, 1900-07-17

ing in Sheridan county, Wyoming, and
vicinity, who are interested in the es-
tablishment Of Fort McKenzie-which
guarantees them protection from the
ghost-dancing Indians, secures for
their property interests the confidence
that brings to their doors wealth and
comfort-are every one, without re-
gard to politics or religion, under per-
sonal and lasting obligations to our
delegation in congress. for without
their help and united constant work
lever faltering for one moment-we
would not have secured the fort and
this carnival and great gathering to-
day would never have been thought Of.
| thank these gentlemen; we all thank
them-two Of them are here today
one lives at Cheyenne, the other at
Newcastle, yet they all live for Wyo-
ming, and have homes in our hearts
and in the Coolest corners Of u homes.
Welcome, thrice welcome! to Sheridan,
Warren and Mondell, and a welcome
for Clark when he comes. There is
but one Wyoming. and no state has a
stronger delegation in congress.
l have been asked to tell you of the
last battle of the war of 1861 to 1865,
inclusive-the last battle where volun-
teer troops who had enlisted to put
down the rebellion were engaged. In
the summer of 1865, there were over
1900 volunteer troops in service in
the district of the plain, General 2. E.
Conner, commanding. l call to mind
a West Virginia regiment, a New York
regiment, the Eleventh Ohio, Sixth
Michigan, Eleventh and Twelfth Mis-
souri,, Eleventh and Sixteenth Kansas,
part of the Second and Third Colorado
cavalry, part of the Second California,
and other regiments. After having
fought for the preservation of the
union, these men had to do valiant SER
vice on the plains, fighting merciless
Indians. There was no glory In this
service; only the border settlements
appreciated the work done. The whole
country had a surfeit Of war and blood
shed. There were no newspaper cor
respondents with the troops on the
plains, no kilograms were flashed over
the wires, for there was only n wire
and that was along the Platte. Our
service was at times 300 miles from
the nearest telegraph station. The
Powder river Indian expedition was for
two months beyond the reach Of mail
or messenger.
On the morning Of August 81, 1865
while riding in the extreme advance
Of our column with Major Bridger,
the guide, we were a little ahead Of
the right and left flankers and in ad-
vance of the advance guard, when we
reached the top of the divide between
the waters Of the Piney and what is
now called Prairie Dog creek, on the
very spot where Colonel Fetterman
and his ninety-three soldiers met the
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe In
dams in December, 1866, (and no one
Of the gallant band returned to tell the
story Of Massacre hilD.
The magnificent view from the top Of
this hill. or divide, was enough to cause
us to halt and view the country, Major
Bridger with his hand shading his
,,,ao1, o,l w. out ayoC I with q RnQ
field glass to sweep the horizon. For
five minutes or more we sat on our
steeds and silently Cooked the land
scape Ger" The major was the first
to break the silence by remarking, DO
you see those ere columns OF smoke
over there by that saddle" "a low d.
vide near where the village Of Park
man is now located. 1 looked and for
the life of me could see no columns Of
smoke, which of course would indicate
an Indian village. 1 said to Bridger:
I'VE will dismount and wait for the
general" who was Just in rear Of the
advance guard. When Connor came
up, l reported that Major Bridger had
discovered an Indian village. See
the columns Of smoks over yonder by
that saddle?" The general leveled his
field glass at the spot mentioned and
after a long look remarked: There
are no columns Of smoke there"
Bridger mounted his pony and rode
on. l followed a few moments later
and, on o%vertaking him, heard him
swearing about the "dern paper-col-
Jared soldiers telling him there were
no columns Of smoke. AS the general
never wore a collar, paper or linen, in
the field, l thought it a good joke, SO
dropped back to tell the general what
our guide thought of him. General
Conner called Frank North, who COM
manded eighty Pawnee Indians, who
were our advance guard, and directed
him to go with seven of his best men
to see il there were any Indians a
where Bridger thought there was. We
marched down Pencan creek, nov
known as Prairie Dog creek, a good
days march. and camped; next day a
long days march beyond the mouth of
Prairie Dog, down Tongue river.
Just after sunset of this day two of
the Pa wnees who went with Captain