Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-03-19
YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITION
Continued from Page IL

next day there was no stove N camp,
AID l presume the pieces of it are
still rusting somewhere in Dakota.
There had been heavy rains and the
ground was quite soft Progress was
very slow, for the wagons had heavy
loads. In about two weeks we did not
go fifty miles, and it was decided to
send all empty wagons back to Fort
Lincoln for extra supplies Of rations
and forage. Our squadron, under
Captain Yates, was detailed as escort.
The return trip was quite rapid, as
our train was light. We had to wait
several days at Lincoln before we
could get enough to fill our wagons.
We had heard of the mosquitoes along
the Missouri River bottom, but never
dreamed that the pests could be so
numerous and so troublesome After
our experience l was ready to believe
any mosquito story that could be told,
even to that l afterwards heard my
West Point roommate tell. After
graduation he served awhile in
Alaska, and declared that the mos
qMtoes there were so large and strong
that each carried under his wing a
small milestone on which to SHARPEN
his bill. Another of his stories was
to the effect that netting was so pro-
lection, for the ''skeeters" always get
through. He had seen them do it.,
saying that they worked in threes, and
when they encountered a net two
stuck their bills into an opening and
pulled the mesh apart so that the
third could go through. Then this
one pulled one way from the inside,
one pulled the other way from the
outside, and the second one went
through. Then the two inside pulled
and the last one entered. When they
had Toasted to their hearts content
they simply reversed the process of
entering, and went out.
After getting our wagons loaded at
Lincoln we started after the main
command, but did not overtake it
until we reached Glendive. Our trip
to Glendive was made as rapidly as
possible. We followed the trail of the
main command and had the benefit of
their road-making, so that there was
no delay to us. Our marches were
! long, for we endeavored to make daily
double the distance gone by General
Stanley. Our camping places at night
were at every other camp of the main
force. There were no exciting Incl
! dents on this march, but we passed
through a part of the famous "Bad
Lands of Dakota and Montana.
! At Glendive was the steamer
Josephine, loaded with supplies
There was great activity in camp. A
small earthwork was constructed and
all the supplies that could not be
loaded into wagons were to be left
with guard under Captain Pearson
Seventeenth Infantry, to await the re
turn of the expedition after the sum
mer's work was finished.
Some days after our arrival at Glen
dive, the expedition pulled out for the
really difficult part of the journey
We had to pass over some more of the
bad Lands" and after several days
,of toilsome and very slow marching
we got clear of them near the mouth
of the Powder River. At this place
We were again met by the Josephine
which brought US the last mail we hat
until the return in September. In
looking over New York paper l saw
a notice of a disastrous fire in my
native city of East Saginaw, Michigan
My fathers house was burned in thi:
fire.
We fully expected to meet Indians
and orders were given to be on tn,
lookout for signs. AS day after da,
passed and none were seen, the mel
became careless and there was con
siderable struggling while looking 70
water. The line of march Was alon;
the north bank of the Yellowstone
but every morning the wagon trail
took to the high lands, and cut acros
the bends. General Custer with tw
: troops of cavalry went ahead eac
day in order to look out for the hes
route for the train. The troops too
turns for this duty, which was ia
more agreeable than to go with tn
train. AS frequently happened, whe
raVines or creeks were to be crossed
the wagons had to go singly, and
! took hours to get them over. In sue
r cases there was a tedious wait, an
the horses were unbridled and pc
nitted to Craze if any grass was to b
, found.
: The engineers of the railroad SUI
! Veyed their route along the river
} bank. AS they were separated froI
/ us, an escort of a company OF infal