The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-07-22
GENERAL GIBBoNs ARRIVAL.

General John Gibbon and son, Lieutenant
Jacobs and Delegate Maginnis arrived in
Deer Lodge Saturday evening and stopped
until Monday, going hence to Helena. The
gentlemen are in excellent health and the
General looks ten years younger than he did
four years ago. when he arrived with his lit
tie band of veterans from the Big Hole battle
ground, Drowned of sun beaten of weather,
grimed with conflict, and nursing painful
wound He aud Lieut.. Jacobs appear TO be
happy to be in the old Territory where the
Seventh served 30 long and won renown, and
none could receive more cordial welcome.
The Generals business Is to collect, auIit and
report upon the claims Of volunteers who
Joined the forces Of the United States during
the Neg Perces war Of 1877, as provided for
by act Of Congress, March 3, 1881. The in
structions concerning these we have hereto
fore published. No appropriation has yet
been made TO pay these claims, and will not
be until General Gibbon reports and the War
Department has approved the same. This
applies only to men carrying arms, those
serving In the Quarterinaster's Department,
such as with ambulance team, having through
the active efforts of the General aud Lieut..
Jacobs, been literally compensated within a
few months after the campaign. II is antici-
pated these duties will keep the General here
until October.
1t is Ia contemplation for the party to cele-
brate the fourth anniversary Of the Big Hole
battle on the field, on the 9th of August. and
party will be made up for that purpose,
which will leave Butte . few days earlier.
We mentioned recently that many of the
skeletons, whites and Indians, had been ex-
humed by bear or otherwise and were strewn
upon the field. The General will doubtless
lake measures to have these collected AMI
given sepulture on the field, where they can
be protected without difficulty fro further
RESERVATION.
IL Is also worthy custom to erect on bat
tle-felds monuments TO commemorate the
services Of those who fell In or survived the
conflict. We think this should be done ut
Big Hole. u was as gallant conflict, with
As brave Zoe, As the history Of our frontier
records. IL was the performance of y duty
commanded by the United States. 1t was an
attack upon ap heroic force numerically
superior, male after series of almost unprc-
cedented marches, and In which vaior, disci-
pine, endurance AMI gooi generalship COM
oined wrested victory from the jaws of dis
lster and crippled defiant foe. The history
of the Neg Perces shows these Indians
should never have been driven TO the war
path, but when they did take 1t, AMI the SOL
iier was ordered TO give them battle, 1t was
not for him TO question or hesitate. The
soldiers Of the Seventh and their volunteer
associates did their duty nobly, and we hope
that, as on other fields, the Nation will set
there an enduring monument TO mark where
brave men met aud battied the foe Of the flag.
Il Is not probable another great Indian war
will ever disturb the Northwestern frontiers.
The iron parallels that are daily reaching
into the heart Of the Indian country are re-
ieeming IL from savage domination. Far
down on the grassy slopes OF Eastern Mon
tana a gray obelisx marks where Clusters
seventh cavalry heroes, five years ago, died
unto the last man In the hopeless conflict
with chieftain who Is now broken and de-
serted, while his bands are scattered aud
powerless. Let like monument ON the
western mountain tops OF the Territory mark
where . year later Gibbons handful of the
Seventh infantry, In the name Of the United
States, closed Ia death grapple with the
brayest and best commanded Indians on the
continent and held the field, whiiu Bear Paw
completes the sacred triangle within which
has since been peace. Not less that aaese
conflicts occurred In the remote fastnessss II
the duty to commemorate them, and the gray
granite that marks the last in the wild West
wil'bs dner monument than the marbles