The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-07-07
PLANS RETURN
TO CITY AFTER
LONG ABSENCE
Oregon Man, Soldier at Fl.
Lincoln in 1874. Wants to
See How Town Looks in '27

Fifty years ago, young man re-
ceived his discharge from the army
ut Fort Lincoln. Bismarck was then
a frontier town, with only few log
shacks marking the location of what
was to be the state capital.
This year. this same man plans to
return to Bismarck, which he has not
seen since his discharge from the
army. To him, the changes Of time
will be wildly marked. He is p. B.
Gavitt of Marshfield, Ore, and on a
to stop off in Bismarck for few
days He is wondering if he will see
any of his old friends.
Was Wide Open
Wide open-that was Bismarck in
the early days, he says in letter
to the Tribune One of the princi-
pal resorts, he says, was long log
place, with sod roof, with n saloon
in the front and with all sorts OF
gambling devices, chuckluck, faro, red
and black, roulette, seven over ana
seven under. keno, twenty-one, and
other games in the back 1t was run
by Jack White, he says.
Mr.. Gavitt enlisted in Dubuque
Iowa, for fiveyear term on June
&c, 1872, and with lS6 raw recruits
was sent by rail to Sioux City, Iowa;
then by boat to Fort Rice, about 40
miles below the city. About the mid
die Of August, he was assigned to
Company "D" then stationed at Camp
Hancock near Bismarck.
Bismarck was not the towns orig
inal name, he says. 1t was first
called Edwinton and Mrs. Linda w.
Slaughter, wife of the post surgeon,
was appointed postmistress.
when | first went to camp, the
few buildings standing were of
brush with sod roofs" Mr.. Gavitt
says. 81 only call to memory one
shingled building. that Of the Capt.
tai hotel, run by the two Marsh
itself was of hewn logs. There were
also number of tent houses being
boarded up with lumber which was
brought up on boats.
Drank Missouri Water
when | first arrived at my COM
pany they were out in tents. Our
water was hauled from the Missouri
river and we used it to drink and
cook with until the next spring, when
we dug a we'll. That summer, the
Northern Pacific built its track over
it and removed the log house and
windlass we used to draw water with.
Instead Of it, they put US up a
swinging derrick and hinged two
plank doors we opened to get water
for our use. This was annoying to
both the soldiers and the railroad
as one had to wait for the other, the
first one on the ground holding the
we'll.
In the spring of 1874, Company "D'
was called for field duty with an
expedition up the Yellowstone river
returning in October and leaving
only guard relief to hold the camp
On this campaign, five men were
killed outright and nine wounded by
the Sioux Of the Bad Lands. was
wounded in the right hip with a
of my company was 68 days riding
over the plains in an army four-mule
ambulance"
Mr.. Gavitt says he was later APP
pointed acting hospital steward and
in December, 1874, received his COM
mission from Secretary of War Bel
KNAPP. He held this position until his
discharge in 1877, he says.
81 have a strong desire to see Bis
marck once more and see if there
are any persons there who recall the
times Of which / speak," he says. II
was personally acquainted with Col.
c. A. Lounsberry, founder of the
Tribune; John Davidson, the first
Northern Pacific agent; George Peo-
pies, who at one time ran water
wagon there. There were many
others among the civilians l knew as
was initiated, passed and raised in
Bismarck Lodge, A. +. and A. M