The New York herald., 1879-07-29
NILES BASE OF SUPPLIES.

LIVELY SCENE ON THE BORDERS OF cIvILIzA-
| TIoN-pREPARATIoNs FOR CAMPAIGN
SKETCH OF THE FORCE WATCHING SITTING
BULL-MEANs OF EDUCATING INDIANS
FoRr PECK. NJ. T.. July Is. 1879.
About 4S degrees north latitude. and between lo0
and l07 longitude west, the big bend OF the Mis-
souri, and over 1900 miles by river from Bismarck.
the present terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad
and all civilization. stands Fort Peck. Once import
ant. Indian trading post. long since abandoned,
nothing of 1t remains but ruined stockade.
the crumbling walls of once extensive store
house. and an old covered way to the more CON-
manding ground the hill that rises behind it.
This spot long abandoned by white man and
red. is repeopled. full Of life and labor.
| Here steamboats, and large colony
| of human ants unloading them. Hero is General
Miles base of supplies for his expedition. The bank
looks like st. Louis steamboat levoe piled up is
it with boxes and merchandise and grain of all kinds.
But the tents of G and companies of the Sixth in
fantry the sentrios. with their muskets. standing
guard these stores; the horses. with military
equipments hitched about, ana preponderance OF
ordnance and ammunition never since the rebellion
to be steamboat levee. stamp its character
not a commerce. but apportaning to grim visaged
war.
Tho brow OF the hill that rises little back of the
banks is crowned with 100 six-mule wagons. with
the mules quietly grazing beyond. few arc tied to
the wagons in readiness. The long line OF Siblcy
tents, with their white conical tops rising. spire
like. behind tho wagons give species Of the Cathc
dral Of San Marco style OF archiecture-a graceful.
Moorish. minaret like finish to the brow OF tho
hill.
THE INFANTRY FORCE.
Next beyond these come companies A, B, c. G, II.
l and K Fifth infantry, General Miles own regi-
ment commanded by Captains Casey. Carter. Owen
shine, Borden. Randall and Hargous. 1t looks like
cavalry command, with its lines Of Indian PONIES
picketed along the line Of tents This infantry rcgi
ment campaigns altogether mounted Indian
ponies captured in former Indian wars Miles per-
ceived some time ago that Indians could catch US
when they pleased and that when served their pur
pose to retreat unable to follow them mp.
he took the earliest opportunity to mount his men
the same anilna.s on which the Indians enjoyed
with good results. The little animals
tat aud frisky on tho small amount OF
them much. Their ancestors for many generation
back have never known more luxurious provender
than grass and brush, and the amount of forage
required to keep American horse in condition
would cause two Indian ponies to die OF surfeit
They have of the meannesses Of the California
bronco. They brought up like the Irshnan's
pig in the heart OF tho family and are very doce in
One hundred recruits wore assigned this battalion
this morning. and this evening they are being intro
duced to their ponies The nrst sergeants are super
intending the operation There is sort of i'm
pronptu track, where the neophyte is put
on his horse bareback and made to walk
amid the good naturcd jeers Of the old
men, while some display elegant horseman-
ship and receive the plaudits of their comrades
Colonel Whistler Lieutenant colonel the regiment
commands the infantry. The Colonel is veteran of
thrtythree years service. straight, over six feet
tall, with Immense OF closely curling iron
gray hair for which the Indians have chrlstened
''Bad HAIR In fact, the majority Of bis officers
| ,rffh nt,i1xu II flnfp
boards and showing the inevitable traces Of four
years and fourteen years hard frontier service
on top OF that. Lieutenant Long. regimental ndju-
tant is with this battalion its adjuint in the field
CAVALRY BATTALION.
Beyond them is the cavalry battalion from Fort
Keogn, consisting or companies A. u. and l. cap,
tains Dewers. Peale higgins and Hamilton. md
lieutenants Hall and Kingsoury. 1t is commanded
by Colonel Eugene Baker. who acquired reputation
some years ago by overtaking and routing the Pic
gans in the dead of winter. Still further como
the tents of the Second cavalry battalion,
! companies NJ and q Second cavalry, captains
Mix and wheelan. lieutenants O'Brien and Hoppins.
Major David Gordon commands these. The Major
was an early beginner in our late war. being of
those who made the celebrated dash through tho
main street OF Fairfax Court House, under Lieuen-
| ant Tompkins, Sixth cavalry. now Lieutenant Colo
mel Quarternaster's Department, and Chief Quarter
master. Department OF Dakota. In front Of these
come the heafqu uarter tents OF General Miles, with
Lieutenant baldwin. OF the Fifth infantry, acting
assistant adjutant general; Lieutenant Bowen.
quartermaster; Dr. Glrard, chief medical officer.
| A son OF Senator Lamar Is with tho expedition, o
| guest of the officers.
|
Near here too. stand the little artillery park Of
| Gatllng and the revolving Hotchkiss guns.
The largest is but 45 100 OF an inch caibre. They
are very demoralzing to the Indians, however. who
have nothing to reply to them. saw SOME good,
effective target practice with the Hochkiss at over
mile and half range. Captain Rice Fifth infantry,
Of trowe bayonet fame commands this battery.
| SCOUTS.
Up the river i'll another direction. came the trains
of pack mules. Still further on their little medicine
| flags iuttering among the tepecs. came the Indian
| scouts-Crows Cheyenues and Sioux. They are
| nntic al aller
the most picturesque Of all in their dress,
and OF lightest complexion. Their brilliantly striped
blankets, gaudy equipments and crimson sashes,
| nearly sweeping the ground, make group Of them
anywhere on green bank picture that neither
Titan nor Rubens could surpass for color effect
They have only two squaws with them. one OF whom
| guards, ornament and treasure, an ivory-han-
! dlcd umbrella. The troops and these Indian scouts
have just been paid in the field. The white soldiers
deposited less than ten per cont OF their earnings.
but the Indians have sent twenty per cent OF
theirs to their families.
| WAR AN ELEMEST CIVILIZATION.
At the risk OF digression 1 respectfully submit
that this hiring of those Indians by the government
Us soldier will do to civ.lize and Chris
tanize them in three months than will thirty
preaching to them in foreign tongue by man who
can neither kill game, ride horseback well fight
q style OF man whom they despise from the bottom
OF their hearts and whose sermons they humorousy
term .'wind pudding The Indian soldier receives
$13 month, the same ours, and forty cents day
additional for use and risk of his ponies and eq up
mcnt More faithful servants the government has
never had. Furthermore. the start the red man
gets i'll this way OF his brethren ho IL apt to
mold. They watch our company cooking closely.
buy exact duplicates of utensils aud
try our dishes. Those which please them
they adopt permanently. They acquire q great
fontness for milk. Any OF the Crows Will
give pony tor COW. and they have good iarm in
common and improved stock. These men have
stake in life and Will 60 to against 1t Is
noticeable how much of laughing animal the Indian
becomes by associating with whites. They learn
to play jokes each other soldiers do and
10y hearty laughs it, 1t il by association, thcn
with civilization generally beginning with that iifo
Of soldier raLchinan that exists on the frontier
and not by weekly treats OF ''wind pudding and
hapy pudding of moro satisfy ing kind, that the
Indian will be civilized. The $25 month that he
| ceivos u soldier and scout and the comfort that
brings to his tepee is better argument with him
to-day than homilics. spiritual doctrnal. tod him
in foreign tongue with idion and imagery that does
not appeal to him and by class OF men, however
worthy in our eyes, utterly despicabe in his.
PREPARATIONS FOR MOVE.
Tho river about hcro has been presenting livcy
| appearance. The steamers General Sheridan and
llosebud have been fcrrying the expedition across;
j ul.4Aln linn III Ia nlli N