Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-02

attack was commenced at Fort Rice. four
hours run from Bismarck. We had &c ,as-
ion to put of little freight at that lost
post. The enemy boarded our clipper the
steamer Rosebud, and made 1t hot for us
until morning. l had heard Rico was q
breeder ot "hostilcs." but didn't know
what that meant. I had never been ralded
BY all the imps of darkness, and didn't ap-
prectate the chances VIC were taking when
We struggled SO hard to make landing.
When we cleared Rice and the fight was on
the Missouri rivermosquitoe. had US, When
people talk OF passage up or down the
Missouri, 1t Is Sitting Bull that they think
Of l tell them that Sitting bull Is suck.
ing dove when compared With these mos
quitocs He is a patriarch, a Washington
or tree toad alongside of big muddy mos
quito. We fought them until 1t was too
dark for the boat to run with safety, and
then we tied up to high oak. The mos
quito was with US. We smudged. smoked,
We rolled over, got up, went on deck,
climbed the bank, built fires. came back,
pulled our portable hunks to the front
doors, turned In, smothered our oaths, pa
tience and breath of life, but all in vain. He
had US. We resisted, but it was the resis-
tance of Greece against the powerful odds
of the czar. 1t is not all of life to live or
all of death to die, but 1t Is ninety per cent.
of Ito hold out against any considerable
number Of mosquitoes. They abandoned
their easy victory upon the arrival of the
Rosebud at Standing Rock. We can't say
why, but they did. Yet this Is no mosquito
story. On the sixth Of June, above Ft. Blu
ford, wood-chopper was seen standing up
striking at the mosquitoes. He gave licks
alternately. The Indians at Berthold have
lived upon the elk and deer killed by the
mosquitoes. At Buford it Is common
thing for mosquitoes to kill cattle by get
ting up their nostrils or crowding down
their th!oats. Even now, in the timber
bottoms IN sight of Standing Rock, horse
couldn't live day. The Missouri has run
over the embankments great deal this
spring, and filled the timber flats with stag
nant water. Well.informed mosquito men
tell me that this water will all turn into
mosquitoes before September. The river
had never been born, if these wiseacres
prove reliable.
MAJOR wALsHs FATE.
A Montana man down from above gave
me some news. He seemed like an honest
fellow, with wife and two children. He
told me, upon his honor, that he heard an
officer at Fort Buford tell steamboat man
that Major Walsh had sent over for all the
spare troops that the commanding officer
could give him; that he, Walsh, had BEEN
fortifying his position for three weeks, and
was then in danger Of attack at any mo.
ment. He was in a savage box, or in the
situation that Father Genin recently pic.
tured for him through the Pioneer Press.
This Montana man certainly heard the
story or his other communication that he
built the first house in Helena is to be taken
with proportionate allowance.
Another Montana man informed me that
Sitting Bull had fifty thousand warriors,
and that all the troops on the upper Missou-
ri were under marching orders. The first
story repeated to lieutennnt and he did
not doubt It; and also to captain and he
didn't deny it. You see that there are SOL
diers who believe Sitting Bull is willing"
Lieut.. Chance, of Lincoln, brought in
yesterday to Bismarck, sixty recruits.
Rock on the mosquito plagued Rosebud
By the way, this Rosebud made the round
trip to Benton, 2,400 miles, in fifteen days
the boss time.
ABANDONMENT OF FORT RICE.
The officers families for Standing Rock
are coming down from Rice to morrow
with their baggage. Capt. Godfrey and
Capt Mathey with their companies of the
Seventh cavalry, have been assigned to
Standing Rock upon their return from their
summer camp at Bear Butte. The Rosebud
brought down from Lincoln the baggage of
Capt Nowlan's company, assigned to Stand.
ing Rock Capt. Bentcen, upon his own
request, will locate at Lincoln after the
summers campaign. First Lieutenant Hare,
who was married the other evening in st.
Paul to Miss Hancock. will be stationed
here. He belongs to Nowlans company.
He has been favored officer at Lincoln,
and will be missed. Rice is the Oldest
place on the upper Missouri. having been
built in 1864. 1t has been esteemed pleas.
ant one, with good site and not very far
from civilization since the railroad was com.
pleted to Bismarck. Lieutenant Colonel
Otis, of the Seventh cavalry, is now in COM
mand. A little steamer will bring the bag.
gage tomorrow belonging to the companies
of Captains Godfrey and Nowlan. with
their families and laundresses Capt. Po
lands company, infantry, will remain at
Rice this summer to see her dismantled and
the available timber and lumber moved to
Standing Rock.
STANDING ROCK.
will be lively this summer There is bust
ness ahead, besides the settlement of the
agency scandal. Two sets of double officer
quarters, two sets of mems quarters, quar-
ters for the laundresses, four cavalry stables,
warehouses, ETC., will have to be built.
Provisions must be made for nine compan.
les, five Of infantry and four of cavalry
Standing Rock was built originally for two
companies, but 1t developed into five. and
with the passing summer into nine. 1t has
beautiful location, commanding from an
elevated plateau miles of river view. Gen.
w. P. Carltn. lieutenant colonel of the
Seventeenth infantry, is the commanding
officer. His reputation as soldier is one
OF the best ofthe best. He contemplates WIS.,
it to Europe this summer. He will probably
be gone six months.
The Rosebud unloaded several big piles
/ 0f 1unn1Aor for 10 s,opo h,,;1diooo