Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-11
ADVENTURE IN THE DACOTAH
TERRITORY.

In the autumn of 1871, an expedition was
organized to explore the almost unknown
region of the Yellowstone Valley, and re-
port upon the possibility of locating pro-
posed crossings over the Missouri. The
party consisted of General R and a
staff of about twelve engineers, with team
sters, cooks, etc., and an escort under the
command of General W, of several
companies of U. S. Infantry, some Gatlin
guns, and company of Indian scouts (Da-
cotahs or Sioux. The country to be trat-
ersed was unknown, and full of Sioux In
dams, professedly hostile to the proposed
railroad, and determined to oppose it, on
the valid ground, that the hunting, their
sole means of sustenance would be evidently
spoiled.
Owing to peculiar circumstance, though
only having been very short time in the
United States, l had the offer Of an appoint
ment on General Rs engineer corps;
and as such an opportunity Of seeing the
country rarely presented itself, [ gladly
availed myself of it. 1t was hardly my first
experience Of travel, as had already visited
many parts, including Australasia but
this was new experience, and having in
youth, like most English boys, had an in
tense desire, inculcated and fostered by the
marvellous books of Cooper, Mayne Reid
and others, to sec the noble savage in his
own domain, was delighted with the OPP
portunity.
Three guides who professed to know the
country were engaged; but they were of
little use; indeed, as General R OBJ
served, if we had secured the services of one
Or two more, we should have been hopeless
ly lost; as it was, their peculiar avocation
seemed to be to mislead us, and malign each
other, and it was found that, by putting
two under arrest, and then ignoring the
other, we facilitated our movements con-
siderably.
We rendezvoused at Fort Rice on the Mis-
souri-as the troops were drafted in compa-
MES from the different frontier forts and
marched there, or came up or down the
river, as the case might be, in fatboats-
and left September s, 1871. The great
object was to prevent surprise, as with our
forces, unless the Indians were able to COLI
centrate their bands, we were tolerably safe
from open assault; so on the line of march
we had skirmishers constantly thrown out,
and beyond them, riding up every eminence,
Gordon of scouts to give notice of the
slightest Indian signs. For several days we
saw none, but knowing the facility with
which the redskins hide, and the secrecy
of their movements, we never could be as
sured there were none about.
Many of the officers, and particularly
General W, had been selected on &C
count of their having seen service on the
frontier, and being acquainted with Indian
wiles and stratagems and after the days
march was over, sitting in the mess tent
after meal of antelope steaks, that would
have produced dyspepsia or dissolution in
many, and over the inevitable and invalua-
bic pipe, many story was told of Indian
warfare, and cruelties of the late Minnesota
massacre; till, Notwithstanding the triple
line of sentries and outposts necessary in
deed, but not always effectual to prevent
surprise), the first impulse of any one, if by
any chance he did wake up in the night,
was to carefully feel his head, and ascertain
the safety of his scalp. Once or twice In
dian signs were palmer and fresher than
usual; the prints of horses hoof, denoting
that one of their scouts had been around,
or, in one or two cases, the ashes of a
Smouldering fire, showed how closely we
had come to small party, but still no living
redskin had been seen by any one. Game
was plentiful; and any quantity of antelope,
black and white tailed deer and elk, were
killed by the skirmishers and mounted
scouts; but no one seemed much inclined
to stray far from the main body, knowing
the tendency of the enemy to pick of strag-
glers.
One day General -, with the engineer
corps and one company of infantry as escort,
was engaged taking levels and observations
along the dry bed of river, on each side
of which rose billy country, with bOulders
of granite sprinkled at intervals (relics of
the ice perioD, looking as if some giants
had been pelting each other with rocks
and few scattered shrubs at long distances
from each other. Fringing the river was
very thin belt of light cottonwood, and
underground of burberry bushes covered
with clusters of bright red and currant-like
fruit.
From the high-water mark, plainly visible
BY the washed-up debris of beaver-cut logs,