Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1903-06-12
CANTON. SOUTH DAKOTA. FRlpAY JUNE IT, 1909.
The Great Blizzard Of 1879.

The Great Blizzard of 1873.
The Elk Point Courier publishes ex-
tracts from It's ancient files, dating
back a. far % 1873, and In its issue Of
May %, 1908. it republishes m item
from the Courier Of May 1878 concern.
Ing the great blizzard that swept down
from the northwest in April 1878 and
literally engulfed Gen. Custer and his
famous cavalry regiment
The regiment had been on reconstruc-
tion duty IN the south In detachments.
and when the Kin Klux and other
white robeds murderers had come 70
recognize the law, the regiment was
ordered to assemble st Louisville and
proceed to Ysnkton and thence to Fort
Rice to take part il protecting the sur-
veyors who were seeking route for
the Northern Pacific railroad west from
Bismarck. Whom the regiment arrived
at Yankton the weather was mild and
pleasant for April. Tents were pitched
and the tirsd soldiers lay down with
no preparation Of 8 storm. e there was
not the least evidence Of : blizzard OF
any other kind for storm, During the
night : bowling blizzard came ont Of
the northwest and the fall Of snow was
exceedingly heavy nearly two feet Ct
Yankt0n. The soldiers were covered
with snow ibout : foot deep In their
tsn,s q they lay asleep. Everything
was in . terrible condition. The mules
broke away and made for the river
bluffs. The horses were half frozen
when daylight came, the lsundresses
and babies and sick were helpless and
the men Of the regiment, including
every officer in camp. twenty in al,
were as helpless - the sick. q mono
dared to move for help for they could
zee nothing but whirling snow and al
were in their first blizzard. The con-
dition Of the camp was desperate In the
extreme. Women and children and
sick covered with snow, and the able
bodied men powerless to help because
they were surrounded by an enemy
they could neither kill, charge or stop.
"A little before niue o'clock Gen No.
Cook started 70 open communication
with the snow bound troops, but came
back and reported thst he was unable
to find the camp. About $50 Maris
Taylor, who was editor Of the Yankton
Herald ct that time, met the writer on
Capital street and said Major Tilford
Of the 7th. who stayed in town all night.
was very anxious to find some one who
could reach General Custer, who was
sick. Taylor introduced the writer to
Major Tilford. We told him We would
try and open communication with the
blizzard bound camp. "a sergeant fol-
lowed us earring supplies for Mrs. Gen.
Custer, and we went out into the storm
and reached the camp safely. We
found twenty officers in little shack
along with Gen. Custer and bis wife.
the General was lying on Z cot sich.
We returned to town taking with % 10
out Of the 20 officers. Col. William
Thompson was the officer who feared TO-
risk the trip. He was the oldest officer
il the regiment and he had served 90
the first delegate to congress from the
territory Of Iowa. On our return TO-
Town and the condition of the men be.
came known about oil the able bodied
men Of Yankton turned ont with ropes
md sleighs and began the work Of
rescue. i, &.
1t was agallsnt rescue. and every
man in the city did just a. much work /,
y Gen. McCook. The only credit Nc y
Cook is entitled to was his effort TO
reach the camp which failed. The
writer cares nothing sbout the affair
only in the following extract Gen. Nc
Cook was given praise for the work he
lid not do, but 1t was McCook's style
% be the whole thing right or wrong.
The resolution as printed would seem
genuine on its face, but it was the work
Il some unknown combination and got.
en- up privately and printed at Elk
Point about the time the regiment left
Tankton. The Dakotsn did not print
uch . resolution because It was false,
md every body in Yankton knew that
dcCook was entitled TO no more con.
ideration that hundred other men,
whose names were never mentioned.
There was no special glory in the affair
OF any one nor was there any necessity
0 lie about the matter. We have al.
vsys thought that Gen. McCook could
ave found the suffering soldiers II he
id not been afraid Of getting lost. So
ong asthose old matters keep coming
lp. 1t is necessary 70 keep the record
traight. Here is the bogus resolution
. arranged by McOook's friends for
he self glorification Of man who was
Wiling to have the people regard him
. . fraud and . blowhard at home for
he sake Of : little notoriety at Wash.
ngton. .54a
The people Of Yankton deserve Z Z
,reat deal Of credit for their generosity /
uring that unparalled storm, the citi.
ems opening their barns for the horses !,
nd their houses for the accommoda