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

tons. what country can match this
story? Within a few days OF the
Wagon Box fight. other troops of
this same regiment fought against
odds of 10 TO / In the bayfield, fight
within few miles Of Fort II. s..
Smith. and emerged as successful and
victorious as the victors OF the Wag-
on Box fight. 1t was from the Fort
at which we are now assembled,
Forts Ellis, Missoula and Shaw that
Col. Gibbons command was modified
in 1877 when he marched to the
Big Hole River In Beaverhead county
and engaged the forces OF Chief Jo-
seph, Looking Glass and White Bird
in the final struggle between civiliza-
ton and barharism within the con-
fines of the Territory OF Montana.
1T was from here that Lieut.. Lodi
er, a loveable young Lieutenant fresh
from West Point, with less than 10
enlisted men pursued three times
their number of hostile Sioux to the
Musselshell River and In pitched
battle destroyed the hostiles to the
last man. II was here that Major
Richard Comba, veteran of the
civil war, and Lieutenant John II. Van
Orsdale, young West Pointer,
marched with their troops to the Big
Hole River. and there won special
mention and promotion for conspic-
uous gallantry in the fight with Jo-
seph and his followers. From hence
the men who garrisoned this Fort
went forward to larger achievements
and wider fields of experience in mill
itary life. When the flag OF Spain
was lowered In Cuba, this same Com
ba and VanOrsdale were there leading
their troops. Later they and many
Of the men, officers and privates
who garrisoned this Fort served their
country In the far off Philippines
When the Cape Nome troubles chron-
icled by Rex Beach occurred II was
Capt. VanOrsdale In command OF a
handful OF troops stationed In Alaska
who took possession of the proceeds
OF the pIacers In dispute. placed them
In the bank and guarded them until
the courts OF the United States as
sumed jurisdiction OF the controversy.
These regiments after having been
transferred from this State, saw
service in Arizona, New Mexico,
and other parts OF the country un-
der the most adverse climatic con-
ditions SO that every duty which a
soldier Is called upon to perform
was faithfully performed by the
men who garrisoned this Fort and
made II worth while for the people
OF Montana TO dedicate II as we are
here now doing. Battles with hostile
Indians did not constitute by any
means the hardest part OF their
service. They lived In day when
many OF the comforts OF the pres
ent day were unknown The cloth
ing now furnished the army, as well
as those enjoyed by the civilian, is
vast improvement on that to
which the pioneers of Montana had
recourse. Hard winter campaigns
with inferior equipment was the lot
OF the western soldier Called upon
In the dead of winter to leave the
comforts, such as they were, of gar
rison life, and travelling sometimes
for hundreds of miles In pursuit OF
hostile Indians when the thermom-
eter registered from 40 to so de-
grees below zero-when roads and
trails we're blocked with drifting
snow--when the blizzard searched
out every opening in tent or other
shelter; when frozen hands and feet
snow blindness and intolerable suf-
fering were the order OF the day,
these men and their leaders never
stopped to question the wisdom of
an order received from the War De-
partment, or their superior Officers.
They knew but one word and that
was DUTY. Their lives were dedi-
Gated to the service of their country
and no honor is too high to be con-
ferred upon them and no memorial
too dignified or magnificent to record
their achievements.
"The soldiers and the settlers who
established this commonwealth be-
long to no ordinary generation of
men and women. They were of heroic
mold. Many of them were survivors
OF the civil war. That great strug-
gle which tempered the character OF
boys and men TO the point where 1t
tContinued on Agricultural Pager