The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-07-06

the Sixth and Seventeenth United States
infantry, commanded by Breyet- MAJOR
Sanger, and a company of the TWentletn
United States infantry, numbering about
200 men; a battery Of four guns, one brass
4-pound Napoleon, one three-inch ROD
man. and two gatling guns. Inc drivers
a detachment of the Twentieth United
States infantry, commanded by Lieutenant
Chance, a very brave and efficient infantry
officer We also had about 90 scouts, made
up of Reeves. Sioux, Crows and Santees.
We had about $50 teams loaded with Tor
age, ammunition and rations for the com
mand
The morning of the 18th of May we pre-
pared TO make a move. Custer sent his
own wagons ahead with the infantry. The
cavalry passed in review through Fort A:
Lincoln, where a great many officers and
enlisted men took last look at their wives
and sweethearts.
In marching through the forts first came
the scouts under command OF Lieutenant
Varnum, with Head Chief Bloody kn1fe
and Charlie Reynolds and Fred Grad, two
white scouts, and liar Dorman, the negro
interpreter from Fort Rice
off for the Yellowstone
Then came General Custer and his staff: ;
next came the Seventh cavalry band, all
mounted on their magnificent gray horses,
tunes "Garryowen.p Next came the Sew
enth cavalry marching columns of pla-
toons with their guidons flying and their
a
broad brimmed SLOUGH hats, some black
and others gray. The regiment never look
ed better, as all the men were IN good
spirits.
Yellowstone river. After leaving the fort
we made a halt for short time and the
officers and some of the men were allowed
to go back to the fort and say goodbye
to their wives and sweethearts. Mount
and forward" was sounded. and we swung
into our saddles and the band played THE
Girl Left Behind Me"
Soon after leaving the Tort we encoun-
tered heavy rains, which made our progress
with the heavy wagon trains very slow.
When we reached the Big Heart river we
for two days. There the paymas-
ter, Joined US under an escort OF lntantry,
four months pay. If he had paid at the
fort some of the troopers would undoubted-
" have desertd.
Leaving the Big Heart river, we reached
the little Missouri, where we camped for
i've days While at this camp General
Custer, with four companies OF the seventh
regiment, Company M. Captain French
Company A, Captain Moylan; Company b,
Captain McDougal, and Company x, Lieu
enant Godfrey, went on five days scout !
ng expedition up the Little Missouri.
See Indian Signs
We saw a few signals of Indians, but
nothing to indicate anything of impert-
nee on the part of the Indians. A few
buffalo were killed, but the scout on the
whole proved uneventful. Resuming our
march, we struck into the bad lands. This |
S a broken and desolate country abound
ng in lava beds and other traves of vol |
anic action.
This strip known as the bad lands runs
from the Black Hills, and is a
trip of territory about 80 miles long and |
bout 35 miles in width. l passed through |
his section on five different occasions. AT
distance, and when approaching this dis |
riot, the barren earth, with its high ridges |
nd ascents and descents, resembles the |
oofs of a large city. We marched through |
his section with great difficulty, for the |
reater portion of the way we were obliged |