The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-07-12

/ commissary and medical stores from the
pack mules, behind which the wounded
rapidly increased from 10 TO 90. DR.. Port
err 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
respects.
Gerard was the only man in the com
mand besides Porter having any medical
knowledge. DIR. Lord was killed with
General Clusters command, and DeWolf
was killed in Reno'S command on the
side of the hill.
Mike Madden, a regimental saddler in
the Seventh cavalry, was with Reno's com
hand. He was one of the parties who
went down to get a 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 a while,
be amputated.
offers Leg for Drink
The rumor was that in amputating
his leg he was given a 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
take the other leg off. Madden recovered
and was sent to department headquarters,
st. Paul, Mimi, and made department
saddler sergeant TO General Terry's head
quarters. Madden was a very large and
heavily built man, and one of the %iolliest
After the wounded were put aboard the
steamer Far West" Capt. Grant Marsh
started with the wounded down to Fort
Lincoln, opposite BiSmark, which is now
the capital of North Dakota, making a
trip of 900 miles in 81 hours, and delivering
the wounded at Fort Lincoln on the night
of July 5.
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
a few days. At this place, General Terry
cent fOnr mOnnfQ6 men with a dlSnafC
to General Crooks expedition in regard
to the Custer battle.
Two of those were Seventh cavalry men
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
command and we're back again to General
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 "O~mahundra," 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 reinforcements 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 reinforcements of de-
tachments of other regiments TO swell our
forces, as / understood, to between 5000
1000 men.
After the different expeditions were con-
solidated into one, we started after the
Indians and fnl1nunH than on fhn1r trail
for several days, until we found that they
we're 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
head of the column on a raise of ground
back to the rear and see the body Of
troops. 1t put me in mind of Sheridan's
cavalry division starting out on a cam
paign during the civil war.
Gain on 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 a certain point.
Finally the expedition returned. Gen
eral Crooks command Travelled back in the
of Fort Fetterman. General Glib
bon's command went up the Yellowstone
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
tons.
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
the bull -whackers and the gam
Of which there was a heavy sprink-
ling, turned out to greet the boys.
AS we were 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 a great many of the boys
turned their eyes to the left to greet
Of their old acquaintance.