Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-15

pSAolVI JIuU uEs
rived and set up his instruments.
Officers Of the army and of the railroad
were there, and l was very proud and
happy when they came to me and said.
Nov, you shall have the honor of writing
the first dispatch from your infant city. to
announce to the headquarters at New York
the completion of the telegraph line,p
With trembling hands, l wrote the words,
Inc listened eagerly to the click Of the in.
strument that told us the pencilled Thought
was w'nging its eastward way over the
mystic wires, that brought us once more in
ciose communion with the centers of civil
lzatlon, that heretofore had seemed 50 far
away. Here is the first message:
"Edwinton, the newly christened child of
!ne Nortlern Pacific railroad, sends greet
ing 70 the world! Through the medium Of
taT NSiiatnwestern telegraph she asks the
her vow of fealty to all public good.H
me Importance to US of the completion
OF this line can scarcely be estimated. Be-
lore this our only means of communication
VIII department headquarters was by mail
wa the Missouri river route to Sioux
City. There was nc postOfice at Edwinton
That year, and no mail route. The few let
ters received by the citizens of the town
came byt n steamboats,, or were forwarded
by any chance opportunity from the end of
the track.
Oh the afternoon of the Oath the first
sunday school was started in the new city.
l had made a little feast for the children at
my tent and invited them all the day be-
tore. Col. Sweet had his office as attorney
OF the l.. S. & P. s. Co. in a neat frame
building on Main street. He kindly sent
70 offer US the use of his office for the Sun.
Gay school, and our first meetings were
held there. But the business of the COM
pany increased, and Col. Sweet needed his
ONCE so our meetings were held during
tne rest OF the summer in my tent. In
winter we met at the post hospital in the
burle'gh warehouse, the children being
ranged in classes In .coths in the ward,
Afterwards we met
az my quarters at Camp Hancock, and in
Tile old telegraph Office where l afterwards
lived.
On August 18th, a detail of soldiers
in two wagons, and two mounted Indian
scouts set out TO carry the mail
from Fort Mexican to Fort Rice. Two
scouts riding in front, the other in the rear
OF the wagons. They were attacked by a
body of Sioux, $50 strong, who lay con-
ealed N ravine near the trail. The two
scouts in front were instantly killed, and
the third mortally wounded. This was the
scout who had killed and scalped the
Sioux admirer of my curls. lie fell from
his horse and returned the fire. killing the
leader of the Sioux. who was a son OF the
great chief Two Bears. Several of the
soldiers were wounded. but all escaped
and were pursued by the Indians to with
in rifle shot of the fort. The Indians then
crossed the river and we lived for days in
expectation of All attack.
Our choice of a name for our post was
not pleasing army headquarters. Sheridan
of course preferred Grant to Greeley as a
candidate for the presidency, and we were
notified to change it. Our Depart
ment Commander Gen. Hancock came to
visit us OH October 9TH, and wheE he ar.
rived he found the name" Scamp Hancock
conspicuously displayed above the tents
He was accompanied by Governor Nc.
Coffin Of Kentucky, Col. Fred Grant and
other distinguished men. Hancock was a
courtly gentleman, punctilliously observant
of the smallest detail of social and military
etiquettes, a expect contrast to the plain
spoken homely Sheridan. Yet we only
admired Hancock while we loved Sheridan
On October 18th the town and camp mar
rowly escaped destruction by prairie fire
and were only saved by the strenuous
efforts of both soldiers and citizens. The
fire approached from all sides and the al.
most certainty that the Indians had set it
added to the fear of the situation. The
scene at night, when darkness had settled
upon the earth was truly grand. A wide
semi. circle of madly leaping flames and
lurid blaze hemmed us, and seemed tc
separate US from tine outside world. Only
the river bank looked dark and gloomy
and down in the willows the monotonous
beat of the Indian tomtom rose family or
the whispering wind.
AS cold weather advanced the frequency
of Indian alarms became less. In October
the company moved into their log quarters
Work had been commenced before on the
officers quarters. but had been delayed
Only two of the four buildings in the orig
inal design were ever built-the captains
and surgeons. The other two buildings
intended for Lieutenants Humbert anc
Chance we're to have been erected
between and in a line with the captains and
surgeons which are still there. They
were all alike of hewed logs but the cap
taln's has been boarded up, and q second
story added. The present quartermaster':
office was DR.. Slaughter's quarters. 1t was
originally begun some little distance north
of its present location, when the Northern
Pacific officials notified us that it was III
the middle of Main street, and it was taker
down August 10th and built where it now
is. We had two large wall tents with fly
in front, fitted up as bedroom and sitting
room. Boards for the flOor could not be
had, so soft, heavy carpets and rugs were
spread on the grass floor. During the heat
80 II, ~, - tho rloro NJ <J., ,v, r;aro;nC