Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-05-13
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in the past to make better citizens
for the future. The privations, the
suffering, the hard tasks and the
many Inconvenience of our pioneer
citizens have made the warm homes
and the comfortable firesides of our
present life. The "self made" citizen
Of today was really made by the
strong muscle, the clear brain, the
alert eye and the far-sightedness Of
tho pioneer. To all of them we must
bow with respect. '... ,
Constantly there is coming into the
vault of the Society documents and
papers which tell of another day. The
latest bit of information was set Of
resolutions drawn up by the officers
of the 9TH Cavalry thanking the ter
ritorial officers and the citizens for
their courtesies and care during the
great blizzard of 1873 at Yankton.
General Custer was chairman and
Lieutenant G. w. Larncd was secretary
Of the meeting which drafted the re-
solution.
Bismarckers There.
A number of our citizens were in
Yankton at this time of the storm.
General f. A. Williams was menu
bel of the tenth session of the Terri
torial legislature and after it had adj
journed. January 10, 1873 he wcnt
down to visit in Illinois and in the
month of April he came back, TO
Yankton to take boat for Bismarck
He well remembers as he came in on
the train the broad prairies bare and
blackcncd by a prairie fire. After he
had been in Yankton day the TIN
Cavalry came in and went into camp
Il mile out of town.
Storm Very Bad.
The Cavalry had hardly gotten in
to camp when this storm started. The
command was given for the officers
and soldiers to take what quarters
they could find in town. Mr.. Williams
saw the hurry and the hustle and the
many men seeking quarters. He said
the homes were filled, and that all
the available space was taken up by
the horses. The snow piled up to the
second story windows. To his mind
this was one of the hardest storms
which ever struck the territory. Soon
after the storm was over the sun
came out and in few days the prai-
rio was again bare.
Capt. and Mrs. 6elk.
1t will be of interest too, to know
that our we'll known Captain and
Mrs. Bclk were in this storm. The
good Captain and Mrs. Belk went
down on the first train to Sioux City
and were married February IS, 1873.
After an extended trip they were re-
turning to Yankton and when they
arrived at Gayville in the Jim River
Valley the storm overlook them. For
three nights and two days they were
stalled. To save the fuel the engine
went dead and they used all the fuel
Of the tender. Directly after the storm
all engine went out and slowly they
plOwed their way into Yankton.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hayes the mother of
Mrs. Belk lived near the famp of
the 18th Cavalry. The house was halt
way between the camp and the city
Mrs. Belk we'll remembers the sight
when they arrived at the old home.
Eleven soldiers were sleeping and
eating in the small house and besides
tht Sc a number of the farmers around
were driven there by the storm. But
with that true western spirit they
were all were cared for.
Mrs. Hayes told now Mrs. Custer
came to the house and wept because
they lost a large black charger in The
storm. This charger was one of the
prizes horses of Gen. Custer.
Both the Captain and Mrs. Belk
had many words of praise for all the
men and officers of the eth Cavalry.
They said that they were set of
gentlemen, very kind and considerable
at all times. They considered it
privilege to help them out.
This storm is described in 'Boots
and Saddles" by Mrs. Custer. 1t was
a wonderful change for this cavalry,
called from the Sunny South and
plunged into one of the worst biz
Yards aYankton had seen.
Soon after the storm the officers
met and drew up the following
Resolutions:
"At meeting Of officers of the 9TH
Cavalry called at Scamp Sturgis,"
near Yankton, Dakota, the evening of
April %, (1873), for the purpose of
uniting in an expression of thanks
to the citizens of Yankton, Dakota,
in acknowledgment of the exceeding.
~ generous and hospitablc treatment
received at the hands of the latter
during a period of great suffering and
peril.
Brevet Major General G. A. Custer
was called to the chair, while Lieut..
G w. Larned, 9TH Cavalry, was chos-
ell secretary Of the meeting. The OBJ
ject for which the meeting had been
called having been stated, motion
was made and adopted, that a COM
mittec of five officers Of which the
chairman of the meeting should be
one, should be appointed to draft res
olutions expressive Of the feelings of
the members of the 9TH Cavalry in
regard to the matter under consid-
Grafton, and that this committee re-
port at the next meeting. Upon mo-
ton the meeting adjourned until 4 p.
NJ the following day.
When the following preamble and
resolutions were presented by the
committee and unanimously adopted: