The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-07-04

sengers awaiting its arrival and de
parture as its limited cabin spac
would accommodate, some thirty ii
all. 1t was not a large boat, anc
having navigated the Missouri anC
the Yellowstone for decade, it
condition was not of the best. Tn
der ordinary circumstances ONT
would have preferred to take one
of the newer boats, like the Hell
ena, which was daily expected. Blu
the season when the Missouri
could be navigated generally last
ing less than four months, those
who wished to visit the East, and
make the return journey up the riv-
er, were anxious to start at the
earliest possible moment.
Among the passengers who were
booked on the Ear West" was a
large number Of officers and their
families from Fort Assinaboine,
Col. Brown, his wife and son;
Captain Cass Durham and fam
lily; Mrs. Hoyt, whose husband,
Capt. Hoyt, superintendent the
building of Fort Harrison; Mrs.
Wood, who with her son had been
visiting her sister, Mrs. Hoyt; and
Mrs. Baldwin, wife of Mai. Bald
win. The remainder were civil
ians, including myself, and my two
children, the younger a little more
than a baby.
All the listed passengers were
aboard; the work of taking on
freight was ended; and still we did
not leave the levee. Then the Hell
ena whistle was heard around the
bend below the town, and soon it
steamed up to the landing. Our de
lay in starting could not be ex-
planned, boats rivalling one another
in making record runs to and from
Fort Benton. We began to think
we had made a mistake in going
on the Ear West when at length
the boat started down the river,
closely followed by the Helena,
which finally passed us.
Had | known the history of the
gallant little craft on which we then
were, as I do now, I should have
considered it a privilege to be one
of her passengers.
Built in Pittsburg in 1870, the
Ear West" possessed the desir-
abe qualifications for upper river
navigation, of being light. sturdy
and speedy, and because of these
it was engaged in government ser
vice during the tragic summer of !
1876, when occurred the Custer
Massacre.
At Yankton it took on food sup
plies for Fort Lincoln; but arriving
there found the fort nearly empty,
an expedition having started for the
scene of some Indian disturbances
on the Yellowstone, ten days be-
fore, and the Gar West" was or
dered to follow, which it did, ar
irving at Powder river June 9TH.
Here General Terry came on
board and there established his
headquarters. The next day the
boat reached point fifteen miles
below the mouth of the Tongue
river, where General Gibbon joined
Terry, and they went up few
miles to Gibbons camp, where the
Ear West" remained a couple of
hours, when Gibbon took leave, and
the boat returned to Powder river.
there June 9th. General
Terry then left for the camp of
General Custer.
From that date until the fifteenth /
of June the Ear West" was en-
gagged in transfer work. Early on
he 18th, General Custer set out for
he Tongue, with six troops OF {
cavalry, and carrying his supplies
IN pack mules. General Terry and !
lis staff followed on the boat, Z
which carried additional supplies. q
At the Tongue river news was /
waited from Major Reno. This j
anne on the evening of the 18TH. S
large Indian trail had been dis
overed, leading, it was thought, t
owards the Big Horn. The time b
or decisive action had arrived now c
hat the position of the enemy was d
nown, and the cavalry marched 81
> the Rosebud, arriving there
bout noon of June 2lst, to find
General Terry and the Ear West, te
ad reached there first. q
1t was in the cabin of this boat al
lat the three generals, Terry, Glib m
on, and Custer, held council, and W
tapped out the following cam W
aign which ended so disas- to
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