The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-08-27


forms.
And this was not the worst In
their old homeland there wa S
plenty of game. Where they en-
dured exile, there was none. The
boat, which had become grounded on
the Sorrel Horse bottom, near where
the town of Hardin now stands. and
this had to be hauled a distance of
25 miles to the battlefield. We made
the boxes on the battlefield. the work
being done by four troops of the Sec
ond cavalry.
Guard for Northern Pacific
After all had been buried a gen.
era1 burial service was conducted
with military honors. lieutenant of
Troop officiating as chaplain. / do
not remember his name.
After about three months had
passed we went back to Fort Lincoln
where we remained under the COM
mand of Gen. John ]. Gibbon, and
later came back into the Yellowstone
valley as detail to guard the sur
veyors under Hayden and King, who
were engaged in running lines for
the Northern Pacific railway. Still
later we acted as guard against the
Indians for the Northern Pacific
construction crews. During all of
this time we were stationed either
at Fort Meade, Fort Lincoln or Fort
Ellis.
With the conclusion of the rail-
road construction, which eliminated
in the driving of the golden spike"
at the mouth of Gold creek In the
Hellgate valley, Sept. 23, we were
ordered to Fort Ellis where we re-
manned fortnight and we're then
transferred to Arizona to report to
Gen. Nelson A. Miles.
During the year 1883 Klenck's
detachment was attached to the COM
mand under General Miles and later
participated in the campaign against
Geronimo, the noted Apache chief
tain, and The Kid, another warning
chief. Klenck was then color SER
geant and courier of Troop G, Sec
ond battalion. Second cavalry, and
it was during this campaign that he
engaged in desperate battle with an
overwhelming party of Apaches and
Comanches in which he received five
wounds, the marks of which he still
carries along with bullet still en-
bedded in the calf OF one of his legs.
with the guard of eight men Ser
geant Klenck was carrying dis
patches from a telegraph station to
General Miles camp distance of
5 miles, when he was ambushed by
party of 26 Indians at point
about % miles from the camp. For
tunately the Indians were not very
we'll armed. having but seven guns,
and depending mainly upon their war
clubs and tomahawks.
In the fight two of the soldiers
we're killed and four wounded, and
three of their best horses were slain.
Klenck was wounded in five places
and in a desperate hand to hand en-
counter with one brave he received
tomahawk cut upon his left wrist,
when he threw up his arm to ward
off blow aimed at his head The
scar of this wound is still plainly
visible. Before the battle ended all
of the Indians had been slain.
with two of his party slain, sew
eral wounded and short several hors
es Klenck was in sore straits to OBJ
tain aid and he resorted to the hell
ograph, with which the Indian fight
ers were then very familiar, to tele
graph word of his predicament to thu
camp. Finally he succeeded in get
ting a message through and detail
OF IS men and an ambulance unde
the command Of lieutenant was sen
to his aid.
Row With Lieutenant
Upon the arrival OF the party tn
lieutenant, who had but recent.
come out from West Point. demand
ed that Klenck deliver his dispatche
to him, to which request Klencl
refused to accede on the grounds tina
his instructions we're to deliver Their
to General Miles. Klenck's compan
| ions stood with him, whereupon tn
| lieutenant ordered him under arrest
despite the fact that he was badl
wounded
| THE battered detail was escorte
to the camp OF General Miles, VIII
/ after ascertaining the details OF tn
arrest Of Klenck, ordered his releas
and caused the arrest and discipliI
| ing of the lieutenant, who subs
quently resigned from the service.
| Later, after the surrender OF &c
| onimo, Sept. 3, 1886, Klenck's con
/ maid was sent back north and
/ 1891, following the last campaie
Il against the Sioux, he was discharge
II at Fort Custer, on the Little b
II Horn.
II However, he remained at Flo
II Custer, as a civilian employe. actir
II as chief clerk under the quartz
H master until the abandonment of Il
II fort, in 1897. Two years previous
II in 1895, he had filed on HON
II stead four miles east of Billings, al
II with the conclusion OF his servi
II with the government he removed
~ n