The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-07-13

lcommissary and medical stores from the
pack mules, behind which the wounded
rapidly increased from 10 to so. DR.. Port
| er also spoke in the highest terms of Fred
Gerard, who aided him during the battle
| in making a couple of amputations, and
gave him invaluable assistance in Other
Gerard was the only man in the com
mand besides Porter having any medical
knowledge. DR.. Lord was killed with
| General Custers command, and DeWoh
was killed in Renos command on the
side of the hill.
Mike Madden, a regimental saddleE in
the Seventh cavalry, was with Renos com
mand. He was one Of the parties who
went down to get camp kettle of water
| from the river from where Reno's men
were entrenched for the wounded, and on
| the way down he was shot in the leg,
and had to remain there quite while,
and when he was rescued his leg had to
be amputated.
offers Leg for Drink
The rumor was that in amputating
his leg he was given drink of whiskey,
and when he was revived after the ampu-
tation, he told the doctor that If he would
give him another good drink he might
and was sent to department headquarters,
st. Paul, Mimi, and made department
saddler sergeant to General Terry's head
quarters. Madden was very large and
heavily built man, and one of the jolliest
men in the regiment.
After the wounded were put aboard the
steamer Far West" Capt. Grant Marsh
started with the wounded down to Fort
Lincoln, opposite Bsmark, which is now
the capital of North Dakota, making a
trip of 900 miles in "a hours, and delivering
the wounded at Fort Lincoln on the night
of July ).
After being relieved of the care of the
wounded, we Travelled down the Big Horn
river to the Yellowstone and then to the
mouth of Tongue river Here we remained
few days. At this place, General Terry
sent four mounted men with a dispatch
to General Crooks expedition in regard
to the Custer battle.
and the other two were infantrymen on
a couple of cavalry horses. They travelled
at night, and in the day time hid in the
canyons and ravines. They struck Crooks
Terry's command in about six days
Pick Up Buffalo Bill
When they returned William f. Cody.
better known as Buffalo BILL" and Texas
Jack, better known as "Omahundra," came
back with them, and remained with Major
Reno's battalion during the balance of the
expedition. They would generally ride
along somewhere on the flanks of the col
umns, or ahead with the scouts, and after
that expedition broke up they remained
with the Seventh and ate with Captain
Benteen's mess during the balance of the
trip. / was well acquainted with both
men.
About the 10th of July we were Joined
by General Crooks expedition. We also
received large achievements of infantry.
General Miles regiment, the Fifth in
fantry, came from Fort Leavenworth and
Joined the command, and the Twenty-sec-
ond infantry, General Otis regiment,
came from the department of the lakes.
We also received achievements of de-
tachments of other regiments to swell our
forces, as | understood, to between 5000
and 1000 men.
After the different expeditions were con-
solidated into one, we started after the
Indians, and followed them on their trail
for several days, until we found that they
were abandoning some of their ponies and
packs, and we knew that we were get
ting pretty close to them as we would
pass more than one of their camps in
a days march.
1t was quite a sight to look from the
back to the rear and see the body of
troops. 1t put me in mind of Sheridan's
cavalry division starting out on cam
paign during the civil war.
Gain Indians
1t appears that we were gaining ground
on the Indians Finally, they broke up
into small bands and crossed over max
ing for the British territory. The com
mands went into camp and gave up the
pursuit. They broke up into small bands
in order that they might throw the troops
off of their trail, and at some future time
they all assembled at certain point
Finally the expedition returned. Gem
eral Crooks command Travelled back in the
direction of Fort Fetterman. General Glib
Don s command went up the ItllOWSlOuS
to Fort Ellis, Montana. The infantry and
artillery commands were loaded aboard
steamboats, and sent down the Yellowstone
and Missouri rivers to their former sta
lions.
The Seventh cavalry numbering about
300 men moved back to the Yellowstone,
and crossed on to the other side, and near
the Assiniboine agency, where we met our
wagon train. We then marched down the
Yellowstone to the Missouri, and came
down by easy marches by Fort Buford
and Fort Stevenson.
After a few days march, we arrived at
Bismark. AS we marched through Bis
mark in the early morning the saloon
keepers, the bull-whackers and the gam
blers, of which there was a heavy sprink-
ling, turned out to greet the boys.
AS we we're about to enter the town,
the captain of my company gave strict
orders for the men to remain in their
places, also to keep the sets of tours
dressed, heads straight to the front and
no talking, but great many of the boys
turned their eyes to the left to greet
some of their old acquaintances.