The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-06-02
A Large Gathering Present at
Custer Battlefield to OBJ
serve the Day.
COLONEL w. F. SANDERS
Delivered an Eloquent Address-PrO-
gramme as Carried Out-In-
dams Dance.

ever at OuHC0I D~atG10uoAu,
was present there Tuesday to observe
Memorial dag, which has been set
apart to honor those brave defenders of
our country and flag who died on the
field of battle or upon the seas. Acting
in hearty sympathy with each other,
the people of southeastern Montana and
northeastern Wyoming have set Men,
orial day apart to be fittingly observed
at Custer battlefield, where one Of the
greatest and most terrible massacres in
Indian warfare took place. The par
ticulars of that dreadful battle, in
which General Geo. A. Custer and $50
brave men fell, are too we'll known to
our readers to need repetition.
The Billings train, carrying between
500 and 600 people, reached its stop
ping place at about II 80 and found
equally as large a number from Sheri-
dan and other Wyoming points. The
Grow Indians were early o. the ground
and had formed their village of in
Vulnerable tents on the beautiful
plateau at the bottom Of the hill, which
must be reached to view the battlefield.
Being lunch time. the excursionists
camped, some in close proximity to the
Indians, others on the brow of the hill,
while many tramped the huge hill to
the battlefield before they dined. there
by working up an appetite. The Bill.
ings contingent was happily surprised
on reaching its destination to find that
not a drop of rain had fallen, but their
fears were not entirely allayed until
afternoon, for the elements seemed to
be playing for a rain storm.
Shortly after 1 o'clock a parade was
formed at the Indian village. led by the
Billings band, followed by Company
D, Wyoming National guard, Of Sheri-
dan, the Sheridan band, Indians, In.
dian children and people in buggies and
on foot, which marched to the cems-
terry, where a speakers stand had been
erected and a few seats arranged. The
Billings and Sheridan bands discoursed
some good patriotic music. The Sheri-
dan high school sang several app1op-
rate selections. "Lincoln's Speech at
Gettysburg was nicely recited by
Msiss Inez Hanks of Grow Agency.
The address of the day was delivered
by Colonel W. F. Sanders of Helena,
who is one of the best and most pol
ished orators in the west. The wind,
which had been singing a merry tune,
had, by this time, become a veritable
gale, and in speaking of it afterwards.
Colonel Sanders said he never did lay
claim to talking against nature. His
speech, nevertheless. was at%tentively
listened to through it's entirety by
many but the larger number were
drawn away when the Indians left to
commence their dancing. Colonel
Sanders address was a splendid ono
and The Gazette regrets that it is una
BILE to publish even a synopsis of the
same. The decoration of the soldiers
graves by the Indian children and the
G.. A. r. ritual service was all impos-
ing sight.
Nearly the whole afternoon was spent
at the Indian village by the majority
of people in watching the medicine or
gift dances of the Crows. The Indians,
in their gaudy attire, half-naked.
brightly painted bodies and feathers,
formed a striking sight for hundreds of
"lJ4CO pCOpAO VIII NCAO SoCAAS IuOAn -
the first time. Kodaks were numer-
Gus, and even had the Indians attempt.
ed to 'sduck," as they usually do, they
would have been "shot' by others on
every side. The afternoon could not
have been more suspicious for taking
views, the sun shining nearly all the
time.
A number of people visited Grow
Agency during the afternoon and also
took in the baseball game between the
Sheridan and Indian clubs, which re.
suited in a victory for the former by a
score of II to s.
Five O'Clock, the time of arrival OF
the Billings train, came all too soon fol
u people, who We're reluctant tt
leave, and it was 80 when the trair
pulled into the city, each and every ex,
cursionist voting a pleasant and enjoya,
BILE day.
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