among those who received frozen
ears and feet during the march, are
Major Jmith, Sergeant Gregory, Thos.
Carragsn, jesse Huber: and the Yank-
ton Herald correspondent, G.. F. 81.
C. F. Hsckett of the Yankton Herald,
the author of the above. has arrived
from Staining Rock, and adds that Nc
Evoy's body was fouod : few days
after the blizzard and week later
WAS buried. McEvoy has 5000 deposited
with Paymsster Candee, and . sister
living in Brooklyn or New York. The
recent recruit" was named John Carl.