The National tribune., 1909-09-09

The various companies were distrib-
uted at various posts as follows: 1st
Battalion, at Forts Casper, Douglas,
Laramie and Bridger; I'd Battalion, at
Forts Phil Kearny, Reno and c. f.
Smith; the Sd Battalion at John Bu-
ford, Morgan. Douglas and Sedgwick.
OF the enlisted men, some 1900 in
number, furnished me early in 1866,
while in command of Fort Kearny.
Neb, u large number came from the
general recruiting rendezvous at Gov
ernOr's Island. New York Harbor, and
they were assigned to battalions by my
self by regimental order, in proportion
as companies had been depleted in
numbers. One exception, however, Is to
be noted, viz, that Capt. Fetterman, re-
cruiting officer at Cleveland, o., was
able to secure for his own company
men recruited personally by himself,
and several of these men were notably
distinguished in Indian service under
my immediate command.
My Chief Surgeon, who accompanied
my expedition from Kearny, Neb.. in
May, 1866, and remained with the 27th
U. S. SO long as Fort Phil Kearny was
maintained, now on the retired list with
rank of Colonel. is still living, and can
be reached by letter addressed care of
his son-in-iaw. Herbert Dabney, 25
Broad street, Boston.
/ am still living at 10 Summer street,
Hyde Park, Mass. / have retained
copies of monthly post returns from
Forts Reno, Phil Kearny and c. F.
Smith, quite number. and if desired
by you can furnish copy of the move
ment3 of my regiment from the date of
leaving the Army of the Cumberland,
in 1865, up to the date when, after a
mutual conference with Coils. Gibbon
and Smith, at my headquarters, Fort
Mcpherson. Neb., the 18th U. S. be-
came accompany regiment.
On the Sd of July last, as a special
guest of the Chamber of Commerce of
Sheridan City, I delivered a memorial
address at the monument erected to
the honor of those who fell in the
Fetterman massacre, Dec. 81, 1866, at
which time s5erg't Gibson, who has
since retired, only survivor of the wag-
| on-bed fight. as well as one of my most
trusted men, on the 2lst of December.
and Comrade S. S. Peters, of the Omaha
Bee, another of my old veterans, started
| an association to secure the names of
all I'd Battalion men who served under
my command, and obtain, if possible.
suitable legislation in their favor That
memorial address. as we'll as the imme-
diate response to the same, by Con-
gresham MOndell, of Wyoming, has
been carefully prepared from stenog-
| rapher's notes, and forwarded for pres
erVatlon by the city authorities of Sher-
| idan, along with certified original docu-
ments and maps which illuminate ex-
actly the once confused data of that
entire Indian campaign.
1 have dictated thus much as a mat
| ter of personal duty to all survivors or
heirs of my old comrades who served
| in the largest regiment (equal to a bri-
gade) ever under one set of regimental
colors, and to the honor of which the
West Point Monument gives special
credit for casualties incurred under its
banner.-Henry b. Darlington. Briga-
dierGeneral. U. S. Army. retired.
p. 81 was 85 years of age on March
last. and as far as strength permits
am perfecting from diaries and hun
dreds of preserved kilograms and let
ters never before published historic
matter of civil war experience in Ohio
Indiana, Kentucky and on the frontier
III. B. Darlington, Hyde Park, Mass