The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-07-05

the Sixth and Seventeenth United States
infantry, commanded by Breyet-MaJol
Sanger, and a company of the TWentletl
United States infantry, numbering apoul
200 men a battery of four guns, one prass
24-pound Napoleon, one three-inch hou-
man, and two gatling guns. Inc drivers
were cayalrymen, and the cannoneers wels
a detachment of the Twentieth United
States infantry, commanded by L1eutenanl
Chance, a very brave and efficient infantry
officer. We also had about 90 scouts, maue
up of Reeves, Sioux, Crows and Santees'
We had about $50 teams loaded with for
age, ammunition and rations for the com
mand.
The morning of the 18th of May we pre-
pared to make a move. Custer sent nls
own wagons ahead with the infantry Inc
cavalry passed in review through Fort a;
Lincoln, where a great many officers ana
enlisted men took a last look at their wives
and sweethearts.
In marching through the forts first came
the scouts under of Lieutenant
Varnum, with Head Chief Bloody knlfe
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,
playing one of Clusters ~favorite battle
tunes, "Garryowen." Next came the sew
enth cavalry, marching columns of pla-
toons, with their guidons flying and their
uOIStS DlduCl1S. All Ii GOulpdhiC0 "
broad brimmed SLOUGH hats, some black
and others gray. The regiment never look
ed better, as all the men were in GOOD
spirits.
Our march was in the direction Of the
Yellowstone river. After leaving the fort
we made a halt for a 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 1 Left Behind Me-"
Soon after leaving the fort we encoun-
tered heavy rains, which made our progress
with the heavy wagon trains very slow.
When we reached the Big Heart river we
camped for two days. There the paymas-
ter Joined us under an escort of infantry,
and enlivened the boys hearts with about
four months pay. If he had paid at the
fort some of the troopers would u~ndoubted-
ly have desertd.
Leaving the Big Heart river, we reached
the little Missouri, where we camped for
five days. While at this camp General
Custer, with four companies of the Seventh
Company A, Captain Moylan; Company Il,
Captain McDougal, and Company K, Lieu
tenan Godfrey, went on a five days scout
ing expedition up the Little Missouri.
See Indian Signs
We saw a few signals of Indians, but
nothing to indicate anything of import
ance 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
is a broken and desolate country abound
ing in lava beds and other traves of vol
canic action.
This strip known as the bad lands runs
northwest from the Black Hills, and is a
strip of territory about so miles long and
about 80 miles in width. | passed through
this section on five different occasions. At
a distance, and when approaching this dis
trict, the barren earth, with its high ridges
and ascents and descents, resembles the
roofs of a large city. We marched through
his section with great difficulty, for the
greater portion of the way we were obliged