The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-08-06
TO ~KISLINGBURY'S RELIEF.
Surrounded by Sioux Under Yellow
Eagle on the M~usselshell.
The Inflated Lieutenant of the Greedy
Expedition Shared the Perlls and
H~ardships of the Indian

st. Louis Globe-D Democrat.

OtdtCS dIAlN lS dt IAOCItCl . AOLCI. 4AC
colonel served many years on the plains
and gained some celebrity as an Indian
fighter He was a personal friend OF the
Inflated Lieut.. kislingbury, Of the
Greedy party, who died OF starvation.
The following narration, in which Kis-
lingbury figures c~onspicuously. was re-
lated to a Globe-Democrat reporter yes
terday afternoon by Col. Ilges:
In anticipation OF a winter campaign
of Gen. Miles against the hostile Sioux,
under Sitting Bull, then supposed to be
encamped along Frenchman's creek, in
the Milk river country of Montana, and
north of the Missouri river, Gen. Terry,
commanding the department OF Dakota,
caused the steamer Bachelor to load
about sixty tons of government stores,
consisting mostly of rations and forage,
at the mouth Of the Musselshell river,
during the latter part OF October, 1880.
The rlver froze solid within a few days
thereafter, and the steamer was only re-
leased from its perilous position by the
spring thaws OF the following year.
First Lieut.. Kislingbury, 18th infantry,
whose company was at that time serving
at Fort Custer, Montana, had been sent
to the mouth Of the Musselshell to guard
these stores. He had with him twelve
regular soldiers and ten Crow scouts.
He pitched his tents close to the river
bank and in front of a couple Of shacks
hunter and trapper. The surrounding
country for many miles was at that time
~uninhabited. There was adjoining his
location the deserted camp OF a battalion
of the 18th Infantry, which had been sta
toned there in the summer Of 1879.
The pits, enclosing a large area, skele-
ton brush shanties, bowers and adobe
chimneys still standing. Upon arrival
at the spot Lieut.. Kislingbury, with
rare foresight; burned and destroyed
these Of camp life. thinking
that they might serve an attacking enc
my to good purpose as a hiding place.
When the trouble afterwards came he
worked one whole night under the oc-
easipnal fire of the enemy, leyeling the
pits and using the material in construct
ing barricades around his own small
camp. [ was at that time stationed, as
major 9Th infantry, at Fort Keogh, and
under the command of Gen. Miles. The
authorities had meanwhile decided that,
owing to the inclemency of the weather
and severity of the winter, no campaign
should be undertaken. The thermome-
ter had already gone down to 28o below
zero Git soon after fell to below soy, and
there was much snow falling. One
evening, [ think about the Sth of No
vember, 1880, Gen. Miles was entertain
ing the officers and ladies of the post
with a hop at his house. / had attended
early in the evening, but, not feeling
well, retired to my own house and bed
derby called me to meet Gen. Miles at
once. [ found him studying a map of
Montana as he handed me
THE FOLLOWING DISPATCH:
CAMP MOUTH MUssELsHELL, Mont,
November =, 1886. Gen. Davidson,
Commanding District Fort Custer,
Mont: Have been attacked and am
surrounded by a large number Of hostile
Sioux. Killed one and wounded sever
al. No loss to us. Am strongly barri-
caded and will hold out as long as am
munition lasts.
(Signed) KIsL1NGBURY.
This may not be the exact wording,
but gives the purport Of the document,
which had been carried under cover OF
the night across the Missouri over a
hundred miles of snow and ice to the
nearest telegraph station at Fort Assina-
boine, Montana, by the faithful Paddy |
Rolls.
"Be ready, major, to start at once with
three mounted companies as soon as you'll
can get them ready. You want but five |
days rations and forage, as you will find
plenty on ARRIVAL said Gen. Miles.
''Shall I travel without wagons and
carry the baggage on pack animals n
I inquired. NO. said the considerable
chief. 1.-THE season is too severe and
the command must have its shelter
along. Take n ambulance with medi-
cal supplies along and two six-mule
49, 49, % yl~A1 IL Ill
lance, general? ' / inquired. "About
dian guides car find a way tor you. Get
there as fast as horsefesh will carry you
and relieve KisIingbury." II
At 3 o'clock in the morning we werel
on the move. Troop B, I'd cavalry, and \
companies F and G, 5th infantry, COM
manded respectively by Second Lieut. 1
enants Brett, Tillson and Legget. all 4
young men of the age of %. Ten Chey-
enne and Sioux Indians accompaniedIl
the expedition as scouts and guides.
This is no place to talk of the s%uffer-1
ings Of the trip, but the evening of the
fourth day found us at the mouth Of the
Musselshell after a ride Of sixty-fv4
miles between morn ana night, through
deep snow and bitter cold, crossink
Squaw creek seventy-three times, and
having left our wagons behind in charge
of q reliable sergeant to follow by SLOW
marches. I had intended to make this
last ride in two days, but the three
young lieutenants entered my tent
about 2 o'clock in the morning and
urged upon the importance OF imme-
diately~ relieving KisliDgbury. Oicourse,
in my hands rested the safety and we'll
being of my own column. [ hesitated
somewhat, but the young gentlemen