, 1884-11-13
FORTS AND INDIANS.
General Gibbons Report of This Iaunt
Through Wyoming.
The Fetterman Massacre Victims
Lying in Neglected Graves.
The Arapahoe Indians Starving and
Serious Trouble Imminent.

lell tne department on tnht DAY. once
that time and until quite'recently, General
GiSbon has been the commanding Of
ficcr, and in connection with his duties
has visited the various forts in Nebraska,
Wyoming and Utah. The following OK
tracts of his report of the Forts and In
dams in this Territory will be of general
interest:
| have visited and inspected every post
in the Department The troops are gen
orally IN a satisfactory condition of drill
and discipline, well supplied and cared
for, but not in all cases properly sheltered;
at some of the posts, notably Fort Doug
las, Bridger, Russell and Laramie, they
are inconveniently crowded, but with the
new quarters o o to be erected at Fort
Russell and the new company barracks at
Fort Washakie with some few additions
ut Fort Douglas and Bridger, all the troops
now in the Department will be better and
more comfortably accommodated by max
ing some few transfers of companies.
When this is done | urgently recommend
that regiments be consolidated as far as
possible at adjacent posts, and regimental
commanders be required to visit and in
spect all the companies of their regiments.
At present from the necessities of the
case, some of the regiments are scattered
at three and four different posts. some
times widely separated. the DIST Infantry
at five.
The last posts l visited we're Forts Nc
Kinney and Washable, the former admir-
ably located at the foot of Big Horn
mountains, has a route of supply nearly
300 miles north from Cheyenne. The
part Of the road north from Fetterman is
over the very worst portion of an extreme
ly d~esolate country, where for most of the
way feed for wild animals is entirely want
ing without going for miles off the road.
The distance from Cheyenne to McKin-
ney is considerably shortened by the Rock
Greek route. a part of which, however, is
very rough and through a difficult canon
almost impossible, by reason of deep
snow, for freight trains, during a greater
part of the winter and spring.
From Mckinney north to Custer Sta
ton, on the Northern Pacific r. r., runs
a road l am told, and believe, far better,
winter and summer in all respects than
the one south, through a much better
country and only one-half the distance.
The last is the natural line of supply for
Fort Mckinney and | urgently recon-
mend its adoption.
Whilst at Fort Mckinney, I visited the
site of old Fort Phil Kearney. The site
is now occupied by productive grass and
grain fields and the whole region is rapid
ly settling up. The cemetery where lie
the remains of the officers and soldiers
who fell in the Fetterman massacre, and
a number of other officers and soldiers
killed by Indians during the occupancy Of
that post, is entirely open, the wooden
fence originally around it having been
partially burned and afterwards, as | was
informed, carried away and used for fuel
by passing travellers. The brick monu-
meet erected to the memory of Fetterman
and his men is destroyed, even down to
the very foundation. | recommend that
a plain, substantial stone wall, without
gateway, be erected around this cemetery,
with a simple tablet stating as near as pos
sible who are buried within. The cost
will not be more than a few hundred dol
lars.
From Mckinney, l passed directly
across the country to Fort Washable, on a
road which | directed explored this
Spring. The distance is 1877 miles, and
with the exception of a very steep and
difficult hill on the east end where the
road crosses the southern spur of the Big
HON mountains, the road is affair one for
wheeled vehicles. The country is rough
and in many places desolate and unpro-
ductive, but it is a good grass region and
is rapidly filling up with domestic cattle
and ranches. Wild game is very scarce,
and made more 50 by the frequent hunt
ing parties of the almost starving Indians
from the neighboring tribes.
At Fort Washable | had an interview
with the principal chiefs Of the Shoshone
and Arapahoe Indians. Washable, the
chief of the Shoshones, was, much to my
regret, absent, and the other chiefs of his
tribe declined, in his absence, to say any
thing except to extend to me a most cor
dial welcome, but the chiefs of the Arapa-
hoes complained bitterly of the lack Of
provisions, and this was confirmed by
their agent. who was invited and present
at the meeting. He states that the issues
now consist of two pounds of -four a oeeL
to each Indian, with no prospect of an in
crease. | was informed that the indians
frequently eat at once, when issued. the
whole weeks ration mot a very
difficult matter for a healthy
adult, and the Post Commander
informed me that last Spring a number o
deaths from starvation occurred in tn,
tribe. The agent also informed me tina
three years ago when game, including
buffalo, was plentiful, the issue of bee
was much greater than it is now, and 70
three years it had been steadily decreas
ing, although the buffalo had entirely dis
appeared from the vicinity, and othe
game was becoming alarmingly scarce. l
some steps are not taken before SprinI
to relieve the necessities of these starving
Indians they will be forced by the frs
law of nature to kill domestic cattle, an