The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-01-13
Interesting "reminiscences Of,
Cold Winter at the Big
Military Post.
The Mercury Once Tumbled Down
to Fifty-flve Degrees
Below Zero.


The winter Of 1879 so was one of the cold
est seen in Montana for many years. The reg
lister of the thermometer in the signal station
at Fort Assinniboine showed ono morning.
when the observer took his early obserya-
tion, that the lowest temperature reached
during the previous night was ~ degrees be-
low zero. The air was perfectly still, geneF-
ally, when such periods of eoldness came.
The only motion 10 be seen WAS presented
by the slowly moving sentries wrapped in
great buffalo coats with their feet protected
from the intense cold by heavy buffalo over
shoes. Occasionally the inmates Of the
quartermaster's corral would straighten ont
long necks and bray out long-drawn
protest against the icy grip of the atmos-
p iere and then relapse into their former at
titudes. The white smoke coming from the
cnImneys Of the various bindings of the
post curled slowly up into the frosty air
and mingled with the great cioul of haze
that hung over the wide plain. Eighty
miles away, TO the north, We're the sweet
Grass hil,s. to the east we're tbs Little
Rockies. Nothing else broke the broad tx
panse of the snowy prairie. At the post
MAS Stationed the Eighteenth infantry under
command of Ii. NJ. Black. who
had brought his command from Georgia Ia
Bismarck By rail- aud thence up the mud ~
Missouri 10 Coal Banks. Ffum the latter
place they had marched about forty milts
nearly due north and on the banks of
l} aver creek, near Milk river, establ shed
one of the l'rns 81 frontier posts IN the
norihw, 81. Sitting Bull. with hls Uncap ,Ia
ana Dgalllla SiuuX, were Il wn III the big
Ia, .f NJ alE nlsttft as bf fttla- Trnun
Asslnniboine. Tiiey were being pushed 10
tue wall by Col. Guido llgcs and his brave
cavall ylnen. IL Was about tnls time thHt
small palty OF rec Indians had wandered
over the line from the British possessions
Oh the north. WON out fr,m the long trip
ana suffering from the intense cold, they
uad pitched their lodges at night near the
willows on the south bank of Milk river
me twenty miles from Assinnihome. The
few gaunt and hungry docs belonging TO the
party, like their owne i, had soon sunk INTO
deep slumber Ii was 80 cold and their
camp seemed TO he SO well hid
den that even the habitual eau.
ton of the Indian nat ne lust its
yig0r. AL sound nslrep and 10 guard. no.
so with the Sioux. In the early morning
that camp was jumped by a war party o
young lUux In ks. ! he nght was supit.
.n old squaw and her boy ut II rot away,
something they never could account tOl.
lt,r boy had heli ed to NJ indo of his enem.cs
al the expense Of "A lingering death. The
old ", man could MT help him W &. the
mple means with VIII ch she WIS m.lA.r,
Tor u rifle b III had passed tl.r ~. hls
thighs. She put him on u trlyox, Wn.ch q
scrswny cayuse dragged over tue SHOW O.
the military post while she judged al n
and cOmforted the little warrior as esf s o
could. The post surgeon took gre nt,r-
est IN the ces'. lie mad il u spe ! study
as long rs II lasted. No white mother yer
showed more tender d vlti1n I an that
poor Indian woman. He ] tito b was
all she had, and III his face Sic W 70 e,ted
the features OF that other warrior wh had
gone 10 the hunting grounds of III IN linn
hereafter. Amputalion the surgeon thou. mt
might spare to the mother the lfc pf
her boy. but his hiys as warrior
would be at an end. She clr not
Tor w,r-sLe wanted tier boy. he opera
tion WAS performed and the surgeon held
out hopes To the mother. The hoy :, eucd
to get better for few days. The mother
was happy. A dali. cloudy day cam. "He
Is gong nwny.' the surgeon sa Il
% the mierpr, ter; tell her So"
She spoke few wOrds 10
the boy. lie smiled family through hi4
pain -pinclied features. faint, we4rd sound
was crooned through HIS tightly drawn lips.
IL was the deaih-song he had been taught
by his father. His eyes shonn with wild,
defiant light, unmostened by tears. The
death-song grew fainter, then all WAS quiet.
He was buried next dny near TIA plst.
His mother mounted the ruwny pony
few days later and sat Uut 10. the north.