National Republican., 1880-11-13
DBPARrMENr or DAKorA.:
nerp,.t of aenornl Aired II. Terry.


The report of General Alfred II. Terry com
mandlng the department of Dakota, gives In detail
the military operations which have taken place in
the department during the year. Tho total forcc
In tho department, embracing the districts Of tho
Yellowstone. Montana, and tho independent posts,
MS made mp from the latest returns, Is as follows:
Officers, 3ls; enlisted mon, i2l3; Indian scouts, ~.
lie says. "rhe most important events which havo
taken place IN the departmental during the past year
arc the completion Of Fort Meade the demolition
of the old buildings at Fort Bennett, and the con.
structon there OF new quarters, etc. Tor one com
pany of infantry the continuation of building ut
Forts ASslnoboiuc aud Alissoua the construction
OF telegraph lines the repair Of the Mullnn wagon
road, the movements Of troops along the line OF the
Northern Pacific railroad, giving protection TO
ment OF cnntonmeut at the Poplar Creek Indian
agency, aud the surrender of large body Of hos.
uIe sioux 70 Colonel Miles, tho commanding
officer at Fort Keogh
I'm addition to tie sum OF 100000 especially mp
propiated by an act Of congress for the construc.
last year. tho sum OF sci i32 50 has been devoted
TO this work from the general appropriations for
barracks, quarters and hospitals for tho Inst two
years, This sum has suiiced 10 complete the post,
aud II now affords excellent accommodation for
| four companies Of utnntry and six Of cavalry.
grcnt haste at q lime whnn tho disposition of the
Indlnns surrounding Il was such that II WAS necos-
sary to concentrate there large body of troops.
These quarters were originally little more than
hutS, and by lnpse OF time they had become unit
| for occupation. At tho same time the temper Of
The surrounding ludinns had so changed that
| large force was no longer needed there. The old
quarters were, therefore, torn down. and COM
lort0bo and substantial buildings for one COM
! pany have been erected In their stead.
| The original appropriation for Fort Assnaboine
OF 100000 was expended last year leaving the post
III very incomplete state. Az the last session Of
congress, therefore, an appropriation OF $50 900 was
made TO continue the work, The work was
sumod us soon rs possible after money for u be-
came available, aud II Is now progress. It's ex-
/ hp npHh hnfr MT
| closes In. Fort MissOula never having been cont
pleled, the sum OF S2O0Uo has been, by order of
the secretary ofwnr set aside for this purpose from
| the appropriation for the current year. This sum
| Is now being expended In the construction of new
buildings. An appropriation Of $4,000 having
been made at the last session of congress for tho
| repair Of the Mullen wagOn.road In Montana and
| Idaho, LicutenantCo!ouel George Gibson, Third
| Infantry, the commanding officer of Fort Missoua.
was, by an order of the honorable secretary Of
| war, placed IN charge ofthc work Two companies
| of the Third Infantry, from Colonel Gbsons post
were early in August placed on the road between
Fort MiSsoulo aud the summit OF the Occur dAlenc
| mountains, ,0ud they have been busily engaged in
making repairs ever since. They will probably be
employed III this duty TIL the end OF the present
| month.
Since my Inst report the military telegraph lines
! In the department have been extended by the con-
| structOn OF the section between Fort Missoula and
| the summit of the Occur dAlene mountains so
| that now the whole system contains over lG50
miles OF wire, nearly all Of which was put up by
the labor of troops Two additional sections are
| much needed. VIZ: one between jamestown, D. T.,
and Fort Iotcn, d. r., aud one between Morris,
| Mimi, and Fort Slsseton, D. 4, | recommend that
appropriations for the construction of these Sec
tons be asked for.
work on that section of the Northern Pacific
railroad which lies between the Missouri and yell
! lowstono rivers has bccn vigorously prosecuted
during the past summer and Is still in progress.
The track of the road Is already laid far west
the Little Missouri river; the roNd.bod will be COM
pleted and probably the track will be laid as far
west as the mouth Of Glondno creek before winter
sets In. Two companies of the Filth Infantry, two
OF the Eleventh. one Of the Scycntcenth and three
companies of the seventh cavalry. all under the
command of Major Lewis Merrill of tho Seventh
cavalry, havo been stationed along the line since
early IN June, aud have given complete protection
from hostile Indians to the working parties en-
! gagged In the construction. These troops will re-
main on tho line until they aru driven in to their
posts by severe weather.
AFTER Colonel Miles very successful movement
against the hostile Sioux In 1870 hoped aud
expected that they would remain in the British
possessions aud that In tlfe future we should be
{ FREQ from the annOyances to which We hayo been
subjected by them These hopes and expectations
have been disappointed. Driven by necessity Ia
follow the herd Of buffalo, they recrossed thc
have bcen on our soil ever since. Raids by small
parties Into the valley Of tho Yellowstone and In
contiguous regions have been frequent but they
have been successfully and gallantly met by
| Colonel Miles and tho troops under his command
recently change secms to have taken place IN
the sentiments of those Indians. A lRrg,
number OF thom have come Into Fort KoUgl
and surrendered themselves as prisoners of war
in oil 0jy Indians IL is believed that a large
majority OF lnOSe slll out Will surrender beiOr,
cold weather sets in. 70 bring about this resul
Colonel Miles, Mt his own suggestion, has been di
r1cted " notify the different bands that shoulC
they not como III to Fort Keogh by q special tint
they will be pursued by military force, killed, cap
1 turGd or driven across the border. Colonel Mile
Is now making preparations TO take the field II
case II should become necessary 10 do so.
5 "Duringiho months oi August and September
4 large number of the hostile Sioux collected abOu
/ the Poplar creek agency. Their conduct was zen
/ orally pe0ceabe, though they plundcred til
agency gardens The agent having becom
alarmed Tor the safety of tho agency reported t
the bureau of Indian affairs aud tho honorabl
secretary Of the interior that military protection
J was needed, and received orders from the lieu
ten0nt'general u station troops there. Two com
j. panies OF the Eleventh infantry were selected fl
0 this purpose, and arrangements hayo been mad
to put them IN huIs at the agency during the CON
ing winter.
Notwithstanding tho surrender of portion
the hostile Sioux. still think that post shuul
] be established on Fronchmah's creek, and as neu
: to the boundary possible. l therefore renOw tn
' recommendation which / made In my last ~
nual report that an appropriation OF $4,000 b
= asked Tor for this purpose. | transmit hcrewit
\ the reports OF tho district and post commander
and also the reports of the stan Officers serving
p these headquarters.
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Official vote of Pennsylvania.
J. HAERsBuUG, Pa, Nov. 12.--The following is til