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

GdDlt III SlEuL U L lulS Cdmp IL
stoned officer of the guard had orders to
join his company, while the command OF
this guard fell to my lot. l had orders 10
keep an account OF the NUMBER 6 OK mors 70
shoot As horses and So mules when were
used up on that day and could not keep
up with the wagon train.
A Costly Expedition
If those animals were left on the prairie
they would recuperate, and the INDIANS
would get them, and probably use them
in raids on the settlers. We also burned
up the wagons cut up the harnesses ana
belonging to the dismounted men. This
expedition cost the government a great
many thousands of dollars.
Some years afterward, while stationed IN
Kansas, and when we were about to be
relieved from duty in that state, to pro-
coed to the southern states, we were re-
lieved by the Sixth United States cavalry
which had been stationed in Texas. This
regiment on its way from Texas passed
through the whole of the Indian territory
and southern Kansas, and finally arrived
at Fort Hayes, having Travelled over a great
many miles of Clusters trail on its march,
which was quite noticeable on account of
the remains of Clusters burned wagons.
In 1869, after coming off of the winter
campaign with General Custer, we were
stationed at what was known as Camp
Near-Fort-Hayes," on Big creek, in the
vicinity Of Hayes City, on the line of the
Kansas Pacific railroad, doing the usual
drilling and scouting.
We were recruiting up after our long
summer and winter campaigns, a large per
centage of our horses having been used up
on the winter trip. We were remounted
by a number of horses which were turned
over to us from the Nineteenth Kansas
Volunteer cavalry, commanded by Colonel
Crawford, ex-governor of Kansas, and
which regiment was with US on a part of
that winter campaign.
Deserters Steal Horses
We also lost a great many men by de-
sertion and a great many of those deserters
stole many of our best horses.
! The men were almost destitute of cloth
ing, our trousers being patched with
seamless meal bags. A large number of the
hats belonging to the men were made OF
the same material. The legs of our cavalry
boots were pretty well scorched and burn
ed from standing around the camp fires,
and as substitutes we used leggings made
from pieces of tents.
A number of men had to use wooden
blankets in place of overcoats, especially
two companies who lost their overcoats on
Nov. 81, 1868, known as the battle of the
Washita, already referred to. Those over
coats were captured by the Indians, and
you can talk about ragamuffins in this
part of the country on a Fourth of July,
but they could not begin to compare with
the Seventh cavalry when coming off that
winter campaign.
In 1870 we were stationed at what was
known as Camp Sturgis, on Big creek,
Kansas, in the vicinity of Hayes City, do
ing the usual scouting and drilling. Here
we received a large lumber of recruits and
horses.
In 1871, 1872 and a part of 1878 we were
in the southern states with General Gus
ter, after what were known as the XXX
KS, the moonshiners and the White Leag-
uers, in North and South Carolina, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Ken
lucky. OF these scouting expeditions !
could tell many an interesting scory, which
1 have not space at the present time to do.
Sent to Dakota
In 1873 the regiment assembled at Mem
phis, Tenn, and then proceeded by boat
and rail to Yankton, Dakota territory.
the Missouri river, for some 800 miles,
passing the different lines of forts and In
dian agencies, and finally arriving at Fort
Rice, Dakota territory. Then after lying
at Fort Rice, an expedition was organized
under General Stanley to explore the bad
lands and the Yellowstone valley. We par
ticipated with General Custer on that ex-
petition, in the battle of the Big Horn, and
the battle of Tongue river, and the battle
of Pompey's Pillar.
In 1874 we were engaged with General
Custer exploring the Black Hills, on what
was known as the Black Hill expedition in
In 1875 we were engaged in suppressing
outbreaks at the different Indian agencies
the upper Missouri river. During
the summer of 1875 the Indians had been
committing depredations on the settlers,
the r~anchmen, and among the friendly Ind
ians. The winter of 1875 we were stationed
Fort Rice, Dakota territory.
In 1876 another expedition was organized
at Fort A. Lincoln, to go against the Ind
ians, under command Of Gen. Alfred Terry,
who commanded the department Of Dakota.
company started with two other COM
panies from Fort Rice, Dakota territory,
and went to Fort A. Lincoln, under com
mand of Capt. f.. w. Benteen, and went |
into camp. Other troops assembled from
the different forts, and troop K came dir
act from the southern states.
Start on Way
General Custer was called away from the
camp to Washington on some business per-
tanning to the army, and was detained at
for some time against his
wishes. He finally returned in time to take
of his own regiment, the Seventh
cavalry, under General Terry. This expe-
consisted of II companies of the
United States cavalry, numbering
about 30 commissioned officers and 700
men a battalion of infantry composed of