Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-04-06

killed and Lieut.. Braden wounded. DR.,
Houtzinger, the veterinary surgeon of the
regiment and Mr.. Balaren, regimeptal
sutler being in the rear, unarmed, and UNI
suspicious of danger were fired upon and
killed. The expedition returned to Fort
Rice in the latter part of September, the
engineers having completed their explora-
tions, and mapped out fully the future
course of the railroad.
Like most officers who lave been sta
toned long on the frontier, General Gus
ter entertained little regard for the citizens
of the country, and the people of Bismarck
soon had reason to regret the change from
their good friend, Gen. Carlin. When the
postofice was first opened in April, Gen
Carlin allowed his military carrier to carry
the mai for the citizens. In return, /
loaned his carriers the mail sacks belong
ing to the postoffice. The sergeant on
coming in from Fort Seward would then
at the postofice. I would unlock the mail
sack, take out the mail for Bismarck and
the other river posts, leaving the Fort Lin
coin mail in the unlocked sack, which the
sergeant would then carry over to Lincoln.
In going back he would stop at the office
and | would place Our mail for the east in
the sack, with the Lincoln mail already in
it, lock the sack, and the sergeant would
proceed on his journey east. Only a few
moments were lost on each trip, and the
whole arrangement was both convenient
and satisfactory to both the military and
the citizens. The mail was then received
in nice order. The letters for Bismarck.
Fort Berthold, Fort Lincoln, Fort Rice,
Fort Stevenson and Fort Buford were as.
sorted by the route agents on the train
between st. Paul and Moorhead, so there
was no delay in the distribution of the
local mails.
At my request the Bismarck postofice
had been made the separating Office and
distributing point for the above named
posts, by special order of the postofice de.
partment. The mail for these posts was
sent for to the office by the commanding
officers Of Rice and Stevenson, the mails
for Berthold and Buford being forwarded
to those places from Fort Stevenson.
Gen. Carlin also permitted the mail from
his post to be postmarked and the postage
stamps cancelled in the Bismarck post.
office, a material help in forming estimates
Tor future salary. Under the Custer
reeins all this was changed.
After the suspension of the trains on the
Northern Pacific railroad, the weekly
mail overland was again carried by the
military. The first mail brought in by
Gen. Clusters mail carrier, was taken al
once to his headquarters across the river
There it could not be unlocked without q
key, and Gen. Custer sent his orderly fol
mine. l gave it to him with a request tc
have both the key and the mail for the
citizens of Bismarck sent back as soon as
possible. The next day our mail was SEM
over, a hopeless tumble of letters. Every
package had been united. Mail for Bis.
marck, Forts Rice. Stevenson, Berthold
and Buford was hopelessly mingled
together. The mail for the military
posts where many troops were con.
gregated was very heavy, and for each
post was larger than the mail for the citi.
zens Of Bismarck and took long to separate
Then it took time to distribute the local
mail and before it was ready the patience
of the citizens who were %anxiously waiting
for their letters was sorely tried. Then
sent to General Custer for my key. He
refused to send it, saying he would keep
the key and send the citizens mail over to
me. l then wrote him, calling his atten-
ton to the postal regulations which for
bids a key being taken from the postoffice.
stating that out Of respect to his position ]
had transcribed my instructions and that
l trusted to his honor as an officer to re.
turn it. He then sent the key over by his
orderly. The next trip coming back the
sergeant In charge Of the mail called for
the key, saying General Custer had in.
structed him to get it. l refused to give il
to him unless he should first bring me a
written guarantee from from General Gus.
ter for its prompt return.
When the sergeant reported this to Gen'l
Custer he became angry and cut the mail
sack open with his pocket knife. Next day
he sent over the mail for Bismarck and the
other forts in the multilated mail sack, and
in the anne confusion as before. AS the
mail sack was n belonging to the Bis.
marck post office, and for which I had
given my receipt to the postofice depart
ment l forwarded it to the department at
Washington with an explanation Of its
condition. Mutilating a mail sack is a
crime and under ordinary circumstances
would have been dealt with severely, but
Sheridan only laughed when the postal
authorities complained to him of the act
1t was possibly set down to the exigencies
of the service.
After that the sergeant always called at
the postofice coming in, and I unlocked
the mail sacks for him, which he then car.
ried intact to Fort Lincoln. The mail fol
Bismarck and the other forts would be sent
over whenever it suited their convenience
to send it and always in a disordered con
dition requiring much time t o assert it,
and the impatient ciJizens grew very tired
while they waited for the distribution OF
their letters.
At length l wrote to our good friend
Gent Hazen in regard to our mail di ffcul-
ties. He was a good friend of the people
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